Three Thought Thursday: Episode 18

1. I finally succeeded completed making my very first garment. Thus far in my sewing adventures I've just done baby stuff and straight line type things such as curtains or aprons. A while back my mom picked up a pattern that I saw online for a knit dress. I probably shouldn't have selected my first garment-sewing project to be an item made of knit. It's definitely not the easiest to sew with. But hey, it's comfortable. And I like comfortable! It took me roughly three nap times to complete the dress and I was actually quite proud of the finished product. Mine came out looking pretty much just like the sketch on the front of the pattern! The only problem is that being both knit and designed with lots of gathers, it easily looks like something I could wear into my final months of pregnancy. Well fitted with an empire waist, but just so flowy and gathery that I could easily be hiding a baby bump under there. Which I'm not. When I'm pregnant, I love looking pregnant, but when I'm not, I'd like to look as close to my non-pregnant self as possible! Hey, at least I have something to look forward to wearing the next time around...

2. I thought I'd change things up and write about my something-I-love second instead of third. (Watch out! She's getting a little rebellious over here!) Back on Valentine's Day, Mark surprised me with a new bottle of perfume. I guess he noticed that my old bottle had all but run dry. Or maybe he was just tired of the scents of spit-up, dried snot, spoiled milk, or urine that usually followed me around. Either way, he hit the Dillard's perfume counter with a limited budget and decided on "Fancy Love," a perfume by Jessica Simpson after trying out several alternatives. Random, I know. Lord knows I'm the farthest thing from "fancy." Or from Jessica Simpson, for that matter. But I'm certainly glad he chose that one, because I've gotten nothing but rave reviews on it. I love the scent. It's quite heavenly. Not too florally, not too sweet. Honestly, it has a soft sort of baby smell to it. Like what you'd imagine the scent to be in one of those Anne Geddes photos. But also packs a good womanly punch. The funny thing is, I put it on in the mornings and it makes me feel kind of pretty and girly even though I'm usually looking rough. But then I usually can't smell it within an hour or so. Until someone comes up to me and says, "What's the perfume you're wearing?" And for some reason, that always makes me feel so good! It's like when someone says, "Aw, you look great!" I'm about 93% sure that they're lying. But when they say I smell good, I know they're sincere! My favorite was when one of my friends was kind enough to let me come over and love on her new baby. A little while after I left she sent a text asking me about the perfume 'cause she kept smelling it on her little boy. Too funny! Maybe I should just wear it when loving on little girls! Thanks again, love, for the awesome confidence-boosting gift!

3. On Sunday/Monday/Tuesday of this coming week we will be hitting some big milestones at the Asmussen House. On Sunday, Kolbe will be turning two-and-a-half. Craziness. It still seems like yesterday. And then on Monday, Reagan will be turning fifteen months old. Not as big of a milestone for most babies, but big in my mind because if Reagan was Kolbe, he'd be welcoming a new baby brother on Tuesday. That fact totally blows my mind. Reagan was born the day after Kolbe turned fifteen months. Reagan still seems like such a baby to me right now. And for some reason, Kolbe, at that point didn't. Maybe it was that he had already been through so much. Three surgeries, tons of eating difficulties, countless doctor appointments. Heck, at fifteen months, he had already been on five round-trip flights! And maybe it was that since I went back to work after Kolbe was born, I missed so much of his first year of life. So I couldn't fully see how much of a baby he still was. Then again, maybe it was that I knew I was about to have another baby to care for, so Kolbe didn't need to be the baby any more. He needed to be a big brother. Even though he really was just a baby himself. Every now and then I still get a little emotional about Kolbe's first year. Man, was it a far cry from what I expected when I dreamed of being a mother. He had to "grow up" so fast and for so many different reasons. While I know God most definitely has His reasons, my heart still sometimes breaks for the little guy. I just want the absolute best for him. He deserves it. But man, oh man, am I so happy for the gift of Reagan. God absolutely knew what He was doing when He gave him to us. After all, if it wasn't for Reagan coming along, I'd probably still be working full time and Kolbe would probably still be at his sitter's day in and day out. So while Reagan's birth may have thrown off Kolbe's world quite a bit, it ultimately gave him two huge blessings: a stay-at-home mama and a baby brother who will be his lifelong best friend. I can't even begin to fathom having another baby just five days from now. Heck, I've barely begun to get my head above the water from the first two! But if and when God decides to bless us with another little one, I look forward to the many trials and adventures that will be sure to follow. This is, after all, what I've always dreamed of. And over the past two-and-a-half years, the God who made my dreams come true has done a miraculous job at showing me just how strong I am. Way to go, self. And happy mother's day to all you mama's, mama's of mamas, soon-to-be mamas, and later-to-be mamas out there. The work you do changes the world!