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We're moving!

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Guess what?!

We are moving! (Okay, you probably got that from the title.)

We finally outgrew our one bedroom apartment and are moving into a larger two bedroom in an old Victorian. It has a cozy, vintage, and lived-in feeling with solid wood doors and beautiful window frames. We will still be in Alameda (just a mile or so away from our current place) but we are moving to a cul-de-sac on a much quieter street. YAY! We will be moving the bulk of our stuff this weekend then doing a little IKEA shopping to fill in the gaps. We may paint eventually, but probably not any time soon. I hate packing so I am trying to motivate myself. So far I've packed three boxes. Only 14 million more to go.

Here is our little fireplace (doesn't work, but it has this really beautiful old mirror and a mantel!!!!!).

I'll do a tour later. Pray for us and our moving crew (Paul's bro and my dad). Bless us O Lord that we may not throw out our backs and that we may maneuver our couch and bed frame through our doorways.

 

From the hive

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There is a constant buzz around me. I do not think I have had a moment of complete quiet in (if I were being completely honest) months. Our little apartment by the bay reminds me of a humming hive -- filled with the hustle of daily life and even in the moments of calm, have an air of profound significance. This life of ours, both in the meaningful milestones and the (equally meaningful) mundane moments, is being formed before our eyes. I am in the trenches of married life, of toddler-raising, of homemaking, of a new career, of growing a human, and of expanding our family.

Here are a few of the thrums and hums from the hive lately.

Emma has been religiously working on her tennis swing. Her concentrated furrowed brow proceeds swing after swing while she attempts to finally make contact with the ball. I've been hit by the ball and by the racket several times and sometimes she comically twirls in a full circle after a particularly enthusiastic effort. 

The attention given to this belly is overwhelmingly beautiful. The hugs, the kisses, and the squeezes give me glimpses into our life with two. She is never one to leave baby brother out of the fun and insists on reading to him and on playing with him.

The imagination of a toddler is unwaveringly inspiring. On this occasion, she was sharing her apples with minnie mouse and "mama dino" after nap.

This corner of the apartment sees the most action by the toddler tornado. But sometimes she slows down long enough for me to capture a precious moment of nurturing as she reads to her best friend. 

Never have you seen such an enthusiastic love of bubbles. We are in the throws of potty training and for every five stickers on her potty chart, she receives a prize. What better prize than a new bottle of bubbles for her and a dry diaper for me? 

And the biggest little girl who wants to do everything by herself and exactly like her number one hero, daddy.

This here. These are the days, the moments, that I will always want to remember.

 

The perfect weekend and some news

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It was one of those perfect, oh so lovely, springy Spring time, weekends. T'was the kind of weekend that makes the prospect of Monday a little more dreadful. But all good things...so they say. But I am all smiles today because we are well-rested, the sun is shining, and the munchkin has only made twelve messes today (including a bucket of milk on the floor, but c'est la vie).

If you follow me on my most favorite platform, there may be a few repeats, but the weekend was just too good not to give ya'll some deja vu.

Saturday morning was for relaxing with open windows and messy hair. I rearranged Emma's toy/book area yet again and I am liking the new layout. I think she likes it too. But I have caught her climbing onto the window sill so we might have to work on another "safety first" lesson.

We walked to the park and Emma had oodles of fun on the swings and her favorite twisty slide. Paul and I usually take the little lady on solo trips to the park so I was happy that we were able to go together for once. And I was able to take up my permanent residence on the bench and snap photos like a mom armed with a camera phone while the fun parent chased the tot around.

We decided that we did not want to cook lunch so we walked to a local burger place and I ate every bite of my burger plus all the haystack onions I could get my hands on. We then split a butterfinger shake and Emma said "ice cream" ten million times. But it sounded more like "ow crim". Potato/potahto. 

After naps (for all of us) we enjoyed more playing, even more sunshine, and all kinds of smiles from a happy and well-rested momma. We had dinner with our neighbors at a local Italian/pizza place and we watched the girls run back and forth from the arcade area and I had the best pesto ravioli of my liiiife. 

Emma reached her limit towards the end of dinner and I think we have all seen Paul's resigned face on ourselves many a time.

Oh parenthood.

Sunday morning I woke up early (on purpose, with an alarm and everything) to get in some quiet alone time and to make chocolate croissants for my clan. I ate two hehehe. We played a little before church and I cracked myself up by piling stuffed animals on her. Oh what I find amusing these days... 

After church, Emma and I watched Paul play a tennis match with his new league. He has really missed playing competitively and I did not realize how much I missed watching him Play. During a change-over, I half-whispered some advice to him and gave him a smile. A jolly old man sitting near us said, "you sure really know his game". 

That I do old man, that I do. 

Emma enjoyed cheering on her dada which was the sweetest. She also enjoyed walking around with her tennis racket in front of her face which was a big question mark but all in a toddler day.

After naps, we played some more (!!! so much playing) and then enjoyed a family dinner at a local Mexican restaurant because I simply HAD TO HAVE CHIPS AND SALSA OR ELSE (#pregnancy). Emma ate half the basket and was smiles for miles. I would have had an even bigger smile on my face if I could have had a dang margarita. (I'll see you in August old friend.)

These two make me so happy. I couldn't help but stare at them during dinner while I felt our newest member squirm in my belly (maybe the salsa woke him up). I went to bed with such a smile on my face thinking about our three- almost four-some. God has truly blessed our family. I am grateful for them each day.

And onto the news... lest you think I always ramble about weekend recaps and gush about my family.

I got a job! Weeeee!

I was offered a part-time position at a dental clinic in Oakland serving low-income children and adults. I will be working Saturdays and Mondays. While I am INCREDIBLY excited to be doing dentistry again and having some time away from home, my heart is aching at the closing of one chapter in my life. I don't know what will come of this opportunity long-term, but I am so grateful that I will still get to spend most days with Emma while also serving my patients. I start officially working with patients in a weekish so I will keep you updated.

God is so good.

 

Home bodies do have more fun

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While the name of this blog is Substance and Soul, we sometimes find ourselves all out of both substance and soul and we are left with the good old-fashioned, everyday, normal, boring, pointless ramblings of one Samantha A-W.

You're welcome. Or I'm sorry.

The other name of the post could be "#motherhood" but I stopped myself. Self-control is sometimes a trait of mine. Then again I am currently working my way through a half pound of chocolate that I bought just yesterday, so self-control cometh and goeth.

And because a good handful of my posts from the past weekish have not been all rainbows and sunshine, I thought I'd throw a few of the better moments over here at headquarters at your eyeballs.

Because we're happy.

One of Emma's favorite activities as of late is painting. Or "paaaaaaaay" as she calls it. However it is also an activity that gives me quite the eye twitch and certainly an activity that requires hawk-eye attention from the fun-hating mom. Messes and Samantha do not mix. Or clutter. Or dust bunnies. Wait, where was I?

Oh yes, but when I finally cave and let my little Em Gough have at it, I am always tickled by the results. And for the most part she keeps messes to a minimum but I did find a few dollops of green/brown evidence splattered across her play area. Somehow. 

I did discover these bath paints that also happen to be soap (I love you Target dollar section) so I'll throw those in with her nightly bath and I feel less guilty when she re-grouts the tile with neon green goodness.

At my 16 weeks update a couple of weeks ago, I complained that I had not been feeling the second trimester bliss quite yet. But what a couple of weeks will do for the mood and for the body, I'll tell ya. My appetite is up. I want all the foods. I am less stomach achy and throw upy. And the little peanut is doing some serious acrobatics in there which gives me all the warm and fuzzies. 

I have been craving certain beverages of the adult variety, but alas, I have to abstain. So far virgin bloody marys in the morning and decaf tea (with cookies) in the afternoons have been my jam.

Mmmm, the jammiest.

And so future Emma doesn't think that all I did was complain about her lack of sleep, I must present some of the better motherhood moments from the past few days. 

It's these moments that make the hard ones seem less hard. It's that special smile, that hilarious giggle, and those toddler things that make my heart swell. 

Let the mom fawning commence.

I made Swedish pancakes for dinner the other night and it was one of the best dinners we've had in a while. We all crowded in the narrow kitchen and ate pancake after pancake as they came hot off the skillet. I prefer butter and powdered sugar. He prefers butter, powdered sugar, AND syrup. She prefers almond butter and banana. It was one of those perfect evenings. So simple yet so sweet. When she was getting full, I gave her a baby wipe and told her that she could wipe her hands and face when she was done. She then proceeded to use a half-eaten pancake with a gooey almond butter center AS HER NAPKIN. Paul and I just stared. Then cracked the bleep up. 

Good try. 

A very bubbly bath was drawn immediately after this dinner was completed.

When the weather is cooperating, we go on walks to burn off some of the cabin fever (or the calories from the seventh pastry that I consumed that week, but whatever). We like to play this game called collect the sticks. Our front yard is currently strewn with the winners because this mom does not bring nature into the house. Unless it's a tiny succulent, then I'm all game. 

Emma likes to call them "stiiiiiiiii" (rhymes with glee, coincidence? I think not).

About once per week, Emma and I like to go on a lunch date out of the house (no dishes! no clean up!). It's usually somewhere quick like the IKEA bar or Panera but she is a hoot and a half when it comes table manners.

Note the elegant paper napkin shoved in her neckline. 

She is apparently a fan of see food.

(Bad mom joke winky face.)

And to top it off, this morning she quietly (an anomaly for Emma badger) sat in her corner and read -- proudly wearing her favorite accessory (rain boots) and pointing to her favorite animals. 

She slept in her bed all night long last night and took at 2.5 hour nap yesterday, so my good mood may have something to do with that. Sleep may be my favorite pastime. Actually, food is. Sleep is second. Well third, wine is up there. 

Never mind.

See we're all normal here. 

Kind of.

Catch you on the flip side. You know where to find me.