Motherhood + Time = Comedy

I've been doing a lot of reading lately. My girlfriend, Bri, and I have our very own bookclub. We each buy a book, read it, fall in love, and then jet to the post office to share it with our bestie on the otherside of the country. Yes, my book club buddy lives in Tennessee. But, so far it is working. And I love to send off a fabulous book with a great note of "love love love this. Finally another woman who gets it and isn't afraid to be honest about life."
So far, we've mostly been reading books about being a real woman. Not the woman with perfect hair and legs, walking around town with full make up, high heals, and a coffee in hand. We're talking about the mom that runs out of the house in the morning just thankful to have made it to 8am. Because let's be honest, that's most of us moms, or women for that matter. I have quickly come to realize that the balancing act that I mantained in college need not apply to life as a wife, mother, and woman. Notice how I end up being last in the equation. Nevermind my volunteer committments to my sorority, my job, family, and friends (that I don't see nearly as often as I would prefer).
Right now, I'm just over half way through Brooke Burke's "The Naked Mom" While I'm not sure why she needs to naked on the cover, I do appreciate her honest humor. Motherhood is pretty comeical. There have been many days where I leave the house in an outfit that is bizarre, no makeup, after just a few blocks of 2 hours of sleep through the night. At some point, you need to either laugh or cry. And sometimes, Emery leaves the house in something that doesn't fit, is stained, and her hair is a tangled mess. And to be honest, sometimes I say "daddy dressed her," when in fact, it was me.
I've said it before... I'm just trying to make it through the day. I'm spread too thin, with a husband that travels too much. When he is gone, I do dishes once a week, and will eat my sandwich dinner off a napkin to avoid the dish. I'd rather read books to Emery, than wash another damn plate. I'd rather stare at a wall than wash another pot. I've often had this ideal of a house that is clutter free, with homecooked meals on the table each night. Well, our house is too small to avoid clutter, and we don't actually have a dinning room table. But, we do our best to have a meal on the ottoman trays most of the time.
So, let's just talk about last night.... Emery was up most of the previous night with a fever. And, if you know our story, you know that a fever sends me into a panic because of her previous fever induced seizure. Plus, a good friend's daughter had one recently, bringing back up a lot of emotions... So, I was already exhausted yesterday... We had a lovely homecooked dinner and made it to bed about 9pm. I say we, because Emery refuses to sleep in her own bed, or my bed, without me by her side. She cries, says "Sleep mommy bed, mommy, sleep together!" So, because I'm actually pretty tired, and even more too tired to fight with her, off we go. Within 20 minutes, success, we are both snoring. 11:30 rolls around and I'm woken up by Emery sobbing. Not just crying, but sitting up in bed sobbing. Her diaper is dry, I'm in bed with her, and she doesn't have a fever... what the heck is wrong?
She has had problems with night terrors and more recently "scary night night." So I thought that was it. But, my poor girl was so upset she couldn't communicate what she wanted, didn't want, or anything else. Emery is pretty chatty and can community with sentances... so I've grown acustomed to her telling us what she wants to eat, watch, play, etc. Throw this in with how tired I am and I am at a frustrated loss. I tried milk, juice, cuddling, blankey, baby doll, nothing worked. But, eventually, she just layed down and was out again. However, on my run to go get juice, or the blankey (not sure which...), the doggies decided they were awake and wanted to play. My two 70 pound dogs planted themselves through every inch of my walk way with their tails wagging. So here I am, trying to figure out what is wrong with my child after being woken out of a deadsleep, she is WAILING and I have two doggs looking for a play date. Needless to say, they were sent to the backyard to potty or play, which ever they prefered.
We had a few more crying-floppy fish moments through the night before waking up to a request for snuggle time. Now, after a cup of coffee and sufficent mind-numing surfing of my favorite celebrity gossip sites, I can almost laugh about this. I guess I'm just doing the song and dance of motherhood. I hope I'm not the only one out there just trying to figure it out as I go along, knowing that as long as I know I love my child and am doing my best, we'll all be ok...

xoxo,
C.

My third mother's day.

Even writing that this is my 3rd mother's day makes me a little sad. I can not believe that Miss Emery is passed her 2nd birthday. So many milestones have happened and I can't seem to keep up with recording them in my brain to savor each moment. "They" weren't kidding when they said that life goes by so quickly and you really need to enjoy each moment.
As we prepare to move to Colorado, I find myself realizing how truly blessed we are to have the friends and family that we do. Our support system here could never be matched. We've been able to surround ourselves with friends that accept us for who we are as a couple and as individuals. And those that love Miss Emery. She has so many "aunts" and "uncles" that will always be apart of her life. And, my family... They are lifesavers. Without any hesitation my family will come in and help pick up whatever pieces have fallen that day. The idea of leaving them will never get easier, and I will never be ok with being away from them. But, I know that they will support me no matter what, because that is what families do.
While mother's day is a day to celebrate the mother's around the world. I want to make sure to celebrate not just my own mother and grandmother, but the mother's and women in my life that I adore.

So first a few pictures of the past 2 years to celebrate the mother's and women of my family!

On a Disneyland visit, my cousin Cami and Jacob.



Emery and my grandma at the 2009 Buyou Festival. Emery spent the whole day snuggled in my grandma's arms. I'm not sure who loved it more.



Easter 2010 at the Elks Lodge with Nana





Mother's Day 2010: Grandma, Emery, Mom and I. The "odair" ladies. The 3 most important females in my world.



and finally, my sister and Emery's Auntie Jenny. The best aunties in the world to my girl. She is so lucky.


Plus, I'd like to share a few mommy blogs that I love to follow. I appreicate each of these women's humor and passion for motherhood. Eachtime I read a new post it helps me realize that I'm not the only OCD mommy out there that has bad days. One of these mom's I actually know, the others I do not. But, the help me to laugh out loud about the crazy things that kids do and say...

Ground Swell: www.cartersgroundswell.com A lovely blog sharing the challenges of international adoption, adding in christian inspirations, and all about family love.


Stone Chic: http://networkedblogs.com/hsOYA Brooke is a sorority sister of mine. While we were not in college, or the collegiate chapter together, I truly adore her. She is a strong, beautiful, confident women that has the most adorable son. I love her "tell-it-like-it-is" attitude.




And finally, probably the blog I love the most because it truly makes me laugh out loud everyday... Rage Against the Minivan: http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/ Love this moms practical and honest approach her sharing her international adoption stories. She's just a mom to 4 adorable children, sharing her daily challenges, things that make you think, laugh, and shed a tear every once and a while. I'm so thankful to my bff, Kacie, for sharing this with me.

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I'm not sure anyone actually read my blog on a regular basis. I love the opportunity to share our daily stories with those we love that are far away. It is my own personal place to journal my feelings on motherhood, friendship, service to others, or whatever else pops up in our lives. But, I feel about my blog like I did about my journal in 7th grade. I love the idea of having these memories 10 years down the road, but I'm so busy having fun and living life, I often neglect it. Plus, that journal from 7th grade is pretty cheesy and...VERY 7th grade girl. Almost painful to re-read... But, since we are moving soon, I need to prioritize blogging for my friends and family... but mostly for me and Emery. I need a place to express myself. If someone reads it, lovely. If they feel so inclined to share a comment, great. But, if not, then that is ok too....

Happy Mother's Day to all the women in my life! I'm so thankful to be surrounded by so many powerful, smart, and classy ladies.

xoxo,
Crystal

shopping for a cause or supporting the local DIY mom.

So, I've gotten a little adicted to blogs lately. DIY blogs, mom blogs, cause blogs, or some combination of the three. We are moving to CO and plan to buy a home... which I get to decorate! While I'm devestated to leave my extended family, I'm so excited to create a home for my little nuclear family. And, I want it to have a fresh, loving atmosphere!
So, I've been checking all kinds of fun things on various blogs to get inspiration... and besides being inspired, I feel a little sad at my complete and utter lack of creativity. But, thankfully, there are places like Etsy.com that can help fill in the blanks. If you haven't become obsessed with esty yet, you're really missing out! So many amazing and beautiful things, most of them handmade. And to me, it seems like it's a lot of women that are either doing this as their business, or to make extra money for their families. Which, I'm very happy to support! In fact, I just got an adorable print from lilygene prints of "home is where the heart is..." With a diecut image of CA, with a heart in the LB location. I plan to proudly display this in my CO home! Because, lets be honest, I'll always have part of my heart in LB...
And, I've also discovered some amazing organizations that are empowering women from counties with great unrest, or where women have few, if any, legal rights. They provide them a business outlet by creating goods that are sold in the US.

I love to shop, and I love adorable handcrafted items. It makes me feel great to buy things I love that support a cause that provides business and life skills to women in great need. These women are talented all on their own, I'm so proud to be apart of providing them a better life.

Two of my favorites that I discovered are 31bits and punjammies by the princess project.

Learn more about www.31bits.com here: http://vimeo.com/15820393

It is handmade, recycled paper beads that create beautiful bracelets and necklaces! I love my bracelets, plan to buy a necklace this week and 31bits is becoming my favorite thing to give as a gift to my girlfriends.

I just discovered punjammies from another blog I follow, that I'm quickly becoming obsessed with. I get so excited when the email update comes in each day!

http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/

This is a mom of 4 sharing her struggles, joys and stories of motherhood and life. She and her husband have adopted two children and it is amazing to hear their stories. I love this blog! It's really funny and honest, which I appreciate! Plus, she's led me to some amazing products and causes. One of which is punjammies!

Please check out www.punjammies.com They are sari inspired pajamas! Here's what the website says...

Mother's Day Stories NEW! Sale All PUNJAMMIES™ Tops About Donate Returns and Exchanges Contact The Story of PUNJAMMIES™

Each PUNJAMMIE™ is created in an after-care facility for women who have been rescued, released or escaped from a life of forced prostitution. Their lives have been marked by a message – you are a commodity – to be used for other’s gain.

Whether sold by her own family, trafficked from another country or driven by desperation, she was a slave to this life. Each story is as unique as each woman.

I think it all started when I gave into my first pair of TOMs, thanks to my friend Kacie. I'm going to shop anyway, so I might as well support a fabulous cause in the process!

xoxo

We're on the move.

Well, it seems the cat is officially out of the bag now. Jason, Emery and I are moving to Colorado, specicially, the Denver area. Jason has been offered a promotion to a Manager after just 6 months with Safety-Kleen. I am so proud of him, but this is still devestating news for me.

Leaving my friends, family, job... my security bubble of Long Beach is more than I can handle some days. But, we hope to throw ourselves completly in loving Denver, and hope that Denver gives that love back. I will miss everything about Long Beach... except the crime, homeless, insane housing prices... hey, CO is looking better already.

But, CA can't get rid us of entirely, we plan to come back often. AND, we expect visitors...often. I'll apply for grad school in CO, find a job, and Emery a new pre-school.

I think that the affect this will have on Emery is the hardest for us. She doesn't understand that we are moving, or why... she'll just know that she misses her family here. She has an amaazing Auntie Jenny that watches her during the day. She is more than he babysitter, she's her family. Emery is unnaturally close with my family, and that seperation is going to kill her. Thank goodness for Skype. I've never used it, but will have to figure it out pretty quickly.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers that our move and transition of lifestyle go smoothly. And, that I find a job.

Look out CO, here comes the Blaylock family!

Emery's birthday is just a few weeks away. Can I believe that my girl is almost 2? Not really. The past two years have been so jam packed I have to constantly remind myself to take it all in, because every time I turn around there is something else that is gone. Emery-doodle is nearly two. My perfect little baby hardly has any signs of her baby years left. She has shot up 2 inches since Decemeber and lost her baby fat. My piggy is no longer a piggy. She's a little girl. There are truly no words to describe my absolute love for this child. It's a feeling I could never put into words and often brings me to tears. She is the most amazing gift I've ever been given, even, like the day of her 2nd birthday photos, she was wearing some serious sassy pants. But, then there are nights like last night, when she was tired and not feeling well and she just wanted to cuddle in my lap. Some day she'll be too big to do that. I'm married and a mommy, and when I don't feel good I still want to curl up with my mommy too. So, I know that she'll be the same way. Because that is what mommies are for. To wipe your nose, your tears...occasionally your bottom until you grow up and have to do it for your own baby. The older Emery grows, the more I realize how lucky I am to be a mom, and have such an amazing mom of my own.

I'm so blessed.

xoxo

Looking forward to a new year...

So I realize that I'm a little last with the New Year's blog... but I didn't make any resolutions this year, so I don't have that to share. I think since the new year I have simply made some observations about my life and have tried to put it in perspective.

With 2011 here, I finally feel like I am figuring it out. Marriage, motherhood, friendship, career... all of it. I have a good understanding of what I want out of life and what my priorities are. While I want to be a working mom, and I am so eager to begin my career in higher education, I know that Emery is 100% my priority. I start graduate school in the fall at CSULB. It is an intense program, but produces amazing student development professionals. Student Development has truly become a passion of mine. It started with having excellent advisors as a collegiate, became my favorite programs to work with while at St. Jude, and is now my life... as a CSULB employee and DDD Alumni Advisor. I know this is where my energy should be directed... I also know that I may not be able to accomplish everything in the field that I want, because it does require work to become a lifestyle. I've done that, and it just isn't for me anymore. I am all for being apart of the team, but I want to leave my work at work most days to go home to my perfect little girl. That isn't going to change, no matter how exciting the career opportunity.

Now that Emery is nearing her second birthday, I finally feel like I am getting the hang of motherhood. At least for now. I have a good idea of how I want to raise her... and how we'll get there... and more than that. I know that Jason and I can communicate together and be on the same team in raising her. That is such an amazing feeling, knowing that you have a partner in the crazy journey of parenthood.

I've also come to accept many of the relationshps and friendships in my life for what they are. I don't have this core group of 8 amazing girlfriends from HS or college... that we are all best friends and have been forever. And, it used to totally bum me out. However, I do have a number of amazing girlfriends.. and they all know eachother well enough that we can get together and have a ton of fun. I also have a great group of mommy friends that I adore. Because of our busy lives with jobs, husbands and kids, we don't see eachother that often, but it's ok. My life is moving at such a rapid rate, I know it's much more important to focus on my family than worry about my bffs. Emery is growing up so fast, I don't want to ever feel like I missed out on anything because I was worried about other relationships. Besides, Jason is truly my best friend. We have more fun laughing together than anyone else in my life... besides, I like kissing him too. It's a 2fer. =)

As I near my 27th birthday, I think I am finally coming into my own and getting comfortable in my own skin. I know who I am, what my intentions are, and that I am a good person. I enjoy volunteering my life and my time to others and feel interpersonal relationships are the key to all things successful. I love my life. Maybe for the first time in my life, I'm truly happy with where everything is headed. And that, my friends, is an amazing feeling!

And because an adorable picture of my girl is always awesome... from our latest family adventure!

xoxo

25. Go wine tasting

CHECK! Another item off my 30 by 30 list! Over NYE weekend, Jason and I took a night away to go to Santa Barbara. We didn't have any real plans, beyond wine tasting at some point. After a day of shopping and enjoying a beautiful cool SD Day, we had dinner on the pier and hopped in the jacuzzi at out hotel. We stayed right on the ocean and a fabulous dinner on the pier.
On our way home, we stopped at this adorable wine tasing room in Summerland and came away with 4 bottles. Next time, when it's warmer, we would love to go to a few vineyards and bring some friends along. But, for a first time, it was lovely!

For tracking purposes... here the photo

#25 Wine Tasting 1/2/11