wrapped in swaddling clothes

I stopped swaddling Ocean a couple of weeks ago because he's four months old (officially out of the "fourth trimester") and he seemed to be sleeping okay without it. Well today I was rocking him, trying to get him sleepy for his nap and he just kept crying and kicking his legs. I knew he was SOOO tired... but he's an expert sleep-fighter so I kept trying for like 15 minutes. I finally remembered that the unofficial definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. So I threw a blankie on the ground and layed Ocean on it, crying and flailing. I wrapped his right arm... and suddenly his crying turned into hysterical laughter!! I wrapped his other arm, picked him up and he fell asleep in about 10 seconds. Unbelievable. Who knew swaddling would make a comeback?

i'm in a terrible pickle

Let's just say before I had Ocean I wore a size "X". Three months after having Ocean I resigned myself to the fact that I would never again fit into an X and bought new clothes. Because I hate clutter and did not constantly want to be reminded that I was now a size "Z" instead of X, I decided to sell all my size X clothes on Ebay. Most of them were purchased last summer and barely worn. I started with all my summer clothes and just shipped the last item out last week.

Then after playgroup the other day, I noticed that my new size Z capris were feeling kind of saggy in the buttockal region. I kept hiking them up and finally went to look in the mirror. It was offensive. At first I was mad at American Eagle, thinking how I got ripped off on these cheaply constructed capris that made my backside look like that of a fifty year old mom (no offense to the fifty year old moms out there, but I am a 20-something year old mom and have no intention of looking fifty-something before I actually AM).

Then suddenly a lightbulb went off. I dug out a pair of size X jeans that hadn't yet made it onto Ebay... a pair of jeans that wouldn't fit over my (new!) hips just days ago. And wouldn't you know it... they fit. And my butt looked normal again.

So I literally went from a size Z back to a size X in about a week. This would be awesome except that I SOLD ALL OF MY SUMMER CLOTHES! So now I'm stuck in a dilemma. Do I now Ebay all of my size Z clothes to buy new size X clothes? Or do I hang onto the Z's, because inevitably I will wear them again one day?

I suppose it's a good, albeit expensive, problem to have.

clue

"You couldn't get a clue during the clue mating season in a field full of horny clues if you smeared your body with clue musk and did the clue mating dance." -- Edward Flaherty

the gospel according to switchfoot

"We were meant to live for so much more; have we lost ourselves?"

I believe we were each created to challenge the status quo. What is your purpose? What were you created for? Why are you here? Are you settling for a life less than you desire simply because it's the way things have always been done, or maybe because you've lost sight of your true self?

I don't know about you, but I am pissed off at the American culture and the only way I know how to combat what I see is how I spend my time and money. I challenge every person who reads this to change one thing that you wish was different about the world you live in. Even if no one else seems to notice, do something today that shows where you stand.

"I want more than my desperation, I want more than my lonely nation..."

it's a girl!

Ayla Starr was born yesterday at 7:30-ish pm to Hypnobirthing mama Lindsay. She was an itty bitty 6 lbs. 8 oz. Get this: labor lasted 4 hours, pushing only 20 minutes! Lindsay called me two hours after giving birth sounding totally amazing. Guess who's doing Hypnobirthing next time...?!

Congratulations guys!! We can't wait to meet Ocean's future wife! (Ocean and Ayla sitting in a tree...)

tell me what you think

Phil and I have been talking about what we do and don't "get" out of Sunday's church service, and whether or not we are justified in having expectations for worship service.

I'm just curious, for those of you who care to answer, what is the purpose of church for you personally? Whether you go, don't go, whatever... if you had the ideal church "experience", what would that look like? Or if you already are in the "perfect" church for you- God love ya- what makes it that way? Reply to this blog and let me know.

I'm not looking for "right" answers here folks... just some good, old fashioned honesty.

PS: Feel free to substitute "church" with temple, mass, mosque or your particular place of worship.

*Addendum: Casey brings up an interesting thought, so I'm going to roll with it. Is it fair to have expectations of receiving something on Sunday mornings during church service? For example, if I have a genuine need, can I expect that need to get met on Sunday mornings? Or am I just to show up and give fully of myself, not expecting to get anything in return? Additionally, to what degree, if at all, can I expect to be challenged by the message on Sunday morning? Or again, is God more interested in me just "showing up", and he will make sure I get what I'm lacking through another avenue?

i heart playgroup

Ocean and I had our first playgroup today (big ups to the Little Monkeys and their mamas!). I highly recommend playgroups, and wonder where playgroups have been all my life. I'm hooked.