pregnancy myths

so, remember those posts i did about pregnancy myths?  seems like a million years ago....i was preggers with my princess.  now she's three and a half, haha! 

someone sent me a link to this infographic and i thought it was pretty cool.  check it out!

Click to Enlarge Image

Pregnancy Myths - Brought To You By California Cryobank

it's very well done, in my opinion. 

what do you think?

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY! WOOOOO!

 soooo.....this blog has been going since september of 2008.  that means i'm celebrating the 4 1/2 year birthday of my  precious blog.

and because i have 60-something followers that i LOVE i'm going to have a giveaway.  with TWO prizes!  TWO opportunities to WIN!  and who doesn't LOVE to WIN?

Prize #1:

An original acrylic painting by MOI on a wrapped 11x14 canvas--your choice of subject matter!  that's right, you pick what you want me to paint and we will work together to create a custom work of art just for YOU.

Prize #2:

your very own art journal, with a custom entry by MOI!  The one shown below is my own, I will get one similar for the WINNER!  The cover page I will do just for YOU, the WINNER!

 

So here's how to enter.

1. if you aren't already, become a follower of my blog.  

2. leave comments on two of my archived posts.  the farther back you go, the awesome-er!  (for every two comments you get an additional entry--with a limit of 5 entries.  that makes 10 comments.  although you are MORE than welcome to leave a comment on every single post if you wish!)

3. post about my blog and/or the giveaway on your facebook page, twitter, blog, etc. and link it back HERE!

4. post a comment here on this entry letting me know you have done the previous things, and VOILA!  not only are you an angel, but you are also entered to win.

want additional entries?  besides leaving me loads of comments?  here's how to do it!

1.  get an entry for every friend you refer that becomes a follower of my blog.

2.  get an entry for every friend you refer that posts about my blog/and or giveaway on their facebook, twitter, blog, etc. and links it back HERE!

3.  write me a short poem on why you deserve a painting i create using my mad artistic skills just for you.

so there you go.  a big giveaway.  i know i've been MIA for a year or so, i've been trying to post a lot more frequently....but it seems my loyal followers are MIA now, too.  show some love, leave me a comment, and WIN WIN WIN!

who knows, if i have enough entries, i just might add a few more prizes!

the deadline?  one week from today, March 19!

ready?  set....GO!

missing you

two years ago today my grandma passed away.

i miss her every single day.

i love you, grandma.

relaxing...

the time just after the kids fall asleep and hubby is done studying is often the highlight of my day.  it's when i get to just relax and BE.  sometimes hubby and i watch netflix or play a game.  sometimes he surfs the internet while i read or draw, or he plays video games while i sit next to him and relax.

pretty much every night, though, i do at least one crossword.  hubby lovingly teases me and calls me an old lady, but hey--i won't be getting alzheimer's at a young age!

music is something that means so much to me.  i play the piano, and having music come from my fingers is something i don't take for granted.  listening to music really affects my mood.  it makes me happy, silly, sad, reflective, calm, or even angry.  but music, all kinds of music, can bring joy not only to me, but to everyone in the world.

 and, of course, the thing that relaxes me the most is sleep.  lots and lots of sleep.  long naps, short naps, cat naps, all night long...i LOVE to sleep!  and believe me, nothing helps you feel better about yourself and about your life than sleep.  it really does solve everything!

what do you do to relax?

hubby's contributions to my art journal

 the other night i asked hubby to contribute to my art journal.  i told him to draw whatever he wanted.  hubby is a genius--a scientific mind, but not an artist.  i am very proud of him for drawing in my art journal for me, when it's something he doesn't enjoy doing. 

this one, "tough love," started out as a heart.  then he put arms on it and decided that the heart looked strong now so he called it "tough love."  hehe.

the second one he drew was about me, and what he thinks and feels about me.  i love it.  it's a colorful and happy butterfly, just emerged from its cocoon.

i think i've left my dark past in my cocoon behind, and now i'm flying forward into my life.

thanks, babe.  

all you need is love....love is all you need

being a mother is the most difficult and most amazing thing i've done.  every day i am responsible for not only taking care of the physical needs of my children, but also their emotional needs--and teaching them to be fine, upstanding members of society.  it's hard.  i lose patience sometimes.  i just want to turn on the tv some days.  i try very hard to play with them, or plan projects or games, or do arts and crafts....but frankly, there are times where just giving them food and keeping them from killing each other is the best i can do.

but then i remember....

....and then everything is much easier.  no one could love my children more than hubby and i do.  no one could be a better mother to them than me--because they are a part of me.  they mean everything to me and i would die for them.  so even when princess is throwing toys at buddy's head and he is screaming hysterically and all i want to do is scream, i just need to remember that LOVE is all i need.

finding something beautiful

one of the things i've struggled with my entire life (at least as far back as i can remember) is self-esteem, especially when it comes to my appearance.  after my babies were born it got worse.  suddenly my entire body changed--and not for the better, in my opinion.  things were suddenly sagging and no longer where they should be.  i had a major layer of extra fat, and skin covered in stretch marks.  for the last five years i've hated the way my stomach looks.

i came across a photograph of a woman's stomach that looked much like mine on pinterest awhile ago.  along with it were these words:

A mark for every breath you took, every blink, every sleepy yawn.  One for every time you sucked your thumb, waved hello, closed your eyes and slept in the most perfect darkness.  One for every time you had the hiccups.  One for every dream you dreamed within me.

It isn't very pretty anymore.  Some may even think it ugly.  That's okay.  It was your home.  It's where I first grew to love you, where I lay my hand as I dreamed about who you were and who you would be.  It held you until my arms could, and for that, I will always find something beautiful in it.

now, when i look in the mirror, i try to remember these words.