A Birthday and not what I expected

This was me last year celebrating my 30th Birthday 5+ months pregnant.

Go Cards!!

We went to a Cards game but...had to leave cause it was SO. STINKING. HOT.

In case it wasn't clear that there was  indeed a baby in there...

And this is me celebrating this year...

31st Birthday weekend

Pretty sweet how much can change in a year, right?!

That's the sweet part of this birthday.
Me and my little buddy.

The Best Present I received this past year

But...
I'm gonna be honest, this birthday was kind of a difficult one.
In an overall sense, the terrible storms in Oklahoma made me so sad.
People were killed.
I think of the children huddled in the hallways at school while the tornado came through and it makes me shudder.
To know people lost everything, to know pets are gone, makes it hard to celebrate.

On a personal level it was hard because this is the first year we weren't in St. Louis to celebrate and that was hard. I miss being there, where I consider to be home, so that was sad for me.

And..also...CBJ and I both had colds.
Gross.
So to be honest, a lot of the birthday weekend and day was spent using the Neti-pot and the Nose Frieda.
I didn't take pictures....you're welcome.
;)


I don't want to be a downer.

I did get this fabulous cake.

Gluten-free and delish. 

Travis is a master baker.
:)

What's up with the Air? Nap Saga: Part 2.

Allergies.
Last night my TEETH hurt because my head was so full of gunk.
Gross.

My allergies have been really awful this week and poor CBJ is struggling too (she's been on allegra since 5 months- boo.).

I started the Claritin and today we picked up some homeopathics at Whole Foods.

Stocked up

I also got Vitamin D drops and sunscreen for CBJ.
For me, Bee Pollen at the suggestion of the Whole Foods worker, she said the pollen helps with all types of allergies and people swear by it.
Alright.
I'll give it a whirl.
:)

Shopping Buddy

The allergies may or may not tie into the rest of this post...

I wrote about CBJ's naps in a post last week.

A Happy Mother's Day to You

A Happy Mother's Day to you All!

And I write that whether you are the "traditional" definition of a mom or not.

As women I feel we are all mothers.
We birth dreams, thoughts, futures (ours and those around us).
We nurture.
We care.
We are ALL mothers.

I remember when I desperately wanted to have a baby and I could not.

I longed to celebrate Mother's Day with a child.

I have been given that gift, for which I am grateful and humbled that I was chosen.

As this Mother's Day approached I remembered the longing for that gift.
I know that feeling.
I know that prayer.
I know that ache.

My prayer was answered.
Not as quickly as I wanted.
Not without some struggle.

And maybe that is your prayer. To have a baby.
Or maybe it's not.
Or maybe you don't know what you're creating because it's so new or so different that what you thought it would be.

But I say this-

WE ARE ALL MOTHERS.

Maybe not in the way we pictured it.
Or in the way we thought it would happen.
But we are all creators of so much whether it be a little human or a dream profession, or a partnership, or a life that we love.

Celebrate what your energy creates.
Celebrate what your body creates.
Celebrate the Universe YOU create.

Here's a bit of the life I've be blessed with.
A mother I chose.
A daughter who chose me.

Happy Mother's Day to you ALL.

Grammy, Mama, CBJ