All posts by Only Hsuman

I'm wife to a fabulous husband Ryan, mom of three sweeties, Ella Kate, Joseph and Davis, worship leader at Reynolda Church, and follower of Jesus. Shine on.
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Things Toddlers Say

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Happy Tuesday! A lot has happened since last Tuesday, and a lot of feelings have been shared. But instead of rehashing everything, I’m just spreading the humor and the love. Here’s what my kids have been talking about!

 Listening to Toto’s Africa in the car, and I hear this from the backseat…

J: Mom! I’m playing my air guitar!
And indeed he was.

I see this:
J: Mom! Do you like my dress?!

Eating Mexican take out…
EK: And I need some soy sauce.
J: And some ketchup.
Me: Uh, do y’all mean salsa?

EK: Look Mom, I got a horse field!
Me: What?
EK, holding her hands up, palms out: A horse field, like Violet got! (From the Incredibles)
Me: Oh! A force field, with an F!
EK: NO! A horse field!

J: Know where my scratch came from? A dinosaur’s teeth! (Launches into 5 minute story about how it happened and how he killed the dinosaur.) And that’s why you have to make them dead.
Me: *jaw drop*

This song is playing in the car…
J: This is from angry birds!
EK: Why is he saying “never gonna give you up”?

A few nights ago, we went to our friends’ house, and the dad started telling “ghost stories” and one of them had werewolves involved. The rest of the evening and the next day, the bigs couldn’t stop talking about “weird wolfs” and beginning everything they said with “Once upon of time…”

Last week, Hubby had a terrible bout with hand, foot, mouth, and now that he’s healing, his hands are peeling. EK saw the pink skin coming through, and he explained to her that the old skin was coming off and there was new skin underneath. EK said, “Oh! It’s because God is still making you!” Adorable.

An excuse I’ve obviously used too often is J’s new reason to not do anything: I don’t have any more hands.

Do you kids repeat what you have said but using it incorrectly? That’s a frequent occurrence in our house! What else are your kids saying these days?

mommyhood, My Big Jesus, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts, women

Things I Forgot About Labor Till I Saw It From the Sidelines

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This post also appeared on My Big Jesus. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was given the privilege of being in the hospital with my best friend and her husband as she labored and they prepared to meet their little girl. I don’t know how helpful I was – mostly cracking jokes to relieve tension and trying to find something good on TV – but I truly enjoyed being there, and experiencing labor from the sidelines. It’s a little different when you’re not the one in pain. There are a few things I totally forgot about, even having done it three times. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten about these things…

The shakes and the itching. Epidurals, and just plain ol’ high pain levels can cause crazy side effects. Thanks universe, the pain wasn’t bad enough without itchy feet and shaky hands.

The waiting. As if you haven’t had enough waiting for things during your entire pregnancy, it just multiples in the labor and delivery ward. It is so BORING when you’re waiting to dilate, waiting for the next time you’re getting checked, waiting for the medicine to kick in, waiting for the next contraction, waiting to finally start pushing… The waiting seems to never end.

The endless flow of Coca-Cola. After trying for nine months to cut out most of your caffeine, stay hydrated, and be as healthy as possible, the labor nurses come in with Coke after Coke after Coke… and the most perfect little pellets of ice… it’s glorious.

The crappy TV. If you’ve labored late during or through the night, you know that the only thing on TV to distract you is pure crap. Nothing but low-budget infomercials and strange, B-list celebrity reality shows happen between midnight and the 5 o’clock news.

The mindless banter. Nurses come in to check on you, and you answer questions, maybe crack a joke. Whoever is in the room with you – spouse, friend, etc – mentions random things from their Facebook newsfeeds or funny stories that pop into their heads. Your doctor comes in to see how you’re doing, and you make small talk about the same thing every time they come in. It’s purely to be polite, when you’d really just like to be left alone.

When your bladder is empty, your contractions don’t seem as bad. I still don’t fully know the science behind it, but contractions are SO much worse when your bladder is full. So after your third Coke, just go ahead and have them empty your bladder for you. It’ll help – really.

The inability to be still. You get to a certain point in your labor when the epidural isn’t doing much, and your body wants to push, but they say you aren’t ready yet. This leads to wanting to hop off the bed and do jumping jacks until the baby comes out. That’s a little unrealistic, of course, so you resort to squirming on the bed, nervous for the next contraction, but also wanting them to come more quickly and get the process over with.

Labor is a beautiful process, because at the end, you’ve added a bundle of joy to your family. But whether they’re things etched in your memory forever, or things that get glossed over in your mind the older your baby gets, the labor process is full of all those little moments – some sweet, some funny, and some just plain miserable – that make up your entire experience.

mommyhood, NaBloPoMo

When You Wake, I Will Snuggle You. 

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I began this post in the middle of the night one night, up with a cranky baby, who eventually fell asleep on my chest, breathing slow and deep in the nursery. I finished it up, and submitted it to a few places, but it was never published on any site but my own.

Life is fleeting.

Children grow quickly. Things happen fast. When you look back, you’re always surprised to see how much has happened.

So when you wake, little one, in the middle of night, I will snuggle you. I’ll be tired; don’t doubt that. It will be hard, at first, to pull my groggy self out of bed. I’ll complain a little. I’ll stumble into your room.  I’ll scoop you up, sniff right behind your ear, and settle into our chair.

It’s the same chair, you know, that I nestled into with your brother and your sister. I’ve spent hours and hours in this chair. The time probably amounts to days or even weeks, actually. But I’m not sad. I’ve loved those moments. Snuggling, nursing, rocking, booty-patting, back-rubbing and snoozing, all done for long, delicious moments with three gorgeous, cuddly, sleeping (or sleepless) babes in this same chair. I knew even then that the moments were numbered. You would not always need me like this. Want me like this.

But times have changed, and in the best way. You are independent. You are doing many things on your own, playing happily alone, communicating with others, asking for what you want, and showing me you aren’t as helpless as you once were. But in the dark of night, waking from your sleep, you cry out. And I hear you. Unsteady and dazed though I may be, I rouse myself from my warm bed, groaning with effort and sleep, and struggle across the hall to your room. When I open the door, there’s just more darkness, but I know exactly where you are. I reach down, and feel your tiny arms reaching for me. You knew I was coming for you, even before I got there.

That’s how we are made, you and I. We know that we’ll find the other, in dark of night, in the depths of our exhaustion. I will find you, love you, snuggle you. No matter how old you get, when you need me, I will come. Regardless of the reason, or direness of need, I will be there when you need me. And for now, when you wake, I will snuggle you.

This post is part of my NaBloPoMo, where I publish a piece every day in November. I brought this one up from the depths of old drafts, and I hope you enjoyed it!

mommyhood, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts

Friends and Fire and Fun and It’s Fine. 

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We had a wonderful evening tonight. We went to our friends’ house and ate pizza and drank wine around their bonfire. 

It was an evening of not caring what the kids ate for dinner or whether they kept their coats on (it wasn’t that cold). It was an evening of catching up with friends we hadn’t seen in way too long, hearing our first “ghost” stories, and getting dirty with soot and sticky with half-melted marshmallows. 

I actually tried to take a few pictures. As you can probably imagine, they didn’t turn out well. Firelight is beautiful in person, but not as amazing when it’s captured by an iPhone camera. Round, red cheeks, flushed with cold and running around the yard. Pizza crusts on the ground, getting sniffed out by the dog. Sand, dirt, and grass making a nice coating inside jackets and boots. Scarves and hats blocking all the faces from view. 

I guess I’m okay with it. 

I’m really okay with it. 

Because these are the times that the pictures are etched in our memory by the firelight, and not by the flash. The faces with rosy cheeks and big grins aren’t because we shouted, “Say cheese!” They’re because we just played. We threw caution to the wind and let them throw logs (and their paper plates) onto the fire. We let them go in and out and out and in without micromanaging. We snuggled the children that weren’t ours and let our own run wild and share sippy cups. Because who cares? It was fun. It was fall, and fire, and friends. It was blurry photos, but who cares about that? We had fun. 

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I almost missed it!

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At 11:30 tonight, I realized today was about to be my first day in November, a la NaBloPoMo, that I wouldn’t have published a piece. So here I am, blurting out my feelings late at night. 

Let’s start with good things.

I’ve spent today getting ready to host my sweet friend’s baby shower tomorrow. So much fun preparing food, finding my nice dishes, and even cleaning (!!!!!) my home to have over a bunch of fun women to celebrate a new life joining our circles. Is there anything better than that?!

We are finally over the sickness in our household! No one is running a fever or feeling shitty. No one is spreading germs wherever they do or don’t go. We are ready to join the land of the living once and for all! Take that, holiday season! We are IN YOU!

I have been feeling much better after two days of literal, physical sickness after the election. I’m not just an entitled youth who is butt hurt over the outcome. I am stricken with grief over the hatred, intolerance, rudeness, and ignorance pouring out over social media. I’m the first the internalize my feelings and opinions, especially about politics. But I can stay silent no longer. If you are trolling Facebook statuses or articles, or worse, vandalizing property, or harassing (physically, emotionally, etc) those whom our laws and statutes still protect (aka everyone), you are in the wrong. We are called by Christ to be LOVE, to share the GOSPEL, and treat every human being with respect. Jesus didn’t call names to others who thought differently than he. Jesus didn’t hang nasty signs on doors. And Jesus didn’t spray paint rude sayings on walls and buildings. Jesus loved. Jesus performed miracles. Jesus led those who didn’t believe into his presence and helped their unbelief. I pray that he would do the same for me and all those in this world. 
Off my soap box now. 

Happy Veterans’ Day, by the way! All men and women who have served, supported those who served, or lost one who served should be celebrated on this day. It took knowing some veterans and their families firsthand to really know what it looked like. And y’all, it ain’t easy on anyone. We need to love them, support them, and help them fight for their rights and comforts upon their return home back into our communities. They have sacrificed much, even when “we aren’t at war”. These folks have given more than we can imagine. Show them a little (a lot!) love. 

All of that being said, I’m looking forward to a weekend of very little social media, lots of time loving on my people, and gorgeous weather here in NC. What are your plans?

NaBloPoMo, random thoughts

I miss you, Graddy.

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This time three years ago, I was pregnant with my first son (second child). I was getting ready for the holidays, and enjoying a visit from my mom’s parents.

During the course of their long weekend here in town, my grandfather became sick. He ended up in Urgent Care, and then on to the ED. After determining that he had pneumonia, he didn’t come home from the hospital. 

I was confused, I was shocked, and I am still totally wrecked that he didn’t get to meet J, and now D as well. He was a supporter, a lover, a hugger and a friend. He was a hard worker, with a servant’s heart. I am proud to call him my kin.

So now every year on Veterans’ day, I celebrate the veterans who have long served as protected our country, but I also say an extra little prayer in the hopes my Graddy will know I’m thinking of him. Especially since the grandson he didn’t quite meet has his eyes.

I’m thinking of him tonight, as I go through my evening routine, snuggling babies, helping with dinner, and settling in for the night. I’m a little somber, but full of sweet memories. Miss you and love you, Graddy. 

faith, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts, women

When they go low, we go high.

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Michelle Obama rocked us with these words in her speech at the DNC, and they should still be true now that the election is over.

I’ve seen more hate today on my newsfeed than anything else. People firing at one another, or just firing aimlessly – ammunition for arguments, for hurt feelings, for America to take a giant step backward. I’m not writing today to make any political statements. I told you yesterday that I voted for Hillary, and I would do it again today. But there is something more important right now than who voted for who, or why they did. What’s more important is that we do not let things divide us even further. An election is divisive by nature, but we need to unite under a cause we should all be able to get behind.

Let’s unite to spread love, to be welcoming and hospitable, to be helpful and kind. There is no excuse to spew hatred. I cried myself to sleep last night, and woke crying again this morning. But I refuse to be brought to the level of pointing fingers, blaming anyone and everyone who disagrees with you. Our country is only as scary, ugly, and bigoted as we allow it to be. The way to combat the hate, bigotry, racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, or any other forms of intolerance is to BE THE LOVE. Be the tolerance, be the acceptance, be the encouragement, be the grace for each and every person you come in contact with. Get to know and love people who are different from you. Support them. Love them. Even if it’s tough for you – it’s good exercise.

So as you go about your day tomorrow, the rest of the week, through the end of the year, and prepare for Mr. Trump to be sworn in this coming January, decide how to go high, even if those around you are going low. Those words won’t ever lose their relevancy. Choose the high road, the tolerant road, the road of love.

This post is a part of my NaBloPoMo, where I publish a piece each day in November. Often, I’m exercising my writing muscle and writing something that’s out of the box for me. Thank you for bearing with me and following along.

mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say

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Happy Tuesday! I hope you’ve gotten out there to vote! If not, there are a few hours left. The kids were really sad that I didn’t take them along with me, because they were very curious. But I also could not see waiting in a long line with a couple of rambunctious toddlers. Next year, maybe.

Anyway, here are the funnies! Enjoy a little lift in an otherwise serious day.
Me, waking J up from a long nap: *snuggle*kiss*cuddle*
J: *big yawns*
Me: You’re the cutest.
J, whispering: Get out of my bed.

On a walk with the kids in two strollers…
Me: Slow down! This is not a race.
EK: Yes it is! Run, Daddy! Run!

On the same walk, passing a family of six…
EK: That was a big family!
Me: They only had one more person than us!

EK, randomly: I texted Samuel from your phone.
Me: Oh, uh, okay…

Classic…
EK: For dinner, I want a hamburger and French fries and ketchup.
J: I want a hamburger and French fries and butter and ANOTHER HAMBURGER!

EK, randomly: Can I take a boat ride and get pregnant?
Me: Wait, what?

We are often trying to make D walk nowadays (he’s stubbornly crawling still) and every time we do it, J follows up with: Hey! Let’s see if J could walk!!

Current Misnomers:
Library=live-bary
Plasma car (a neat ride-on toy we have)=jasmine car
Remote=Bamote

After J was singing his own mash-up of “Twinkle Twinkle” and “ABC” and semi-playing it on the piano…
Me: That was great, bud! You’re so talented!
J: I’m so tired of songs. (Gets up and walks away.)
Me: Okay…

J, just before his nap: I can’t wait for Christmas, Mommy.
Me: Why is that, sweetie?
J: I can’t wait for Christmas and when the snow comes while the sun is down.
(Poor kid doesn’t realize we don’t really have white Christmases in this state.)

Things my kids pretended a large cardboard box was: house, boat, closet, and the ultimate hiding place. For DAYS.

Me: I was thinking we could have Italian for dinner.
J: That sounds ablicious!

Every single morning… Already…
J: IS IT CHRISTMAS?!
Me: Is the tree up?
J: No.
Me: Then not yet.

Well, there are the funnies. Are your kiddos excited about Christmas? Are they already begging to do all the Christmas things?

mommyhood, NaBloPoMo, random thoughts, women

Votes For Women, By Women, For Women

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I won’t lie to you. I got all the feels this morning as I scrolled through my Instagram feed. Pictures and videos of women voting for the first time, women at the polls voting early in this election, women picketing for the right to vote and the right to their bodies, women near and dear to me encouraging the rest of us to exercise our right and privilege to vote.

womens vite.jpg
Image found on Huffington Post.
I’m proud, today. I’m proud to say I got up before the kids to make sure I’d have time to go to the polls. I’m proud to share with my daughter how I took advantage of my right to vote this morning. I’m proud to have finally landed on a decision, and to finally feel good about it. I’ve decided that #ImWithHer.

HillaryLogo1.png
Image from Hillary for America.
I haven’t always been with her. I wouldn’t say I was against her, necessarily. But I can’t honestly say that I’ve been with her from the beginning, like many of my friends have. But I can now say that I voted for her gladly this morning, and not just because Hillary isn’t Trump.

This morning, I voted for her for many reasons, more than I could feel equipped to write about here. But I am extra proud to say that I took part in making history today. When I cast my vote for Hillary, it was one more vote toward my country’s first woman president. It was less than 100 years ago that women couldn’t even vote for a president at all, and here I sat, on the bleachers in the gym of the local elementary school, and filled in little bubbles next to not just one, but several women’s names. I’m proud to be in a country that has come so far, and also recognizes how much farther we need to go. I’m proud to have cast my vote in the direction of progress.

vote.jpeg
Image found on Huffington Post.
Today, I’m helping make history into herstory. I’m helping get the country a little safer and a little more tolerant for my children, especially my daughter. One day, if she wants to run for president, I want her to win. And this might be the beginning of making that possible.

So go. Go out there, exercise your right to vote. Even if it’s not the same vote I cast, you should still do it. I will respect you and love you still, and all the more for just getting out there and making progress. There are plenty of hours left, and it’s important! It matters! Let’s do it, together.


Here are a few links to educate you on how long women waited for the right to vote, and many other rights.

14 Rights Women Have Gained Since Earning the Right to Vote

History of the Women’s Rights Movement

The Fight for Women’s Suffrage

 

holidays, home, mommyhood

Currently

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It’s been a hard week, y’all. Trying to figure out who is well and who isn’t, making it to whatever functions we can, trying to keep up with extra laundry and dishes, sanitizing pretty much everything to stop the spread of germs… I am exhausted. So exhausted that last night while I made dinner, I put my wine glass down and let go of it before it was firmly in the counter. It fell over and shattered on the granite. Like I said, it’s been a week. 

Anyway, it’s time for a little update about what else has been going on! Here’s what I’m doing currently. 

Finishing || my Christmas shopping! I’m almost completely finished buying gifts, and that feels great! 

Hosting || my friend Andrea’s baby shower this Saturday! I’m finalizing my Costco list and getting out my nice serving platters. I can’t wait- I haven’t hosted a nice party at my house in a while!

Watching || Just Friends. I had never seen this movie, and I was scrolling through Netflix comedies and it popped up. First of all, Ryan Reynolds is nice to look at and I’m sure somewhere he has a movie he acted well in. But he’s not exactly a genius, am I right? Secondly, I still enjoyed it. I giggled a little, and saw a few familiar faces I haven’t seen in years. All in all, it’s a B movie for sure, but if there’s nothing else on, I’d watch it again. 

Anticipating || Advent and Christmas. I love this coming season, and I’m actually surprised at myself for waiting to put my tree up. I’m usually an early decorator, but I guess I’ve been a little too busy to get it all together. Probably better that he baby shower this weekend doesn’t have a Christmas theme!

Running || because I go crazy when I don’t. I need to do some exercise and burn energy however i do it, but. Onus points for running because I love the added fresh air and sunshine. I love running this time of year- not too hot and not too cold. I pushed out three miles today at a fast pace because I was time crunched but wanted a hard workout. 

Well, that’s it for me right now. Not too much time for things when people have been sick! What have you been up to currently? Is your tree up?!