I introduced my new series last week. Thank you all so much for visiting and giving Jamie so much love!
This week, I am honored to have Julie at my place. You may know Julie from her (presently quiet) blog, the Twitter, or facebook.
I’m so lucky to have met Mama Mash online first, and then in real life. She’s genuine, fun, and hilarious. When she was writing her blog last year, I looked forward to getting those posts in my email inbox because I KNEW they would be good. I regularly LOL’d reading them.
Some of my favorites?
The Five Nap Commandments: Oh yes. Did I mention her adorable Monkey? He’s just as cute in real life, and perfect blog fodder. 🙂
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.: Julie never hesitates to tell it like it is, and this post about being a stay at home mom is no different.
Meatloaf Cupcakes With Mashed Potato Icing: She is an amazing cook (just explore her blog’s Monday Meals posts, I dare you), and this was one recipe that even I was able to recreate. So. Yummy.
So, now that you’re all acquainted with Mama Mash, here is her take on Great Expectations. (Warning: don’t take a drink before reading unless you want it all over your computer).
Things rarely go as expected.
Sometimes that really pisses me off. Sometimes I get really angry when what actually occurs does not even remotely match the picture I had painted in my head.
But sometimes, I’m pleasantly surprised by how things turn out.
Take my third pregnancy – the one that went to term and gave me my sweet, messy and sometimes screechy kid.
Hubs and I had tried for months to get our aging gametes to mingle; charting cycles, using ovulation predictors, visiting a reproductive counselor, (which is so frustratingly ridiculous, having to be counseled on something that you’re supposed to be able to just do), and had no luck until one day I told my husband enough. I was done.
And I swear we didn’t do the baby dance for the next month, during which time I ordered a fertility book and some el cheapo test strips online.
One day that book and those strips showed up in the mail and as a free gift the company sent a few pregnancy tests.
They were weird, these tests. Skinny little pieces of paper with a blue plastic tip.
So of course, I did the only thing one does when confronted with a strange little stick – I peed on it.
I stuck the stick on the sink, finished my business and upon turning around executed one of those cartoon double takes.
Two lines.
I checked the wrapper four times – yup, it was a pregnancy test.
I flew down the stairs, jumped in the car and sped over to the drugstore where I plunked down entirely too much money for one of those fancy First Response suckers.
I spent a lot of time urinating on things that day before I was convinced that there was indeed some hCG floating around in my system and then I called my husband.
You know, there are many movie moments where the expectant mother orchestrates elaborate plans to inform her lover that they’ve created life. Beautiful music swells along with the daddy’s sense of virility as the couple contemplates this new development.
This was not one of those moments.
“Hi honey,” I chirped. “I have some bad news.”
Distracted, he mumbled “Huh?”
“Yeah, I’m not going to be able to change the cat litter anymore.”
I’m sure it’s not how he expected to hear that he was going to be a father. But it worked for us. It’s part of our story and we laugh when we tell it.
In truth, life isn’t some romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl as you. In my experience, expecting things to be or look a certain way can often lead to unhappiness. My biggest moments of joy come from those times where I’m in the moment and living each second for the surprising gift it truly is.
Isn’t she fabulous? Leave Julie some love and maybe she’ll decide to blog once in a while for us. I know I miss her updates!
Linking up with Yeah Write this week!
