Update

Well, instead of boring you with a half-hearted apology about where I've been the last couple months, I'll just get right to the point of what's up with The Combs Family.

First up on the docket, THE HOUSE SOLD!!!!!!!!  Halle-freakin-lujah!  The buyers were about as persnickety as my three year old, but we sucked it up and jumped through the hoops and just thanked our lucky stars it was finally off our financial hands.  I will say that once we signed all the closing documents and everything was official, it did finally hit me how bittersweet it was selling that house.  We had a lot of great memories there...

Also as a side note, isn't funny how I wrote an entire post complaining about how frustrated I was waiting on it to sell, then when it finally does, like a month later all I can muster up is a short paragraph about how happy I am it sold.  *sigh*

Next up, WE'RE PREGNANT!!  That's right, Emma's getting a little brother or sister in May 2013.

Showing off her Halloween costume & baby's picture.

I don't think she quite realizes how her world is getting ready to change.  She was with us when we did the ultrasound and ever since then she's talked about the baby "swimming" in Mommy's belly.  I have noticed she's playing with her dolls more and they are all her "babies".  She carries them around like you would hold a baby and likes to lay them in her bed tucked under the covers.  I have no idea where she learned/saw this, but either way, it's adorable.

Everything's been fine with me.  I had alot of nausea during the first trimester but luckily that is starting to subside.  I'm soooo glad, especially since it's just in time for Thanksgiving.  I remember being pregnant with Emma and not being able to enjoy The Big Meal(s).  I have quite a love for food so I'm stoked I can partake this year with no worries of a nauseous aftermath.

I went in this morning for my 12-week (well, I'm actually 13 weeks) checkup.  Everything was fine and I got to hear the baby's heartbeat.  Apparently this baby is a little mover, the doctor made a comment about it.  Emma was really active in the womb too, so of course I'm starting to make assumptions that I'm going to have another "Emma".  Don't get me wrong, I love the little tike to death, but she was definitely not known for being a laid-back baby.  Atleast this time around I'll know what I'm getting myself into.

My belly quickly assumed the position, almost as if it never bounced back from baby #1... But I'm not going to lie, I busted out those maternity jeans as soon as I got a positive pregnancy test.  Oh elastic waist bands, how I've missed thee.

But I love that we're expanding our little family and I look forward to meeting this new baby and seeing what he or she will be like.  I love watching Cody be the awesome dad that he is and know that I'm so blessed to have him.  While I know the newborn stage is going to be trying and sleepless and, well, sometimes drownright miserable, from it will come another adorable little creation of our own.  So.... here goes nothing!

Buyer's remorse, toddler style

So it was a bit of a boring morning around here, I decided we'd make a quick trip over to Dollar Tree.  I had a few things I was needing and where better to get them than the dollar store?

On the drive over I made it clear to Emma she could pick out one toy, and one toy only.  I felt pretty confident she got the message, even walking into the store she was telling me how she could only get one toy.

So we make our way over to the toy isle.  First on the docket?  A bag of assorted balloons.  Ok, we've got some of those at home already, but if that's what she wants...  Then came the blue mermaid with curly hair.  She did as she was told, put the balloons back and got her mermaid.   We had a few other bait and switch maneuvers, but we she finally settled on a dinosaur hat that had a great big nose that stuck out a good foot from her head.  She went around the store roaring and giving everyone a good laugh.  She was pretty cute...

As we were walking out I contently thought about our successful excursion.  My mommy pride was bubbling over at her good behavior, while my big picture thinking was comparing it to her first lesson on living within your means.

But no sooner than when I pulled out of the parking lot, she casts the hat aside and starts asking about those balloons.  Ah crap.  I tried to remind her of the one toy rule, but she was in no mood for a lesson on minimalism.  The further we got from the store, the worse her tantrum became.  Including pulling off her flip flops and pitching each one of them at my head.  To that I had to laugh.  Damn she's got good aim, Daddy's taught her well.

So I just kept driving, all the while a screaming child was in my rear view mirror.  I kept hoping the "just ignore her" trick would eventually wear her down.  It never does, don't kid yourself.  In fact, at one point she yells at me, "Mommy, stop doing that!"

So whilest listening to screams and pleads for balloons, I start thinking about this stay-at-home momming gig.  Her two days per week daycare teachers act like she's the perfect kid, never cries, well mannered, always shares. (Who is this child and what did they do with my temperamental Emma?)

If she's so great at school, why don't I just go back to work full time?  Oh the money we could be raking in with my education/experience.  Plus I wouldn't have to deal with size 6 shoes flung at my head.

I remember reading an article that said kids will usually save their worst behaviors for their parents and be sweet angels for teachers/babysitters/etc.  The reason being, they "love" us enough to show us their worst side.  I get this, Lord knows my loved ones have the seen the best and worst of me.  But still, I'm a little peeved that Emma is dumping her bad behavior on me.  But who's to say I don't do the same to her?  After we get home and she's still inconsolable, my patience wanes and I have a bit of a tantrum of my own.  Stellar parenting, for sure.

 But as we finally start to calm down we have a tender moment of exchanging I love you's, hers coming between those lip-quivering sighs that follow a good cry.  (Mush goes my heart!)

Then it dawns on me, it doesn't matter what my job status is, every mom has to deal with situations like the one I just described.  There's no escaping them.  It's apart of raising a child.  But what do we get in return?  Heart melting I love you's between quivering sobs, singing her favorite song and reading her special book before naptime, tender moments that she only saves for us, her parents.

So the moral of this story?  Our children teach us way more lessons than we ever teach them.

Ding Dong, Summer's Gone! And why this depresses me...

Holy crap, it's August already!  While I know the official start of fall is not until late September, let's face it, the dog days of summer have done dogged out.

What did we do?  Well there was the beach trip, the trips to the pool, camping, grilling, paying outrageously high power bills as our A/C fought the record heat.  You know, the usual.

Most season changes I am filled with content reflection of the season gone by and with anticipation of what's to come.  I usually love having a little change in my life.  Things to look forward to that are specific to the upcoming season.  Adventures and fun to be had with my daughter, all made possible by the simple changing of a season.

Disclaimer: this is where the pity party begins...

As summer is ticking away, I'm afraid my mood is not so jolly.  Why you ask?  One simple reason, we still own a house in Roanoke.  Yes, it has been 9 months since we moved, and we are still paying monthly mortgage payments to a house we no longer live in.  Ouch.

All my previous posts about moving home and loving being here were all contingent on being able to easily break the financial ties that bound us to Roanoke.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not regretting our move, I love being a North Carolinian again.  But what I don't love is watching our savings that was meant for future home building and dream-come-true'ing being flushed down the toilet because the economy decided to take a nose dive.

When the summer began we were thinking all positive.  SUMMER was like this illusive time when houses start selling like hot cakes.  "Oh, this is when folks buy homes", "They like to buy during the summer b/c they don't want to interrupt the kids' school years", etc, etc, etc.  And it's true, as I obsessively checked MLS listings, I would see house after house magically disappear as it went off to happy home buying land.

But yet, still no takers for ours.

Oh, we've had our fair share of almosts.  We had someone put down an offer two weeks after we first listed.  But... thanks again to the shitty economy, they couldn't get approved for a loan.  Sorry a-holes.  But we weren't too upset, if the house could catch someone's eye so quickly, surely we'd have a buyer soon?

Then we had the one that thought we had water damage in our basement, despite the fact we told her in the five years we lived there, we never had a problem.  But apparently her 10 minute inspection and uneducated opinion could not be changed.

Yes, I am bitter.  I am bitter we did not get the house sold this summer.  I am bitter we are now having to lower the price again and again, and with that watch our take home money that was supposed to replenish the savings dwindle and dwindle.  I am bitter about all of it.

So forgive me as I wallow in my bitterness.  I know it's not healthy, I know it's not right.  I know I should be thinking positive and praying to St. Joseph, the patron saint of home selling.  (No, I'm not making that up, see for yourself.)

 But yet here I am.  Waiting, waiting, waiting...

Will someone just buy it already!

The down & dirty of mommyhood

In honor of Mother's Day, thought I would share a story that really hits home for me.  To me, it's what mommyhood is all about...

So there I was, sitting on the pot trying to pass my bowels.

Oh don't act so surprised.  We've all gotta do it.

And in walks Emma, because a closed door & "privacy" are a foreign concepts to any almost three year old.  And not only does she barge in on my oh so private moment, she also likes to point out that I'm going "Poopy in the potty" and "Mommy's a big girl, Mommy wears underwear"(we're working on potty training at our house).  She then proceeds to hang around while I finish my bizniz, insisting we play a quick round of Pattycake and that I watch & cheer her on as she jumps from bathroom rug to bathroom rug like it's Hopscotch.

Now for someone who's fallen victim to several bouts of stage fright (public restrooms are the worst), it's taking quite a bit of concentration on my part to complete the task at hand.  But I persevere and move on to the paperwork.

By this point Emma has asked about 49 times if she can flush (her favorite part of potty training) and is now patiently standing next to me with her hand poised on the magic flusher.  (Talk about having to work under pressure.)  Also bare in mind our house is over a hundred years old, so the plumbing is not exactly up to snuff, even using too much TP when going #1 has been known to clog.  So, when Emma's big moment of flushing finally arrives, inevitably the toilet clogs.  To this she lets out a very dramatic "UH-OH!"

I then begin the glorious task of plunging and after a few failed attempts, things finally go down.  For my efforts, I am rewarded with a cheer, jumping & clapping, and a big ole "You did it!" from my very own little bathroom cheerleader.  Out of all the things I've done for my child, I didn't realize this would bring such joy.

Now the purpose of me sharing this slightly disgusting, a little disturbing, and definitely TMI story  is because it's Mother's Day.  And despite what all the Hallmark cards my say, sometimes motherhood can be messy, humbling, and well, awkward.  (Do I really have to drive a mini-van??)


"Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories."  ~John Wilmot

Parenting is by far the most challenging and yet the most rewarding endeavor any of us will ever take on.  Who else will unconditionally love you so much that they will cheer you on as you blow up the bathroom?

This messy, humbling, and loving life is exactly what I wanted when I decided to become a mother.  I thank God for blessing me with my very own little bathroom cheerleader and look forward to the other adventures her & I will take on together.  However, God, do you think these adventures could take place somewhere beyond the privacy of our bathroom?  My bowels would be forever thankful.

11 Questions

Rules: Post a picture of yourself, tell us 11 things we might not know about you, answer the 11 questions asked of you, then write 11 new questions and tag some friends to play along (let them know you tagged them!)

1. I cannot swim.  At all.  Oh I can tread water and doggie paddle like nobody's business, (so don't feel like it's a life or death situation if I happen to get thrown in a pool) but if I needed to swim anywhere in a hurry, don't count on it.  Despite my mother's best efforts in re-enrolling me in swim lessons year after year, nothing ever stuck.  I think she eventually got a little embarrassed when I was about a foot taller than all the other kids and they were still swimming laps around me.


2. I'm secretly looking forward to Emma & I being gal pals.  This morning I put on a pretty little top and Emma said, "Oh Mommy, pwetty shirt!"  While I know a two year old is probably not up on the latest fashions, I did catch myself walking a little taller knowing my daughter approved of my outfit.


3. I am addicted to these things called Butter Cookies (believe me, you'll hear more about these later).


4. Atleast once a day I have some random, deep thought that makes me say, "Hey, I should blog about that."  So as you can tell from my scantily posted-on blog, I either loose that train of thought, don't get time to type it up, or I just decide it's too personal to share with the "world" (i.e. all half-dozen of you that follow me).


5. I can't remember too much about my first date with my hubby.  In my defense it was Ceres Formal and I'd had a few.........

6. To win back some brownie points after that last one.... the most fun I ever had with my husband was on our wedding day.  And I remember every single detail (despite the alcohol that was involved with that day as well).

7.  My daughter is simultaneously the biggest blessing and the biggest challenge I've ever had in my life.


8. My favorite color is blue (sorry, I'm running out of things to say here).


9. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era.  Something about late 1800 Appalachia feels like home to me.  Maybe in a past life?  Homesteading, pioneering, trains, self-reliance, a less materialistic/wasteful way of living.  Back when bluegrass music was just plain ole music, and not for hippies.


10. I'm a horrible speller.  If it wasn't for spell check, you probably couldn't read this.


11. I still have absolutely no idea what I want to do when I grow up.

Karrie's Questions:

1.  What is your all time favorite dessert?


Butter cookies.  Told you I'd get back to this.  Here's the recipe, try it, but be warned, you won't be able to stop yourself from eating half the batch in one sitting.
  
2.  Where would you go if you could go anywhere on earth?
Out west (Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, etc), work on a dude ranch (like a real one not the touristy kind) and work so hard in a day that I'd never have to worry about what I eat (like the way our bodies are meant to function).
 
3.   What's the biggest lie you ever told?
Hmmm, that's a good one.  Maybe something I've said in a job interview.  Like "oh yes, I've always seen myself as a [blank]".  Refer to #11 above.
 
4.  How often do you go without washing your car?
Ha!  Well I can't remember the last time I did, so that should answer your question...  actually I do run it through those automatic car washes during the winter time to wash the salt off.  Go me!
 
5.  What do try to keep yourself from doing, but some how never seem to get out of it?
I try to keep myself from baking Butter Cookies because I'll know I'll eat half the batch.  But somehow they just keep getting made...
 
6.  What do you take to pot lucks?
You're probably thinking I'll say Butter Cookies here, but no, I only cook those for myself.  It makes the post-eatinghalfthebatch self-loathing much better that way... Usually I'll make something yummy and gooey and casserole-y for potlucks.  Like any Southern girl would.
 
7.  What is your proudest moment?
This is going to sound incredibly corny, but I can't narrow it down to just one.  My daughter fills me with pride constantly, daily really.
 
8.  When is the last time you took a nap?
I fell asleep in the car driving back from Roanoke this weekend.  Does that count?  I couldn't lean the seat back all the way b/c there was too much crap in the car, so I had to sleep sitting up and I kept doing that head bobbing thing.  It was very restful, let me tell you....
 
9.  What are you currently reading?
Currently I'm half way through Hunger Games #2 and half way through Twilight Breaking Dawn (book 4).  Why two at once you ask?  Well, I was on the waiting list for Twilight at the library and it finally became available, so sorry Hunger Games, had to put you on hold.
 
10.  How often do you go to the grocery store?  What do you usually buy?
I wish I could say I only went once a week and always remembered to buy everything I needed.  Instead it seems I end up going another 2-3 times and only to purchase 1-2 items because I forgot them during (what was supposed to be) my once a week trip.
 
11.  What was the last thing you prayed for? 

For my very good friend and her newborn baby.


Martha's Questions:

1. If money was not an issue, how would you spend your days?
2. Does your first impression of people usually end up being way off or spot on?
3. What is something you do or believe or follow that is totally superstitious?  Or atleast something you do that your common sense tells you is incredibly silly but you do it anyway.
4. What is your favorite motivational or inspirational speaker/public figure and why?
5. What is something that is considered "taboo" that you've never really had a problem with?
6. What's the best vacation you've ever had?
7. Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
8. What's currently #1 on your bucket list?
9. What skill do you wish you had but know you never will?
10.  What's your all time favorite song and why?
11. Have you ever stuck to your New Year's Resolution?

What I've been doing with myself

Hello my dear sweet blog.  I'm sorry it's been so long.  I have been otherwise detained.  I'm afraid I have a new addiction, it's called Stackhouse-itis.  That is, I'm addicted to the Sookie Stackhouse books.

No I am not going to blog about the books, I'll only take my addiction so far.  And to profess my loyalty to Team Bill in a public platform such as this blog is not what I plan on doing.

Anywho...

So what have I been up to you ask?  Well other than flying through 11 books in about 4 weeks, umm, well, that's about it.  I would wake up, read, play with Emma, read, change her diaper, read, eat lunch while reading, put her down for nap, read for a solid three hours or so... you get the idea.  I WAS OBSESSED!

Why on earth was I so obsessed?  Well, I'm a little bored.  (ya think?)  While I'm super duper happy we're back in the good ole NC, I had a lot going on in Roanoke before we left.  Now I have a massive void to fill (after some of the crude remarks in the books, this line makes me snicker a little).

Of course after finishing the books, I had to move onto True Blood, the HBO show based off the books.  Holy hell.  There are some pretty raunchy scenes in the books, but seeing them in person can almost make me blush.  Course the show takes things to a whole other level, most of craziness in the show never even happened in the books.  But still, wow.

So, of course I've now finished all the shows, or atleast up to season 3 which is all Netflix has available.  Now I'm just a lady in waiting until the new book comes out in May, or Netflix decides it can finally release season 4.  I must say, I'm going through some withdrawals.

So as I try to fill my void (tehehe) with other interests, please enjoy my enjoy my favorite scene from the books/show:

Crap, this whole post ended up only being about the story.  Stackhouse-itis, it's for real y'all.