Budget Weddings

I am approaching my nine-year wedding anniversary, so the intense dynamics of wedding planning have become a distant, somewhat foggy memory.

It all came back to me recently when I got to work with Steve over at steveonomics.com to share his $1,000 wedding story.

Check it out on LearnVest: How I Did It: 'My Wedding Cost Less Than $1,000'

Did you manage to pull off a budget wedding? Please share your secrets!

Thank You

This is a quick note of thanks to all my friends who wrote such lovely comments on my pride wounding post.  Thanks for reading, and thanks for writing.  You're all awesome and I'm grateful to have you in my life.

And thanks as well to those of you I don't personally know who take the time to leave comments.  I can't say how much it inspires me.

Saying Good Bye

There's something special about "Mommy friends". Friends you've met along this journey of motherhood. You share a bond that you don't really form with folks from other parts of your life. The shared joys and dramas of having new children and trying to find your way through the maze of parenthood can tie you together.

Today I said good bye to a dear Mommy friend. She and her family are moving back to Canberra, Australia after 3 years in DC. I have only known her 1 year, but it was long enough to fall for her. I'm not sure if it's because it's raining outside, or because I realize it will be a long time before we see each other again, but I'm not taking it so well. It's not easy being left, just as it's not easy leaving.

Funny how good byes can make you think about where you want to be and what's in store for your future.

Some Days Are Better Than Others

Yesterday was one of those days I wished I was single and childless.

Maybe that's an exaggeration. I wished I could travel back in time to my more care free days and just be alone and independent of the needs of anyone else.

My little family had a Sunday filled with one negative thing after the other.

First example: a very full diaper leaking all over our clean sheets, and sinking through to our very lovely Tempur-Pedic mattress. Daddy was on clean up duty and he did an amazingly thorough job (which involved a lot of laundry).

Second example: the babe intentionally hit the side of my head in a fit of frustration and knocked out my snazzy cubic zirconia earring. We then had to search endlessly to find it as we feared the babe may swallow it and puncture something vital. I have decided to buy smaller earrings with very secure backings to avoid any similar drama in the future.

I'll spare you details on the other examples of negativity.

These events kind of built on each other and tumbled down on us until we were sunk under the pressure.

By the end of the day, my husband and I were really wishing we either had a back yard we could throw the babe in so she could play while we sat on our duffs reading, or lived by our parents so we could drop her off and enjoy some quiet time away from her toddler antics.

Despite all the annoyances, as I sat and watched my husband read to the babe before bed, my heart got all mushy and warm. If I were alone and independent of their needs, I would never understand that cozy and yummy feeling I got listening to my little family read I Know a Rhino.

Fast forward to this morning. I was already flustered with the babe by 9:30 am, and wasn't sure how we were going to make it through the day (that warm mushy feeling I just mentioned was long gone). As I was over due to have blood taken, I decided to bite the bullet and get it over with. I got us all dressed and headed down to the clinic.

I am not a person who is good with needles and have been known to pass out having blood taken. I also wasn't thrilled about doing it with the babe in tow, but figured I had to be a grown up about it. To keep her in good spirits I gave her a hand full of raisins (she loves them). As I am a big wimp, I held her other hand to give me strength as the blood was drawn. She listened to me ramble on trying to distract myself and she didn't break eye contact or start whining. I think she was very cool about the whole experience and I was glad to have my little hand holding buddy with me after all.

Picked Up

You need friends in this stay-at-home Mommy world. If I didn't have my Mommy buddies, I would have gone mad at this point. They make me feel normal and help me keep things in perspective. My pals remind me that I am not the first person to have a baby and go through all the ups and downs associated with child rearing. Even though it may feel like it some days, I am not alone.

We come from a variety of backgrounds and may not have been friends if we didn't have this one thing in common. Back in the real world, I did not automatically befriend folks just because they were in the same industry. There's just something special about knowing someone has recently gone through a similar life altering experience, and if they happen to live in your area, all the better.

I was at Trader Joe's to do some shopping yesterday and ended up speaking to a new Mom who was also carrying a baby in a Baby Bjorn. We hit it off as we chatted about the difficulties of public breastfeeding and smiled at each other in the aisles throughout our shopping experience. We said our good byes at the cash registers. She had already loaded her groceries and was fastening her son into his car seat when I made it to my car (parked across from hers). As I finished loading up the trunk, I looked up and there she was. She said she hoped she wasn't being to forward, but would I like to get together for lunch sometime? I said that would be great and gave her my contact info. I smiled as I drove home thinking about how good it felt to be asked out on a Mommy date by a stranger. I hadn't even showered!

I wonder if the same rules of dating apply to Mommy pick-ups? Is there a set time to wait before you send the first email or make that call? It's not like I'm desperate for things to do, but I'll be happy to add my shopping buddy to my circle, if she gets in touch that is.