Confession Session [vol 1]

2.23.2016

I saw this post idea floating around the blog world last week and thought I'd join in and share some confessions of my own!

I confess...

...that I bought R two more hair bows yesterday. Shame. I was feeling strong for lasting all the way until February 20 without buying her any, but she was up for a middle-of-the-night feeding, and I ordered some in a sleep-induced haze because SHE NEEDS THEM. Send help.

...that we have been living in our house for almost eight months and still haven't replaced the chandelier in the former dining room that is now my quasi-office room with a ceiling light that is of the appropriate length. Meaning that it's hanging down and I almost hit my head on it on the daily. People who move into a house and instantly have it decorated and put together within the month are just obnoxious.

...that sometimes I browse the ridiculous forums on GOMI (Get off My Internets) because I can't believe how insane people are. There is literally a website dedicated to people who follow bloggers they hate just to get on the forum later and complain about them. Have you heard of this? It's the most absurd waste of time I've ever seen, and for some reason it's like a car crash: I can't not look at it. I saw one once where the person said they couldn't believe a certain blogger had photoshopped her infant's legs and also took her baby tanning. They included a picture copied from the blog post. The baby's legs did look orange... Except, oh wait. That's right. The baby was wearing orange tights. El oh-my-good-gracious el. People.

...that being a full-time working mom is really hard, and when people tell me how awesome I am because I look like I have it all together and have totally figured out a routine and insert comment here, I kind of want to cry and then go eat some lactation cookies.

...and that I feel jealousy toward moms who get to stay at home with their babies, and I've been praying about it. (I also confess that when I say that out loud I feel like a jerk. I've really been wanting to write about how it's going with daycare and being a working mom, but every time I start a post it's just not coming off how I want so it's sitting half finished in my drafts folder for now. Would anyone even like to hear about that anyway?)

...that I still haven't figured out how I want to document 2016. I keep taking pictures of R obviously, and I want to do something with them but haven't figured out what. I loved doing Project Life last year, but seeing as how I still haven't finished 2015, I don't think starting that up again would be a good idea if I want to finish it before she's 37. (Eventually, if I ever get finished, I want to share my final layouts for the second half of the year! See all my pages from January through July 2015 here.) Do you have any ideas for a fun and easy photo project I could do this year? Help a sister out.
...that I ran EIGHT MILES on Saturday and that's the farthest and longest I've run since having R! I pushed her in the stroller for 4.3 miles and then ran the rest on my own, and I clocked in right around 9:30 pace! Half marathon, I'm coming for you.

...that I am in the middle of reading The Royal We at the recommendation of a few blog friends, and I'm sad that I'm not enjoying it all that much. It's not terrible by any means, but it's kind of just okay and I was hoping it would be great. It could very well be the fact that I basically have time to read in ten-minute increments lately, so I haven't had a chance to really lose myself in the story.

...that making R homemade purees is really easy and actually kind of fun! After a rather difficult start (she just didn't seem to like anything we gave her), she really seems to be taking to food!

...that I will join the ranks of busy bloggers everywhere by saying that I have so many blog post ideas and so little time. Like how I have been drafting a post about Valentine's Day for a solid week and a half now. Oye.
...that when I look at this face I melt into a thousand tiny pieces and am basically a puddle. Everything and nothing they say about motherhood is true. That's the best way I can explain it. I'm just so excited for all my real life and blogger friends who are pregnant with little ones! I pray for all the growing babies and continue to pray for my friends who are still waiting for their miracle babies.

What do you want to confess today?
Rachel Emily said...

I confess that we have lived in our house 18 months and it's no where near decorated. I am very picky and fairly cheap and I will not settle for anything that I do not absolutely love in this house just to be able to say it's finished. I looked at GOMI one time (admittedly for like, hours that one time) and was revolted! It is exactly like a train wreck! People are insane. The orange tights story = perfect example. I hope you get start to enjoy The Royal We. I loved it but when I recommend it to people I make sure to tell them that's probably because I admittedly love reeeally shallow literature. To eat their own :)

The Girl who Loved to Write said...

"Everything and nothing they say about motherhood is true" 5 weeks in and already learning that this is SO true.

Veronica Lee Burns said...

Totally would love to hear about your working full time/mommy/daycare/wanting to be a stay at home mom...not there yet myself but love learning from others in that phase of life!

Yay for running so far! You're awesome!

jaime said...

I documented my son's first year with a photo each week on Wednesday (since he was born on a Wednesday.) I also took monthly photos (I have blocks that allowed me to document the days/weeks/months/years.) At his first birthday party, I hung the 12 monthly photos. I also did a great job blogging his weekly and monthly updates. I still don't know how I managed that.

I'm due with our second (a girl) in less than two months, and she isn't named yet. I have no idea how I'll keep up with documenting her first year. I'd love to do the weekly/monthly photos again. It's a lot of fun to look back at those photos!

Caroline @ In Due Time said...

GOMI? What the? I have never heard of it and it sounds like just that, a car wreck. People are nuts.

I wish I had your running skills. You are amazing. You are going to rock your race.

Leslie Lukens Martin said...

I 150% agree that being a working mom is HARD! Leaving that babe every morning and afternoon (because I'm lucky enough to be able to see him at lunch) just hurts my heart. I'd definitely be interested in a post re: your experience with daycare and being a working mom. Also, if you come up with a great way to document 2016 with photos, please share! :)

Laura said...

It's totally ok if you want to stay home! God will lead you to the right choice for your family. Even when you know you're doing exactly what God is asking you to do, it can still seem like hell and a lot of asking why. I love bows on baby girls!! And, some day, I'll blog again too. I hear ya!

Rebecca Jo said...

I hate when I read a book everyone talks about & I'm just like, meh.....
I really loved The Royal We though ;) haha

Mia said...

Can I just say that I applaud you for your honesty? I think people tend to sugar coat things and make it seem like life is perfect. But it's not, and I enjoy reading your honest opinions about life. No one has it all figured out but when in doubt, just look at your baby's face because she is so stinking adorable.
PS - Buy all the bows :)

Unknown said...

I confess...

...that sometimes I'm jealous of working moms/dads, as another long day stretches in front of me with an adorable but basically boring 2 month old.

...that we have zero decorations in the baby's 'room', because I really can't stand spending time decorating a room.

...that I just ate yogurt for dinner.

...that the baby should probably sleep in her bassinet, but she's asleep on my chest right now, and she's warm and relaxed and sighing with every breath, and I can't bear to move her!

Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy said...

Yay for running 8 miles!!

Ahhhh, I HATE GOMI! Someone started a forum for my blog on there, and people are incredibly mean. They also have no idea what they're talking about. I'm sure someone will find this comment somehow and write about it on there, hahaha.

Erin LFF said...

Hairbow purchases in the middle of the night is hilarious/awesome :) of course she needs them!! I am currently trying to resist buying overpriced baby shoes that I know are totally unnecessary but still... CUTE! I definitely welcome all posts re: working mommas- I know you aren't alone in those feelings and I think a lot of people would relate!

Courtney said...

Lol about buying more bows.

We had a light like that in our kitchen, but that sucker had GOTS TA GO. It hurt like a mother every time one of us jacked our head on it lol.

Jenna Griffin | Gold & Bloom said...

LOVE this! May have to steal this idea. :) Also, when all that drama was going down about that one blogger (who I never even knew) last year, I couldn't look away either. Browsing the GOMI threads was like watching a reality tv show about crazy bloggers. The things people would say!

And yes, I'd really like to read about how it's going as a working mom and daycare. I think a lot of women would be able to relate.

Renee said...

I seriously love your blog! I love your honesty. I love that you TRULY get the whole working mom thing. Keep on doin' what you're doing...and yes, she NEEDS those bows - I mean how can you resist?! Also - I feel ya on the jealousy front...being a working mom is HARD. Soooo hard. I get it. You're not alone. BUT you're doing AWESOME!! Keep on chuggin' away - it's all we can do :)

Maria said...

First of all...I know you have the best subject on the planet to photograph, but your photos are STELLAR! Gorgeous. I will confess that I rarely have jealousy issues unless it comes to other people's photography. It's something I tried to do once and simply cannot master. You have inspired me to pick up my camera more often.

Even though I'm not a mom, I'd really like to hear your thoughts about daycare and working. If (or when) we are blessed with a baby in the future, daycare would be one of my only options since we don't have family nearby and I would probably continue to work. While it is something I don't need worry about right now, it does occasionally terrify me when we talk about starting a family.

Rach said...

GOMI sounds like something I should stay far away from. And yet I find myself so curious... I'm afraid I may waste an hour or two today... ;)

I'd be totally interested in hearing how you are handling the balance of being a working mom.

Also, everyone raved about The Royal We. So I read it. And was really unimpressed. It was okay, definitely not terrible. But not great.

Jamie said...

I think that face says "Mom, I need ALL the hair bows!"

Katie @ Live Half Full said...

Ahh give me all your blog ideas! I have no ideas, and no time. Sooo… we'll see how that goes. :)

The Lady Okie said...

Ah! Thank you, friend! I feel like I have a loooong way to go to get to where some other people are with their pictures, but I'm working on it. Gotta get out the big girl camera occasionally!

The Lady Okie said...

LOL! Do a confession post! ;)

The Lady Okie said...

Thanks so much for the encouragement, Renee!

The Lady Okie said...

I'm sorry that happened to you. They definitely don't know what they are talking about, so I hope you don't take it to heart!

Jenny Evans said...

Oh, my. GOMI? I don't even want to see it because I won't be able to look away!

I also think crying and eating some lactation cookies sounds like a great idea right now. But I only have Thin Mints... that's okay, right?

Unknown said...

You're awesome to share your confessions. Similar to Jenny above, that does sound like a good idea, but I'm going with thin mint Oreos. Also I'm allergic to lactation cookies, as it turns out, not that I'm breastfeeding right now or anything. I totally agree about GOMI...I want to not, but I totally do. You find the craziest stuff on there!! Middle of the night hair bow shopping is not a crime in my state ;) It is amazing to me that you ran 8 miles - I don't think I ever, ever could. Also, I would love to hear your post about being a working mom. I am on the SAHM side of things, but I think SAHMs share a lot on blogs and working moms don't as much (that I've seen - probably because you all are busy working and momming, which is not a bad thing!). Lots of luck on that. I'm grateful that I am able to do it right now, but I know it's not always a guarantee.

Rachel said...

I've read GOMI on random occasions--it started with this one blogger who got fairly popular for a minute and I was wondering why does no one ever say anything about how her family photos look really, really photoshopped, as in, like some sort of odd composite green screen photos not of a real family. Somehow I bumped into GOMI and found out, that, actually, there were other people who thought that was odd, too. So I can't say I would always disagree with GOMI, as they probably do find the occasional strange people in the blog world...but they are terrifying in their own way.

Amy @ A Desert Girl said...

I was unimpressed by The Royal We as well. Too long. And blah.

Bows are accessories and R can never have too many. :) Don't bow to the pressure of the budget and sacrifice bow quantity (see what I did there?).

Kristen @ See You In A Porridge said...

i love love LOVED the royal we. however, i know i don't know you THAT well but it does not strike me as a book you would enjoy.

GOMI. it hurts my feelings haha. i don't know why. people being mean about other people is something that just makes me feel sick - not like i'm disgusted in them, but like it makes me actually feel ill. some people are SO mean on there.
eat all your cookies! you go girl. and congrats on running! i am doing so horribly right now. i need help. half marathon in just over 8 weeks and i can barely run a mile. help.

Anonymous said...

I confess:
. . . that I bought several hairbows like the one your baby's wearing in a photo above. :) Thanks for the recommendation!
. . . that I've scarcely run since being cleared for exercise post-partum. I'm looking forward to being able to introduce a jogging stroller in the next 1-3 months.
. . . that I get slightly annoyed when people tell me how blessed I am that my baby sleeps through the night and don't realize that I am soooo tired and on edge from the fact she never naps during the day. If I could just use the bathroom and pour myself a drink every once in a while, it would be awesome. (As I write this, I'm feeding my baby.)

I would love to hear your thoughts on being a working mom and using daycare. Although I'm at home myself, I fully support mothers doing what works best for them and am interested in learning from and empathizing with others' experiences. Plus you are a fabulous writer and I look forward to reading your thoughts on whatever subjects are on your heart and mind.

Sarah @ Sometimes Photojenik said...

GOMI? For real? I have never heard of that ever and my only thought is some people have way too much time on their hands and if they used that time to solve something productive, we may have fixed world hunger by now. Also- 8 miles! So awesome! And as always thanks for your honesty! I confess that I'm really tired of meal planning and am just over it and wish we had the budget to get take out every night

Kari said...

Lately I've tried to read books (or listen to audiobooks) and I have been pretty disappointed by every single one. It seems like the same ol' thing. I want something different and maybe something that I can connect with in my present life situation. I may have to write one myself. ha!

Julie @ Just the Joy's said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Julie @ Just the Joy's said...

I'm actually working on a post about confessions as well! I definitely feel your pain in the bow addiction and SAHM/Working Mom topics! Sometimes I feel like I come off as a royal monster when I complain about how hard it is to be a SAHM. Let's be honest, being a Mom (or Dad but mostly Mom) isn't easy. It's a lot of work! But, it's also the best! For the past few years I've been doing Shutterfly photobooks as "yearbooks" and I would like to do a yearly book for Remi as well. Let us know if you find something awesome worth sharing! I'd love to hear!

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