This weekend there was a lot of love in the air. How much do I love my son? Enough to not stick my tongue out at him as he is telling me “No sing, mama!” I CAN SING IF I WANT SMALL HUMAN!

I spend a lot of time fretting over how I’m loving others. (Not to pat myself on the back or anything, but I am pre-tty giving you guys.) I want my kid to know I love him, that he is safe, that I am proud of him. I want my friends to know that I have them as major priorities. I want my husband to know I appreciate all the things he does. I want to make time for my family. I don’t want to forget birthdays, I want people to know they are on my mind. But so often that creates a go go go where we forget the ourselves.

How do you love yourself? What are your favorite things about you?

I love my hair, even though I’m mad at it right now. In the end, it always has my best intentions at heart.

I think I can tell a pretty fantastic story.

I’m FUNNY.

I love my cheekbones, which I got from my mother and my mother’s mother (who has a birthday… Today!).

I love and am proud of myself for making fairly smart life choices.

Pat on the back for being willing to do things that are scary. You rock, me.

I love that I love my music loud and my windows down.

I make really good roasted veggies, muffins, pizzas, scrambled eggs, beet salad, and cupcakes (Which are like muffins except…. with cream cheese frosting?).

Your turn!

I’ve actually started getting used to being sick all of the time every winter. Last winter was the plague months, and this winter seems to be no different. No different at all. Except this time I’m pregnant and achy and quite possibly even more pathetic. But at least I’m not shocked by the fact that there has been at least 1 sick person in my house since early December and it’s probably not going to end until April. I’m sitting at work right now experiencing waves of sweat that wash over me. This is what happens when you don’t offer sick leave, America. LOOK AT ME, SWEAT COVERED, COUGHING, SNEEZING AND GROSS. Look at what...

I have some more things to share. Just snippets here and there. First! Weekend-ing will be returning. There may be weekends where all you see are piles and piles of used kleenex, I’m not going to lie. But also maybe some good family moments. Speaking of photographing stuff. I am now showing but it is different than last time. Last time it was like my bump popped out of me like a perfectly round ball was pushing against my tummy skin. This time it sort of oozed forth. Like, if I tried I could still hide it, but only sort of. Mostly I feel wide and like a duck. Not cute and pregnant. Maybe cute and pregnant is reserved for first...

We are going through a bit of a transition over in our house, so posting may be a bit scarce through next week, with the holidays FAST approaching and hubub abound. I promise to be back to regularly scheduled programming soon though! And, happy news! I have had such a great response to the Better Than Real Life Advice that we are going to have 2 rounds this month. The second batch coming at you next week. I encourage commenting – I try to always be as thoughtful as possible but am also always limited by my own life experiences. So if you have something to add please feel like you can jump in. Now I have some questions for you to help...

Last Friday a video was posted on someone’s status a Ted Talk about how 30 is not the new 20 and I thought… ok… this could either be really interesting or it could make me feel even more panicked about turning 30. Which has sort of decreased since I wrote that. I’m coming to terms, shall we say. Anyway, you should watch the video because it talks about Identity Capital and I thought it was fascinating. I’ve seen, through Gabe, how in so many ways we are born with a giant junk of who we are already pre programmed. He is a ball of his own personality already and he is only 1 and a half. But then there is this...

Lately I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night, or very early in the morning (Depending on my intention) thinking it smells like something. Generally that something is hot garbage. Kamel things I’m having a stroke. Maybe my nose is dreaming? Either way it’s a little unsettling and rather frustrating to think you smell something that no one else does. No fair. The SF Giants won the world series again yesterday and I don’t really care because been there, done that, saw the parade, and they really aren’t my team. But lots of people love them, so that is fun. What I really keep thinking is why that bearded...