Wordless Wednesday - just classic!

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Watch what you ask for…

As many of you can just imagine, as I’m nearing my due date, I’m getting more and more anxious to just have this baby already! I’m big, I’m uncomfortable, I’m hot, I’m…{insert 3rd trimester symptom here]. The words, “I’m so ready to have this baby” tend to slip out pretty often. So, I was reminded last week of just how powerful the words you speak can be sometimes. Here’s what happened:

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Today, I am thankful for...

In going along with my 365 Days of  Thanks mission, this past weekend, some very special friends of mine in both Atlanta and New York planned an incredible baby shower to welcome baby #2. I really didn't expect to have a shower since it's not my first child and I fortunately have so many items still from baby #1. However, my good friend from NY insisted I put her in touch with my friends down here to help plan one for me.

What they put together far exceeded my expectations, as it was just a fabulous welcoming for my upcoming little one. First of all, my friends are so creative and cool! Here are just a few of some great ideas they had for the shower:

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365 days of "Thanks"

I remember when my younger brother was just a little kid. He must have been about 6 or 7 years old, which would have made me about 12 or 13. Anyway, my brother was like the biggest complainer in the world! He'd complain about just about everything, no matter how silly or insignificant. I'm sure he doesn't remember this, but I sat him down one day and gave him a project to work on for me. I told him that for just 7 days, I wanted him to write me just 1 thing he was thankful for every day. I don't remember all he came up with during the week, but he completed the project and the one message that stuck out most to me was when he wrote "I'm thankful that my Nintendo game worked on the first try." Now granted, former Nintendo players can remember the process of blowing your game cartridge 20x to get it to work, but I remember feeling so proud at the fact that he was finally able to find joy in the littlest things in life. I was 100% reassured that he was going to be ok in life and he is.

Being totally honest, I've had my "woe is me" moments in the recent past. One of the major themes in the vision board I am working on is to find more joy in everything and I fully intend on fulfilling that goal.  So, for the next 365 days, I plan on documenting at least one thing I am grateful for. With all of the sleepless nights ahead of me, I'm sure that might be a challenge at some times, but I'll be trying my best to keep up with it. Although I may not update it on the blog every day, you guys will be able to view it on this link at any time, plus (no promises), but I'll also try to make sure I share them on my Twitter and Facebook Pages. This would be something I would love you all to get involved with as well, so if you'd like to join in this challenge, please feel free to send me your link or respond to my tweets or Facebook posts with what you are thankful for!

Stay tuned for today's "thank you" post shortly!

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My big fat African Family ...and labor?

Let me start this post by saying that I truly love being around my family. They are big, not fat, but definitely African (Liberian) and all that entails. They are as much loving and supportive and fun as they are boisterous, stubborn, and filled with drama. Over the years I have grown to understand that there is really a thin line between  concerned parents and downright nosey and invasive. I talk to my mom at least once a day and she insists on knowing every single detail of my life-from what I'm cooking for dinner to how many times my daughter used the potty. Seriously!

So it goes without saying that them not being here for the birth of my first born was a pretty big deal. In fact, my mom was actually at the airport on her way here when Leila was born.  This go around, my mom is determined to make it down here in time for baby#2's birth.  She's planning to have all her bags packed and hitting the road at my first sign of labor.  And she's bringing the whole family!

Now, I'll say it again, I love being around my family.  However...during labor???

How can I put this gently? My family brings a lot of...well, EVERYTHING.  Pretty much every minor event can become a big deal in just a matter of seconds.  For example, Leila tripped over something and fell down at my mom's house a few months ago and this is how it went:

Me: Leila, are you ok?
Leila: yes, I'm ok
Mom: (in a panic) What happened to Leila?
Me: she fell
Grandma: (in a bigger panic) She fell? What do you mean she fell? Where? How?
Mom: Who left that (whatever the object was) over there? I bet it was Chadia (my 16 year old sister). Oh my God, Leila are you ok?
Leila: yes, I'm ok
Me: She's fine
Mom: where is that girl? CHADIA!
Chadia: yes
Mom: (yelling) why did you leave blablabla over there? Didn't I tell you to move it? You never listen. Why are you so stubborn? All you care about is ...(typical mom-teenager rant)
Chadia: I'll move it. Geez, what's the big deal?
Grandma: (more yelling) That little girl fell and hurt herself. Didn't your mother tell you to move it? Why are you so stubborn? And so on....

Meanwhile, Leila is playing with her toys, completely unharmed and over the whole thing...and they are all still carrying on.  And then just when things start to calm down, in walks my dad who says, "What happened to Leila?" and so it starts all over again!

Don't get me wrong, I do see the pure COMEDY in situations like this. However, is it going to be that funny when I'm in labor?

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Wordless Wednesday: This will come in handy pretty soon!

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Wordless Wednesday: Talk about a One Stop Shop

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What's in a (middle) name?

I have never understood what drives people to constantly ask me, "What's your middle name?"  Even more so, why the perplexed look of amazement and disbelief when I tell them I don't have one?  I mean, even if I had one, who would ever call me by it?  I have never addressed any of my closest friends by their middle names, nor would they expect me to.  It's only a rare bunch of people who insist on you calling them by their first and middle name together and well, let's face it, I sometimes don't really get them either. 

I'm wondering all of this because here we are, 7 weeks from my due date, and our baby #2 has no middle name.  We have gotten a host of suggestions and offerings for names, but as it has already taken us this long to agree on a first name for this baby, I'm finding that selecting a middle name is even more taxing for me, especially considering the fact that I am still unclear as to WHAT IS THE POINT OF A MIDDLE NAME?

Interestingly enough, I came across a forum on the internet posing this very question.  Here are what I found to be the top ten responses:

10.  A middle name gives you more individuality.  I guess, if anyone ever knows it or calls you by it.

9.  If you don’t like your 1st name, you can opt to use your middle name.

8.  In order to please the two sides of the family. Yeah, we’ve actually thought about that one

7.  It gives you an extra name to pick from as to which one you want to be called.

6.  In case your first name fails to fulfill its duties the middle name is to take over. Is it really that serious?

5.  So the parents can be creative and have fun. Umm..i.e. Moxie Crimefighter Gillette (daughter of Penn Gillette)

4.  If you become notorious, it is easier to remember you! Lee Harvey Oswald. Ok, that’s inspiring…NOT!

3.  Trying to use up all the girl/boy baby names. I'm kinda hoping we won't come close to using up all of the baby names. 

2.  So when you're in trouble, your mom can yell, “Christopher Ryan, get your *ss over here and clean your room.” Well, that's pretty true

And here’s the number 1 reason I can relate to….

1.  Parents seem to need yet another thing to argue about. Ding Ding Ding Ding! 

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I also learned that apparently, the use of middle names were actually unheard of in the US until the 19th century, so there were quite a few memorable names that lacked them (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, etc.).  Soooo, would baby #2 really be lacking without a middle name?   Any thoughts on this?

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Love, Peace, Tiny Feet... and Vision

2011 has been quite a year for me. Of course there were some down points, but the one thing I can say about it is that this was a year I truly dedicated to finding peace in my life. No, I'm not all the way there yet, but I'm a whole lot closer than I had been in the past.  So, as I begin 2012, my goal is to add more vision to that search for peace. 

I've had a lot of talks over the past few weeks with my girl Bernetta, who blogs at WIFE2010.com. Now, this girl has had an incredible 2011! Some would call it luck, but she accredits all of the wonderful things that have happened to her to her vision. She shared with me how she put together an actual "vision board" highlighting all of the things she was going to accomplish.  I promised myself I was going to put one together for 2012 and I've started working on it. Granted, it's not a  cardboard display in my living room, but since I'm a digital kind of gal, this is the next best thing. I'll be sure to share it once it's completed.


Here are some of the highlights:

1. Welcome Baby # 2 into the Adams household with open arms! Successfully plant the seed of a lifelong bond between two siblings.
2. Read The Purpose Driven Life. This is the book I've been "meaning to check out" for a long time. I'm doing it!  I'd love to say I'd do more pleasure reading, but who am I kidding? (refer to #1)
3. Become a Mommy Blogger Extraordinare! What does this mean? More of everything regarding my blogs! More blog hits, more followers, speaking engagements, become a brand ambassador to more brands, more people touched, influenced, inspired or just humored by something I write or share on my blogs!  I can't express enough how much a kind word or comment on my blogs makes me feel like this is all worthwhile and I'm doing something right. Honestly!
4. Write an e-book. It has been my life long dream to be a writer and although I've had some works published, I must finally complete a piece of work this year!
5. Continue to live life without limits.  I've been able to do this for the past few years now and I can truly say that this has brought me more happiness and fulfillment than I could ever imagine.  I've had ideas and thoughts and just gone for them - with no excuses, doubts, or acknowledgment of the naysayers!  Not that everything I've tried has been 100% successful (yet), but I've been so proud just to say that I've gone for it!  

With that said, I'd like to wish all of you a very Happy New Year and I pray that you all are able to fulfill your visions for 2012!

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