Working Out and stuff

Prepare yourself for zero pictures. Today is for reading.

I’ve gotten lots and lots of stuff done around here. But nothing is really fully done. So pictures seem meh.
I’ll try to get around to a sorta-done-stuff picture post in the near future.

For now I just wanted to update you on some little things.

The real thing I wanted to mention was that 21 Day Fix I told you I was doing, over 21 days ago.

The Living Room Gets a Floor!

I know you are dying to see our floors -- but I’m gonna save the reveal till I drag you through the “remembering” pictures -- because it’s my blog -- and this has been tons of work -- I want to give you some of the effect of that.

This was our living room before it was ours.

New Birth

I’ve been SO busy on our house for the last two weeks or so.
I haven’t had time to post.
And I was gonna show you our new floors today but…
 I’d rather talk about something more important.
(And I’ll post the floors soon.)

Yesterday I was given the extreme honor of documenting my friend, Jill’s, birth with my camera.

If you’ve looked at my blog in the last oh 3 years or so, you may have noticed I kinda have a deep heart for birth. But I’ve never seen anyone (who wasn’t me) give birth. (Not counting the YouTubes I watched nonstop during my second pregnancy -- I mean in person.) 

Honestly I was pretty nervous about the idea. I didn’t know how I’d handle it. I didn’t know if I’d get scared or nauseous or light headed.

I really didn’t know if this photographing a birth thing was gonna happen for me or not. There were a few hurdles for me to cross to get there.



At first when she approached me with the idea, she had been planning on a hospital birth. And it was the hospital where I had had my c-section. The only time I had been back in there after my c-section (unrelated to Jill’s pregnancy/birth) I felt some major stress response -- lightheadedness, weak knees, overwhelming thoughts. I was not sure how well I’d do for Jill in this state. But I shared that with her, out of fairness, because I wouldn’t want to bring a bunch of unexpected fear into the room while she labored. She didn’t mind if I didn’t mind, and I decided it would be good for me to face it down. So I was in.

The next issue I was unsure of was who would watch my girls while I did this. I don’t have a sitter lined up here -- and with our food and pet allergies it’s not always the easiest thing to line up someone who can care for them.
So we kinda just said, well if I can figure it out I’ll come, but if not, that’s fine too.

Part way through her pregnancy Jill decided to do a home birth. She talked with me about my experience with a home birth, and did plenty of her own homework before deciding on it.

I was thrilled for my own selfish reasons that she was doing this -- I’d no longer have to face my fears at the hospital. AND I’d get to see an Illinois midwife in action. I’d much prefer to find another “Sheryl” here in IL over a hospital doctor/midwife if everything is looking safe and amiable to that for any future babies Blake and I might have in Illinois. So I was excited to get to see one doing her thing.


And I was excited for Jill too because I knew how impacting my home birth was for me. I was excited for her to get to experience that for herself.

The Family Room's Fireplace Update

My mom was in town last week and helped me get a ton done. (Thanks again mom! This house wouldn’t be anywhere near this done without you!) She tore down tons of wallpaper. I got some other stuff done too. But the biggest change for the house last week was the fireplace’s new look.

This was our family room’s fireplace on the day we bought the house.

And now…This is my view!

For Each Encounter

Over and over I face it, as I look at the screens or glossy pages.  Someone, somewhere stating how they are doing things.  And their statement, all shined-up and presented in its Sunday best, seems to be saying their way is the best way.  And what’s more: in saying that, they heavily imply the other ways are wrong.

It’s so exhausting.  It’s the biggest thing that makes me want to remove the internet from my life.  It’s the reason I spend less time with some people in person, because often they just don’t save it for the keyboard.

I’m a thinker.
I think long and hard and I like to find the best solutions to things I do, regardless of what I’m doing.  I like to do that.  I like the thrill of the hunt for my best bet.  And if I’m not careful I’ll go crazy, because I can do that to everything.  And I mean everything.
So this motherhood during the social media era thing… it’s not ideal.  People are ALWAYS sharing what they are doing and why, and why it is the best. (Meaning, I’m always having to rethink my thought out choices.)
It starts with pregnancy and birth and goes on to baby sleep, feeding choices, screen time choices, family meal choices, and school choices, and life choices, and everything choices.
And what they share is always best.  And they want you in their club.  And they want to sell you their club so bad.  They often are trying to help.
But I think it usually just boils down to we don’t want to be alone.