Reasons To Praise God

The Hour Long Perm - Yes, I naturally have wavy hair, and yes, I still got perms as a kid. That chemical smell still brings me back. Sitting in the chair while every lock of hair was pulled, twirled, and coated with acids. They would always say that it's normal for your scalp to tingle, but it's more like a strong burning sensation.

Feelings for my teenage crush - Oh, the hours I wasted imagining holding his hand and where we would share our first kiss. Doodling our name over notebooks and trying to decode every conversation to see if he was secretly divulging his true feelings to me. Bl eh! That all ended when Kevin walked into my life. The crush went from Mr. Perfect to Mr. Wrong as I saw what I really needed in a husband in Kevin.

Pregnancy - While logically speaking, everyone knows that you physically can't be pregnant for forever. But every woman hits a point in their pregnancy when they look at their swollen, tired, stretched, exhausted body and wonder if there will ever be an end in sight. I never thought my body would recovery from the knock-out fight pregnancy put it through.

Sleeping for only 3 hours at a time - There is something that breaks your will and bends your sanity when you are kept from sleeping through the night for weeks on end. As any of my former roommates will tell you, there is nothing I value more in life than sleep. It tops the list of my priorities always. I will never forget the shock, excitement, and relief I felt when I woke up one morning to realize Clare has slept through the night for the first time! I literally woke up Kevin to ask him if he thought something was wrong with her.

Clare's fat rolls - Now that is one thing that I really wish would last forever. There is nothing more irresistible than those chunky little arms and thighs crawling around. Oh, dear!

at 6:07 PM |  

(Please excuse the rubber gloves, I'm allergic to pumpkin goo. Weird, I know)

October 2009: 25 year old Mom to a nearly One Year Old

(I know I'm not in this photo. Like every other Mom, I'm the one taking the photos)

It is amazing how much your life can change in just a year. While last year, I knew everything in my life would be turned upside down once Clare arrived. I still had no idea how drastically different my life would end up. Looking through these pictures is like stepping back in time. Last year, I was swelling to an uncomfortable bursting point. I had trouble even just walking around to pick my pumpkin, and Kevin had to carry both of our pumpkins to the car. Thank goodness pregnancy is a temporary condition!

This year, I have a joyful and mobile little girl. Our days are filled with songs, toys, and pureed food. She is really getting to an age where it is fun to spend time with her. She laughs at my funny dances and loves to chase the dogs around the yard. For Halloween she was an adorable minnie mouse (thanks to some help from a Mom's Club Mom). No candy allowed yet, but Kevin and I were helpful enough to take care of any candy people would give her.

Next year with a nearly two year old, I can't wait to see what those pictures will look like. (Not to see what Clare looks like, but to make sure I look hot and and well kept.)

at 1:11 PM |  

Life is pretty tough in the Morris household right now. I thought about going through a diatribe listing all the problems going on, but by the 2nd paragraph you'd be thinking, "Does Mary want us to throw a pity party?" And I would be like, "I'd love to have a pity party." And then you'd look at your schedule, and I'd look at mine. Then there would be no free weekends, and we'd call the whole thing off. So to wrap it up, we had a rough last week, we are currently having a rough week, and it's basically guaranteed that the next few weeks will be rough also.


But there are a few bright spots in all the storm clouds. Ladies and Gentleman, a drum roll please....... Clare can crawl for a few feet and stand for a few milliseconds! I've become her official jungle gym with the droll skids to prove it. I love it when she gets on her knees, and I get to yell at her "Who's the good little catholic girl?" I'm ready to pose her with a rosary in her hand and start to build her Nun portfolio! I'm getting this kid to heaven if it kills me.

I have a wonderful daughter, a husband who loves me, and after a few more weeks this nightmare will be over. I'll be singing "Alleluia" in the streets while possibly dancing in my underwear! I can't wait to get there.

Basically, I wrote this post to help me de-stress a little. And for whoever actually read the whole sad, narcissistic post, thank you for letting me vent for awhile.

at 9:53 AM | 1 comments