Morning! Looks like I will be doing some planning to set up a Blogger Holiday Gift Exchange. Quite a few of you sound interested and I certainly do think it will be fun! Look for a post with full details and the official sign-up in the next couple of weeks once I figure out logistics.

You know how I said I can’t get into Christmas holiday things until after Thanksgiving? Well, I lied. Last night I broke into this…

I have a few holiday teas leftover from last year (sugar cookie, gingerbread, and peppermint) and they all sounded so good when I peeked in the cupboard last night. What can I say? I craved a cup of relaxation. And I promise that craving for a cup of relaxation had nothing to do with this…

Peter had a surprise for me after I got home from tutoring last night. He picked up a haul of things from my sister-in-law for baby B. She has two boys and lots of clothing, blankets, and other baby goods she no longer needs. I am incredibly thankful to have these things to use. Baby stuff is expensive! Now, just to find the time to sort through and organize it all. “Yay” for still having 2.5 months. “Yay” is in quotations for a reason.

I guess I can truly say yay to the fact that we’ve done this before and know a bit of what to expect. And I just realized – this fits perfectly with another question for the Q + A series. I didn’t plan on doing one this morning, but when it fits so perfectly, I have to.

Teri asked: What’s one thing you wish someone told you before having kids?

I actually have two answers. One, I fortunately was told and it was the best heads up I have ever received. The other is the one thing I always tell friends who are expecting their first child.

One: The first six weeks SUCK! Yep. That’s good advice. It applies to everything. For some reason, that six week mark hits and things suddenly feel so much easier. I didn’t feel as tired. The baby picks up a bit more of a routine. A switch literally gets flipped in breastfeeding from painful and confusing to easy and natural. You finally feel more control over emotions as hormones level off even more. Basically, it felt like night and day. Thank goodness someone warned me about it. I had numerous moments I wanted to quit breastfeeding, scream and question “why did I DO this???”, and bang my head against a wall because I knew it wouldn’t be hitting a pillow. Being assured of a light at the end of the six week tunnel helped me tremendously.

Two: You won’t always LOVE your baby with that intense, heartbreaking motherly love you hear about right from the first moment.

Nobody told me this. And I felt like the worst mother in the world for a solid week. Sure, I loved Makenzie. I cared for her and wanted the best for her, but my heart didn’t ache for her from the get go. That guilt almost swallowed me whole. Then, I learned after talking with other moms and my midwife, that it was normal. Many moms take a few days to a few weeks to feel that special bond. I can remember the exact moment I felt that deep motherly connection for the first time and it hasn’t left since. If I had any say in the matter, no mom would go through that guilt of believing she couldn’t love her baby because nobody told her its not always instantaneous.

Well, there you have it. Another Q + A. If you have anything you want to ask or have me share about during this November series, please ASK ME ANYTHING!

• What is your favorite holiday tea flavor? I don’t know if I can decide!
• What is the best piece of advice you ever received for a big event? From things like baby/marriage to running a marathon or heading to college…

How was everyone’s first day of November? Mine was pretty normal. I enjoyed some extra quiet time this morning thanks to M sleeping in until 8 am. That never happens. Perhaps there’s something to the 2 hours of trick-or-treating? Too bad I woke up sore and achy as well.

Today I headed to the store for groceries. While at the store, something hit me. Christmas decorations. Lots of Christmas decorations. Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas, but I cannot get into the spirit until after Thanksgiving. Although, maybe I could benefit from doing so. Preparing earlier for Christmas can’t be a bad thing, huh? You still won’t see this up in my house until after Thanksgiving though.

I actually thought it would be fun for me to organize and host a Blogger Holiday Gift Share, where we each get a secret buddy to send a present to in December. If I did that, I would have to embrace the spirit before the end of November. Would anyone be interested? Or is there something like that typically set up? I don’t want to step on any toes! Plus, I would be happy to help out with it as kind of a last blogging-hoorah act before the baby comes. Which actually brings me to the first installment of my November Q + A series!

For this series, I will feature one or two questions per day in the month of November, depending on how many I receive and if I decide to also do them on weekends. Now, let’s get started with Question #1:

Do you plan to keep blogging regularly after the baby is born?

Short Answer:

Long Answer: I  mentioned before in my post on scheduling my priorities that blogging is one of those “me” things that I truly need in my life. Blogging, along with workouts, will continue to serve as my two outlets to fulfill my interests after Braedon arrives. And I refuse to feel badly for taking time for these things.

After Makenzie was born, I went through a bit of a funk for awhile. It wasn’t anything serious or even close to post-partum depression, but I definitely felt out of sorts. I remember crying to Peter that I hated feeling like my only purpose was to be a “booby bar”. A lot of that negativity and frustration came from not having anything to call my own. For that reason, I fully intend to continue blogging regularly.

I would like to keep somewhat close to what I have set up in recent months here, but don’t have any set plans on posting once/twice/every other day. I will NOT put pressure on myself to blog. I can get posts up pretty quickly these days, so I don’t plan on it being a huge issue to continue as I hope. Basically, I will go with the flow and keep it up because it does help me relieve tension.

I honestly cannot wait for the path the blog takes after this baby, which I have a whole post planned closer to my due date. Don’t worry – it’s nothing crazy! I just feel so excited to share my progress on getting back in shape (not that I’m out of shape now), adjusting to a life with two children, continuing to find balance in everything, taking up new challenges, and more. I don’t think I could refrain from blogging! It’s that huge of a positive outlet for me. My family will always take precedence, but my passions have value too. So I will make time for them and you will still see a lot of Tina! I’m not quitting on you, yet. If ever. 😀

• How important is blogging to you? Is it a priority? Why or why not?
• How soon do you get into the holiday spirit? Also, would you be interested in the blogger gift exchange if I set something up?
• If you haven’t yet and would like to – ASK ME ANYTHING!!!!