Paisley Leather

Caving In

2012-02-11T09:15:00.002-06:00

Pinterest, oh pinterest, how I've avoided you like the plague.

But you will not be ignored.

Everywhere I go, everyone I see and talk to, all over facebook and the WORLD, you follow me (and I'm not even on twitter). You've hunted me down. You've given me no other choice. You've worn down my resolve, little by little, like running water through a canyon. And now... here I am.

Username: chelslovestrev
Addicted
In Love
Adoring Every Minute

Pinterest, oh pinterest, you sly little minx.

A Spelling Lesson

2011-06-06T21:06:00.003-05:00

Today, I caught a glimpse of this word, "catsup" spelled somewhere.
All I could think was EWWWWW.

Catsup?? Makes me think of a cat. Having supper. Which kind of makes me feel all itchy and like my throat is closing up. Cause, first of all, I'm allergic to cats and, secondly, they give me the creeps with their tiny little pointy sharp teeth and their bad attitudes. Yuck.

(I google image searched "cat" so that I could post a picture here for you, to further make my point, you know... But, honestly, I'm so grossed out by cats that I couldn't even bring myself to put a picture of one on my blog. So, here's a random picture of Laila Grace instead.)

Ahem. Anyway.

Could we all please agree that the yummy tomato-y stuff we put on french fries, hamburgers, hot dogs and scrambled eggs (hey, some people do!) is spelled "ketchup"???

Good.
Thank you.
I feel better now.

:)

A Pinching Problem

2011-05-31T19:29:00.003-05:00

Stop the presses, people! This is NEWS!

The unimaginable has happened... You will not believe this. Are you ready? Cause I'm still trying to digest it myself...

It turns out... that... Laila Grace is not perfect.

I think I just felt all the oxygen being sucked out of North America as we gasp in utter amazement. I know. The horror.

I am sorry to tell you this but Laila is A Pincher. Now, whether you pronounce it p-ih-nch or p-ee-nch doesn't really make a difference. Cause, either way, it's unacceptable. It hurts. AND it's just plain RUDE! Did I just call my daughter rude? Why, yes, I did. The truth hurts, people. The truth hurts.

It all started yesterday at her family birthday party when her cousin Madeline did something that irritated her. I'm not sure whether M stole the toy from L or if it was that M had the audacity to not allow L steal a toy from her or what. All I know is that I heard a commotion, looked over and my mom mouthed to me "She punched her".

"Madeline PUNCHED Laila??!?!" I said, missing the "discreet" memo entirely and, clearly, assuming that Laila Grace was 100% innocent.

"No, Laila PINCHED Madeline!" my mom clarified.

WHAT??!! I felt as though I'd been punched in the throat. (I don't actually know what that feels like but it can't feel good.) MY BABY?! Pinched someone?! NO WAY!

But THEN, today, she pinched her little friend Ellie. Twice!

And THEN she pinched ME when I wouldn't put her down this afternoon!! Well, after all this pinching, you can bet that she and I sat down and had a serious conversation. I told Laila Grace that it is okay to get angry when something doesn't go how we want it to and that it is okay to be frustrated but that it is NOT okay to be unkind to our friends when we're angry.

"In your anger, do not sin" I said.
To my one year old.
While she zerberted my leg.
I'm sure it really sank in.

Here's the thing: When I was in Kindergarten, there were these kids, Hannah and Luke. Twins. And they were pinchers. Big Time. Like, these pinches drew blood. I can still remember Hannah's scrunched up little face as she sank her fingernails into my flesh and gritted her teeth to make it as excruciating as possible. I used to wonder what made them so angry, so unkind, so RUDE.

And, now, light years later, I have a pincher on my hands.

But mark my words, my friends. By the grace of God, we will overcome this pinching problem. It will not identify us. We will not give in to it. We will have victory.

LOVE will overcome.

I'll report back on how it goes.

:)

Oh, and Hannah and Luke, if you're out there, I forgive you... I think.

A Cyclone of Grace

2011-03-05T23:28:00.004-06:00

I think I just want to say "hello" to you, my dear reader.

So, Hello.

Oh, and also, share this thought:
I have the amazing privilege of witnessing True Life bursting forth all around me. I have a few (yes, an actual "few") precious friends who are pregnant, several who are planning to get married this spring or summer, one particular dear who is basking in the joyful glow of her newborn's sweet expressions, one who is looking forward to making a major change and revelling in preparing for this fulfillment of her dream and one who is blissfully content enjoying the new adventure she and her family have embarked on. Also, every day, my precious Laila Grace changes in some tiny way; she repeats a new syllable, makes a new face, discovers a new little nook or suddenly finds something to be completely fascinating that she never seemed to notice before (like, my nostrils) :) ... and I feel like all of this joy and excitement and love are swirling around me in a cyclone of grace.

I stand, in the center of all of this goodness and beauty, breathe deeply through my nose, hold it for a moment... and exhale.
Because life is but a vapor.
And beauty is meant to be cherished.
And I mean not to miss a moment of it.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
~James 1:17

Hallelujah!

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

2011-02-23T22:27:00.004-06:00

So, this is me:

And this... is Elizabeth Montgomery AKA "Samantha Stevens":

My dad says we look alike. I'm starting to agree!
What do you think?

Laila's Playlist

2011-02-10T18:18:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, while I was trying to finish a glorious nap in bed and Laila was trying to wake up from her nap in my bed, I gave her my iphone thinking she might entertain herself for a little while. Just so you know, Laila Grace is only allowed to play with my phone under very specific circumstances and only when she is on something soft, like a bed or a cloud or a giant marshmallow.

After only a few seconds, I realized she had made her way into the iPod part of my phone and begun DJing her own little playlist.

It went as follows:

1. "Zion" by Lauryn Hill
2. "My Life of Crime" by Pierce Pettis
3. "Depending on Gravity" by Pierce Pettis
4. "Starlight" by Patrick McBride
5. "Reasons Why" by Nickel Creek
6. "Now is the Time To Worship" -Praise Baby CD

And here is why I think she chose these songs:

1. Because, at those very moments, her Auntie Crystal was in labor, bringing forth baby Gideon who we went to see today and who we already LOVE. Lauryn wrote that song for her son, Zion, and one of my favorite lines is "How beautiful and nothing more, than to wait at Zion's door... I've never been in love like this before."

2. Laila Grace had stayed up the night before from 2:30am - 5:30am.
NO LIE. A truly criminal act indeed.

3. It's that darn gravity that keeps making her fall when she tries to stand up and walk! I think she thought she might learn something from Pierce on how to overcome it... gravity, that is.

4. She wants to go see her Uncle Pat and Auntie Jessica in Pensacola!!!

5. "What could possibly be the reason why my mom is so sleepy right now??" Hmm... Perhaps it has something to do with #2...

6. Because she just loves to worship... and, seriously, y'all, she does! She loves to sing and dance and wave her hands in the air! And, I mean, come on, now IS the time. :)

So, there it is. Laila's playlist.
And today just happens to be Laila's 9 month birthday!!

Happy Birthday, precious girl!
Love,
Doo Doo

Mistaken Identity AKA "You Can't Afford Me"

2011-02-04T15:34:00.003-06:00

So, on Monday, Laila and I ventured out to a new park. Remember what a park is, Dallasites? Remember what sunshine looks like? What warm golden rays shining down on you feels like? Ahh, that was the life! Someday, I do believe the sun will shine again! In the meantime, though, let's remember the good old days with fondness and storytelling. I've got one for you:

Monday, we decided to visit a new park rather than Teitze Park where we usually go. The last time we had been to Tietze, there was a tiny incident with an, oh let's say, seven year old boy riding recklessly down the sidewalks. I mean, I truly think he was trying to see how close he could ride his bike to the babies sitting on the edge of the playground. I seriously yelled, "Watch it, mister! She's going to need those fingers!"

So, with the well being of Laila's fingers in mind, I thought a less frequented park might be a good change of pace. We walked from Starbucks on Knox, down the Katy Trail, to a little tucked away park off Hillcrest. It was lovely. Quiet, shady (in a good way) and the only children playing there were toddlers. Laila and I instantly headed for the baby swings, her favorite part about a trip to the park.

We were swinging, talking, singing, dancing and generally having a grand old time when a mom walked up with her little girl. She put her baby in the swing next to Laila's and we exchanged a hello and a smile. We chatted a bit about the nice weather and the babies and, just as she was lifting her little girl out of the swing, she said, "Well, it was nice to meet you. Do you think you might have room in your schedule to babysit for ME sometime?" I was taken aback...

"Huh?" I said, eloquently.

"I mean, you're just so adorable with her... and good babysitters are so hard to find!" I was shocked. I was flabbergasted. Y'all, I was flattered! "Oh, well. Actually, um... I don't really babysit anymore. This is my daughter!"

Well, she was definitely embarrassed, friends, and I wasn't quite sure how to make that better for her. You know when you really want to help someone get out of the awkward situation they've gotten themselves into but you're not really sure how? She gave a little chuckle as she walked away and I assured her that I wasn't offended at all... :)

I have a few theories as to why she might have thought I was the babysitter. I'll save the best for last.

First, I was wearing an SMU sweatshirt. This makes perfect sense. Maybe she thought I was an SMU student, wonderful! I'm happy to be mistaken for a 20 year old!

Second, perhaps it was my yoga pants... Now, I know what you're thinking. LOTS of Highland Park moms go around in yoga pants. Whether they've been to yoga or not or are headed to yoga or not, is not really the point! The ladies just like to wear yoga pants; to Whole Foods, North Park mall, the salon, yoga pants are everywhere. Do they wear yoga pants that are faded, have holes in them and were purchased at the Gap outlet 6 years ago? I don't think so. Maybe it was my tattered yoga pants that led her astray. No HP mom would be caught dead in these babies!

Third, perhaps my anti-wrinkle treatments are working! That Wal-Mart brand Oil of Olay knockoff was a $3.98 well spent! I'm just so fresh faced and wrinkle free, of course I couldn't be a new mom. Hmm. Doubtful.

Here's the main reason why I think she thought I was the babysitter: Instead of "Mama", Laila Grace Chapman refers to me as "Doo doo".

We'll have to work on that one.

:)

The Moment We've All (okay, maybe just me) Been Waiting For!

2011-02-04T11:02:00.002-06:00

Check out the top left corner of the page on the right.

And here she is up close!

:)

If we weren't snowed in up to our ankles, you can betchyour bottom dollar I'd be out collecting 137 copies of this ad. For now, we'll just enjoy her online...

Happy Snow Day, everyone!

Laila's Big Debut

2010-11-23T14:04:00.005-06:00

So, the crazy part is... We were in and out in 20 minutes.
First, let me tell you how it all went down. Then, I'll share with you my personal observations.

Before that, a picture, just so you know what we're working with here:

So, Laila and I arrived at the JC Penney headquarters at 8:45am. We went through security, got a visitor's badge, navigated our way down to the studio (with the help of another mom and model baby) and joined several parents and babies in the lobby area. All the other moms brought a husband with them. Interesting. A family affair! Well, L and I were on our own, except for the double stuffed diaper bag. Y'all. I had everything I could have possibly needed. I was prepared for an earthquake! Teething medicine, extra outfits, baby Tylenol, toys, diapers, wipes, nail clippers (in case she got a hang nail!), hairbrush, lotion... the whole nine. Turns out, we didn't need a bit of it but "better to have and not need than to need and not have", right?

I immediately noticed that there was a couple there with an empty stroller. This certainly caught my attention and caused me a bit of concern. I asked them "uh, where's your baby?" "Back there", they said, and pointed to a set of Huge Metal Doors.

I shuddered. "Without you?!" They looked like this had only just occurred to them... "Yeah. Well... they just asked for him..." In my head I was like, "uh-uh. Ain't no way my baby's going nowhere without ME. Definitely not. No. Way." Out loud I said, very graciously, of course... "Hmm. I think Laila will definitely do better if I go with her." They smiled. I smiled. The other people in the waiting room smiled. Awkward.

There were 2 families with little girls who, after we talked a bit, I found out were Laila's age. L was definitely the hugest of the three and (do y'all mind if I say this?) um, yes, the cutest.

There was a baby boy and his mother in the lobby as well but, unfortunately (and this could happen to anyone), he got cut, meaning that they decided not to use him. Apparently, they had been late and there was no mercy. When the lady came out to see if the girls were all there, she noticed he and his mother and briskly said, "We're finished with boys. Thank you. Goodbye." Ouch. And that was the mom who had shown me where to go. I tried to give her a reassuring smile as she packed up her things and left. Sad.

Turns out, you can get cut for all sorts of things. Having teeth they didn't expect, cuts or bruises on the baby's face, too much or too little hair, crying... these people mean business.

The Brisk Lady dissapeared behind the Big Metal Doors and Another Lady came out. She had a kind face. This made me feel a little better. She took one look around the room, pointed at Laila and said, "I'll take her". "Oh no you won't take her, lady. I'll take her" went through my mind, all "better feelings" out the window. Out loud, I said, very graciously, of course, "I think Laila will definitely do better if I go with her." I smiled. She smiled. I wondered if in her mind she was rolling her eyes. But, I mean, give me a break! This is my first time! Who the heck knows whats behind those Big Metal Doors?! It's called Responsible Parenting! Are you kidding me?!

ANYWAY, we went back to the studio where Another Lady took Laila from me and started taking off her outfit. Then Another Lady came with a dress (very cute, by the way... rainbow stripes, a collar, precious) and started putting it on her. Another Lady came and started smoothing Laila's hair. Needless to say, LG was, like, "Mom! What's going on?" and I was reaching over and around all the ladies to pat her hand and smile at her and say, "Isn't this fun?" :)

Unfortunately, she cried. This was distressing for me, not because I was afraid we'd get cut, although, honestly, who wants that after you've gotten up, dressed and carted yourself, your 6 month old and the over stuffed diaper bag to Plano? I was distressed because I didn't want her to be distressed. We decided a long time ago that, if it's not fun for her, we're not going to do it. Totally not worth it. All the ladies fussing over her was definitely lowering the Fun Factor.

After she was dressed and I got to hold her for a couple of minutes, she stopped crying and went with one of the Ladies for a "look over" from (I guess) the Lady In Charge who, without smiling, took one look at Laila and said "she's good". I wanted to say "Your darn right she's good, Lady! She's better than good! SHE'S PERFECT!" Again, blog readers, you have the benefit of hearing my Inner Monologue. All she got from me was a smile.

I don't really want to be That Mom, you know?

So, one of the Ladies took Laila and I down a dark hallway and into the studio. There were bright lights, a ton of cameras and computer screens and lots of people standing around wearing tall boots, skinny jeans, lots of jewelery and lots of scarves. They were very posh, you see. And they each had looks on their faces that said "This is just where I am until I get my big break and start doing this stuff in NYC... I'm big time. Really. I'm just tolerating all of this until people realize how Awesome I Am."

The Dressing Lady sat Laila down on the white concrete floor in front of the camera and I realized... Oh, This is IT. They're going to take pictures of her now. I mean, there was no prep or pep talk or anything. Just sit down and smile. Well, that's how it was supposed to go. But, y'all, LG, apparently, had decided that she was Not Going To Smile. My baby, who smiles all the time and at everyone, was not having it! The Dressing Lady was tickling her, holding up a bunny, dancing around, playing peek-a-boo and, in every picture, Laila was making this face:

Until... I said, "Um. Excuse me, can I sing?" The Dressing Lady, realizing her attempts were futile, said, "Sure!" So, I started with a couple rounds of "You are my sunshine" and wrapped it up with "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "This is the way the lady rides..." Well, that did it. She perked up, cracked a couple of smiles, leaned forward in her cute way and "thatsawrap.thanksalot.seeyounexttime.thiswayout."

It was really amazing. All that way and all that singing and dancing and peek-a-booing and sweating (well, I was sweating) for one little smile in one little dress. Wow.

Another Lady (previously unmentioned) walked us out. On the way, she gushed about how beautiful Laila was and how great she did. I was really surprised. Hardly any smiling and she thought Laila was perfect! "Did you catch a glimpse of her on the screen?" she asked, "She was stunning!" I was thinking, "Lady, you don't even know how cute she is! She had barely gotten started!" Out loud, I said, "Thank you" and smiled. I smiled a lot. I mean, what else could I do?

A few observations:
1. How could it possibly be better to take the babies behind the Metal Doors without their mamas? I mean, how could that possibly elicit better smiles, happier babies?? I know that they are the professionals but, seriously, Laila would have FLIPPED OUT if I hadn't been with her... and there certainly wouldn't have been any smiling going on!

2. Next time, I think I'll ask if I can dress her. Starting off with the three ladies and all their fussing over her and the crying and all really hurt the whole "Smile for the camera" thing that was supposed to happen later.

3. I was shocked at how quickly the whole thing went... and how they only wanted one smile in one dress. I was wondering if we had gotten axed or if they had decided they just didn't want any more shots of her but then I heard that it was normal to be in and out. Hmm.

So, that's how it went down, ladies and gentlemen.
And, an hour after we got home, we received an email that they want her back next week. Great. I think we'll give it another try.

Laila is our precious, darling 6 month old baby... and, turns out, she is now a professional baby model. But, don't worry. We won't let it go to her head.

:)

Over Coffee

2010-10-15T11:11:00.002-05:00

So, I'm not really surprised... Ok, hold on. Y'all. 4 years and an English degree from SMU and I still struggle with how to spell that word... "surprise" and also the word "restaurant". Whenever I see those two words printed (I've never admitted this to anyone), I seriously try to memorize the spelling in order to minimize my struggle the next time I need to type them and, alas, I still sit in agony as I type, wishing that blogger had spell check and kicking myself for not remembering how to spell these two dumb words! AND then I start breaking out in cold sweats, remembering how I got to the district spelling bee in 6th grade and misspelled the word "penguin" in front of the whole school district and God and everyone! I spelled it "penquin" because, well, I'm very visual, you see... and, in my mind, the "g" looked like a "q"... It was an honest mistake, really. And shouldn't they give you, like, a second chance? I mean, one stinking word and all of that practice and effort and emotional energy is just wasted cause of one tiny little letter. A second chance would have been nice, people! I mean, really! Penguin. Restaurant. Surprised. Wait, where am I? What was I saying?

Oh yes, so, I wasn't really surprised today when this happened but I'm not so sure what to think about it!

Laila and I, during our routine trip to Starbucks (in our pj's this morning, mind you), were approached by a talent scout for a modeling agency!

Here's how the story goes...

Laila and I were just drinking our coffee and playing, minding our own business, when I noticed a handsome, well dressed man checking us out. He smiled, I smiled. I didn't really think much of it because this happens to us often. People are attracted to Laila's beautiful blue eyes and shining personality and I am happy to be her Representation. People say, "and how old are you?" and I say (speaking for her, of course) "I'm 5 months old!" and then they say "and what is your name?" and I say, "Laila Grace. It's nice to meet you" and, all the while, the person never makes eye contact with me because they are having a conversation with the baby, you see. I'm just her Manager. I don't mind this one bit. It's fun. I'm like a ventriloquist! (Look, I can spell "ventriloquist" and I can't spell "penguin".)

So, the handsome man came over to the condiment bar near where we were sitting and asked me how old she was. He actually addressed me, my friends. I had to remind myself, "Okay, you're talking as you this time. Grown up voice." I told him that she was 5 months old and then he asked if she could sit up on her own. I thought that question was a little odd but I answered it, saying "well, she's very close. She totters..." which is true, y'all! She's almost there!

So, then, he proceeds to tell me that he is a talent scout for a modeling agency and that, with her beautiful face and sweet demeanor, she would be a perfect baby model! He gave me his info and told me that, if I was interested, I should call the agency.
I thanked him and he went on his merry way.

This left me to ponder. I have to be honest and tell you that I had thought of this before. I mean, my daughter is The Most Beautiful Girl Ever, you know... but, truly, I told myself, everyone thinks their daughter is The Most Beautiful Girl Ever so I consulted a second opinion. My mother. "Mom, don't you think that Laila is way cuter than any Pottery Barn Baby model you've ever seen???" "Oh, absolutely!" she said. And then the thought occured to me that, perhaps, she wasn't really an objective opinion either. So, for an actual Professional Person who knows about Cute Babies to say that she's "got it", well, I was flattered.

Know my heart, friends. I'm not, like, all "See how amazing my baby is, blog world?!" I'm more, like, "blog world, is this a good idea?" On one hand, moolah in the college fund is a great idea! On the other hand, I don't want to be one of Those Moms and I certainly don't want Laila to end up like Mary Kate and Ashley!

Thoughts? Opinions? Personal experiences you'd like to share?

Something to look at while you think...

Honest opinions are the order of the day.

:)

Oh, the places you'll go!

2010-10-07T14:06:00.017-05:00

We've been all over the place, y'all! And the good news is... We packed our camera.
Check it out!

Beautiful Pensacola Beach

The Chapmans on Pensacola Beach

Now, a word on hopes and dreams.
Sometimes, when you have hopes and dreams, they get dashed against the rocks. Do you see the above pictured sailor outfit worn by Laila Grace? Yes, that was given to us before our little darling was born. The trip to Pensacola was planned before she was born. SO, since before she was born, I've been envisioning a photo album full of pictures of my happy baby in her beautiful sailor outfit on Pensacola Beach with her already skinny mom and always dashing (that part actually worked out) father smiling sweetly at the camera, hair in place, sun setting perfectly in the background...

This didn't quite happen. Laila was not having it. I was not skinny. Nevertheless, we are on the beach and Laila is wearing the sailor outfit and a couple of them did turn out pretty adorable.

The occasion for our trip to Pensacola was our dear friend Patrick McBride's wedding. Here's a photo of he and his beautiful bride, Jessica.

They are completely perfect for each other and we are SO happy for them. We commented on this several times in the course of the week but it's really amazing when you have a close friend and that person marries someone who is totally great and then you can continue your close friendship with them but, like, as married couples, you know? Priceless.

This is why I feel compelled to be intimately involved in choosing Barry, Alicia and Clay's respective spouses... cause I'm gonna have to live with this person too! :)

We also had an amazing time with Chris and Kelly Reeser who we stayed with on the beach. Kelly is one of my best friends from college and it was PRECIOUS to finally be able to introduce her to Laila. They were instant BFFs. Here's a photo of Kel and I at Pat's wedding.

And here's one of Laila and I at the wedding... (The sailor outfit makes it's second appearance)

Don't you just want to kiss those cheeks??? It's overwhelming, y'all. Really. I don't know how I get anything else done.

After we got home from Florida, our darling friends Katie and Jay came to visit from Pennsylvania. Katie is another one of my best friends from college who also had not yet met Laila... so, I mean, it was kind of an emotional couple of weeks because it meant so much to me to be able to share Laila with these girls and visa versa, to share them with her.

It's, like, complete agony that we all live so far apart... but it makes these times together that much more special. Praise God for sweet friends and travel budgets.

Katie and Jay were here for Laila's first bout with solid food. Observe the carnage.

Actually, it wasn't really too messy. Laila's personality is so dainty and feminine. Truly, it was like she didn't want to get messy.

The next day Katie and Jay, Laila, Trev and I all went to the Pumpkin Village at the Arboretum. It was glorious!

Well, that's all for now, folks!
Happy Autumn!

Roses and Bell Peppers

2010-09-14T13:11:00.003-05:00

Sometime about five months ago, I posted as a status update on facebook, "Chelsea Chapman is sitting by an open window, sewing and drinking a cup of hot tea. Is this really my life?" I typed those words with a contented sigh, reflecting on how grateful I was for such a sweet moment.

Almost instantly, my cozy little status update was bombarded with things like, "oh, you better enjoy that while it lasts" and "just wait till that baby comes" and "last one of those for a few years". In essence, many of my facebook friends (mostly moms) were implying that the birth of my baby girl would be the end of such quiet time and that I could look forward to another such moment in about 18 years.

And, yet... here I sit on my comfy couch, in my relatively clean living room looking at a beautiful bouquet of pink roses, reading a book and munching on some red bell pepper. This is a tender moment. This is a quiet moment. But the difference between that moment 5 months ago and this moment today is that, upstairs, a beautiful darling 4 month old baby girl is sleeping in her crib. For as long as she sleeps, I will enjoy my book and my roses and my bell pepper and, when she wakes up, the smile that she rewards me with will far outshine those things.

To all of my sweet friends who are about to have new babies... and there are several of you, praise God... Know that your life will absolutely be utterly changed. You may not be able to spend all afternoon wandering around the used book store, sitting at your sewing machine, watching your favorite shows or shopping at the mall but what you will spend your time doing will be far more valuable to you and the world that will be impacted as a result of the loving investments you make in your baby.

I just wanted to say these things and attempt, with these few words, to balance so much of what new mommies hear from old mommies. Your life, your sense of self, the things you love to do will not disappear from existence. They'll just change a bit. And that's ok. I'm no pro, that's for sure... and I only have 4 months and 1 week of experience, but those 4 months and 1 week have been some of the best days of my life. For you, I believe, the best is yet to come.

So, here's to tender moments, however and with whomever they arrive.

:)

Shoulda Been A Cowboy

2010-08-20T13:25:00.010-05:00

I have a future in country music. It's undeniable. See below.

1. Kristian Bush (of Sugarland), Uncle Kracker and I all share the same taste in sunglasses. Yes, we all sport the gold rimmed Cockpit Aviator Ray-Bans. See below.

(I'm crazy about Sugarland, by the way. And this video is hilarious.)

(The author of this blog does not agree with Uncle Kracker on a variety of matters, nor does she promote his music... just his taste in sunglasses.)

(Me - just before the baby was born.)

2. Brad Paisley and I both love paisley. Paisley Leather is my blog, my baby's room is pink paisley, it's his last name and he has sweet paisley guitars. See below.

3. A lady at the grocery store last week told me that I look like a young Trisha Yearwood. I took this as a compliment, of course, and politely thanked her. I can see what she means; our coloring, our cheek bones, our propensity toward chubbiness... However, I think we can all agree that that is not my nose. See below.

My nose looks more like this person's nose. See below.

Like how I wrapped up this perfectly mindless blog post with a photo of Laila Grace? Cause she's what really matters. Someday perhaps I'll seek fame and fortune through a shining career in country music. For now, though, I'll just keep singing to Laila... and look forward to the day when she sings along.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The Day I Ran From the Girl Scouts

2010-08-12T12:21:00.003-05:00

But, first, a word from our sponsors... AKA, another riveting series of lessons in the ongoing saga, Adventures in Motherhood!

1). Everyone... and I do mean everyone has an opinion. Laila's grandmothers, my grandmothers, random grandmothers, friends with babies, friends without babies, grocery store check out people, even the occasional bachelor friend seems to have an opinion. Controversial topics in which people feel the need to share their opinion include, but are not limited to:

a. Sleep Training: ie, To "let her cry it out" or to not "let her cry it out", that is the question.
b. Natural or Normal: ie, making one's own formula, wipes, baby toys, using cloth or disposable diapers, using only California Baby-no paraben-chemical free-sensitive skin-unscented baby wash or using the good ole Johnson and Johnson's, using organic cotton crib sheets or regular ole 100 thread count crib sheets from Target... the list goes on and on, my friends.
c. Vaccinations: No explanation needed but I will say, in all seriousness, that this one has me stumped. There are "experts" on both sides of the issue who act as though their way will save your child from early death! It's too much for me! I'm a bleary eyed, second guessing, opinion sorting new mom, people! I'm overwhelmed as it is!
d. The Use or Non-Use of the Pacifier and, for the record, we use it. Boy, do we. We use it with glee.

2). Murphy's Law Applies
Okay, so I'm actually not totally sure what Murphy's Law is. I just know people are always chalking things up to "Murphy's Law" and saying things like, "well, that's just Murphy's Law", etc. etc. Here's out it plays out in my life. No matter if she ate two hours ago, no matter if she already spit up half of what I fed her, no matter if she hasn't actually spit up in days, if I put Laila down on my gold silk duvet, she will spit up. Murphy's Law, people. Murphy's Law.

3). Vocabulary is Key.
For example, when I lay down with Laila at naptime and get really still and close my eyes, I'm simply modeling for her how it's done. It's not called "napping", my friends. It's called "Leading by Example". See? It's just a matter of using the right vocabulary.

And, now for the Girl Scout story.

On Monday, Laila and I needed to make a quick trip to Kroger. We only had a short grocery list and I expected to be in and out. No problem.
When we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a big white tent and all manner of sashed and vested little girls loitering around. Having been a Girl Scout dropout myself, I immediately recognized the green and brown and, truly, who could mistake that tell tale Peter Pan hat that some of them wear? In true chubby girl fashion, my first thought was cookies and I wondered if I had any cash. Then, as I looked closer, I saw that there were none of those brightly colored boxes stacked up and no signs or posters announcing a cookie sale. Slightly dissapointed but eager to find a parking spot, I moved on, not giving those do gooding scouts another thought.

Laila and I parked, grabbed a basket and started out in the produce department like always. Well, by the time we got to the cereal aisle, I knew that Laila had done some Business in her diaper. Not only can I tell by the smell, which is kind of hideous (seriously, how does someone so adorable have the capacity to emit such a nasty odor?), but I can tell because Laila works, I mean, really works to accomplish this feat. I've asked the pediatrician and he said that she's not constipated... just dramatic (wonder where she gets that) and she never cries so I don't really worry about it anymore. Instead, I usually have to laugh... because, well, she turns red. Really red. Like, that baby in The Incredibles who turns into a fire ball.

When she's 12, nobody tell her I posted this picture on the Internet, okay?
You promise?

So... as you can see, it's kind of hard to miss.
Also, she really only goes once a day, sometimes only once every couple of days so it's always, hmm... how shall I say?... full. This is not one of those "just wait till we get home" kind of situations so, off we went to the Kroger restroom. I parked the buggy outside the door, threw the diaper bag over my shoulder, grabbed the car seat by the handle and opened the bathroom door. The little girl chitter chatter that I heard while I was parking the buggy ceased completely. Twelve little girl heads all turned from what they were doing and stared at me, one particularly pretty little blonde Scout standing in the middle of it all crying dramatically. Twenty four little eyes looked at me as if to say, "Excuse us! We're in the middle of something here!" I was literally shoo'ed by their expressions. I stared back at them for a moment, scanning the crowd for one who would be sympathetic to my cause and initiate the parting of the waters but no such little advocate was found. I was clearly on their turf and they weren't budging.
"Uh, sorry." I said, as I backed out the way I came in. As the door shut behind me, I noticed that the girls resumed their coddling of The Pretty One, patting her back, stroking her ponytail and saying, "It's going to be okay".

The scene took me back to my Elementary school days when there were definitely clearly established identities among us. There was a Pretty One, a Smart One, a Nerdy One, an Athletic One... and, just like in that Kroger bathroom, anytime drama befell the Pretty One, all of us Other Ones rushed to her aid, wanting to be the One who was most comforting, most helpful, truly, wanting to be the One who was most involved. I thought about how, in Elementary school, I was probably labeled the Nice One, which, as I considered it, wasn't too shabby. Lots of times I wished I was the Pretty One, the Well Dressed One or the Athletic One but that just wasn't my lot.

As I changed Laila's poopy diaper on the backseat of my car in the Kroger parking lot, I started to think about which One she might become. My hope is that she will be the Kind One, the Gracious One, the Funny One and the Loving One but, most importantly, I pray that God will show me how to teach her that her identity doesn't depend on what she's labeled or what others think of her. I pray that she will know her worth as a Daughter of the King, a precious Child of God and that she will love others in a way that helps them recognize that about themselves as well.

Whew. As a Mother/Daughter team, we have a lot ahead of us. I'm humbled by all that God is going to use me to teach her. God, equip us for this journey. Make me a godly leader as we go. Prepare the way, Lord. I'm trusting you. Hold my hand, Father... especially if she chooses to be a Girl Scout.

:)

A Resolution regarding Water Balloons

2010-08-06T21:09:00.004-05:00

Hello Pals. Happy Friday!

Today, I'm making a resolution. One I'd like to share with you.
This morning, I saw a commercial in which a mother and her children were having a water balloon fight. They looked like they were just livin it up; water splashing everywhere, laughter and sunshine, smiles all around... and I thought "Oh, isn't that nice..."

(Looks like fun, huh?)

and then...

Thirty minutes later, when I was driving down Skillman Ave toward my favorite Target, I had a startling realization. You have to really throw a water balloon at someone in order for it to pop. I mean, you have to put some muscle behind that thing! AND... if it doesn't pop, it kind of just hurts the person that you threw it at.
All of a sudden, the commercial wasn't so cute anymore. In fact, I thought, "That mom was totally rude!"

So, today I declare to you that I will never ever have a water balloon fight with my children. Laila and whoever else comes along, I can't guarantee that you'll never get hit with a water balloon but, little darlings, I can assure you that you'll never get hit with one thrown by me.

That is all.
:)

Adventures in Babys... oops, I mean... I'm the Mom.

2010-08-04T22:00:00.005-05:00

These are lessons I've learned since becoming a Mommy... brought to you (and me) courtesy of one Laila Grace Chapman.

1. Moms can steal anything.
If the police catch wind of this blog, don't worry, my friends... I'll be fine. I know a guy. So, up till now, I've unintentionally stolen one yellow bell pepper and one can of black beans. Those thieves who put things under their shirts or stash a pilfered item in their backpack are so elementary. Don't they know? All they have to do is put a baby in a car seat and put that car seat in the grocery cart. Whatever they want to steal they can just "accidentally" miss when they are putting their items on the conveyer belt at the checkout stand!

Now, in the case of yours truly, I promise that these items were stolen by actual accident... the simple truth being that I didn't realize until loading the car that the can of beans had rolled underneath the car seat and thereby didn't make it onto the conveyer belt. By that point, I had already loaded all the other groceries into the car and was heaving the car seat into the base in the awful Texas heat, while my child is fussing because she's had to grocery shop all morning and the cart is threatening to roll away and smash the Lexus parked next to me. Both times, I've just left the items in the cart and gone on with my pursuit of getting home before my child loses all patience and attempts a mutiny. (Attempts to mutinize? Hmm...)

Anyway, I saw this episode of Oprah once (I've seriously, maybe seen, like 6 episodes of Oprah in my entire life...) where these totally normal seeming suburban moms are kleptomaniacs under cover. I remember one woman explaining that she just became addicted to the rush of getting away with it. In the case of the black beans, I got into the car remembering this lady on Oprah and thinking... "Oooh, I got away with it!" but... then... it wasn't really that exciting to me. I think that's a good thing. So, I don't think this is going to become a habit. In fact, today, I was kind of ridiculous about checking every nook and cranny of my grocery cart. Still, a lesson learned. Moms can steal anything. So steal away, Moms! But don't tell 'em I told you how. (wink wink)

2. It is possible to truly, genuinely sing praises to the Lord with the back end of a pacifier in your mouth.

I'm speaking from experience. This totally happened to me. And the crazy part is... I have become so accustomed to having the back side of a pacifier in my mouth that I didn't even realize I was doing it! I was literally singing out loud... Only "Nothing but the blood" sounded like "nutting buh da bud".

3. When you think that you are literally physically incapable of getting out of bed one more time at 4am to rock the child that you just rocked to sleep at 3am, you're wrong. You are. You just get up and do it. I would like to say that you are miraculously filled with joy, compassion, empathy and energy when you get up to do it but that's not always quite right... Still, you do it. It's kind of amazing how something just rises up in you. I think it's something akin to grit. Like, when that boulder fell on that guy when he was hiking and he just chewed his own arm off. Yeah, grit like that!

4. When you're at the pediatrician's office and the form asks for the "Mother's Name", that's not your mother's name. That's your name.

Yes, my friends, I wrote "Donna Golden" and then I realized... Oh wait. I'm the mother. Dang. In that moment, it became really real to me and I almost cried. If pushing an 8 pound baby out of your body doesn't make you realize you're a mommy, going to the pediatrician's office sure will!

These are just a few of the lessons I've learned so far. Stay tuned for more lessons learned through the adventures of mommyhood!

Until then, I'll leave you with a bit more of the irresistible adorableness I experience everyday:

Motherhood

2010-07-22T16:14:00.003-05:00

Whoa, friends. Whoa.
Let me just tell you something about Motherhood... Well, it can't be summed up in a word. It takes several.
Motherhood is, for me...

Empowering
De-powering (Is that a word? I just made it up. Work with me, people. I have an English degree... The only thing I'm qualified to do is make up words.)
Super Fun
Frightening
Not for the faint of heart
All-Consuming - heart, mind, body, strength...
Miraculous
A Great Adventure
A Guessing Game
Inspiring
Humbling
24/7... for the rest. of my. life.
Unifying
Surprising

In short, exactly what I was created to do. And I love it.
Laila Grace is my baby sunshine and I can't wait for everything that is to come.
Hallelujah!

The Events Concerning the Arrival of Laila Grace Chapman

2010-05-29T14:08:00.004-05:00

First, a photo... cause I know that's really why you've dropped by... and, hey, I don't blame ya!

Don't you just want to eat her up?! I love those cheeks!!

Dear, dear readers and friends, I am so sorry that I have kept you out of the loop! Yes, I'm blogging about not blogging (I swore to give that up entirely) but I can't help it. I know I've neglected you and I offer my sincerest apology.

Here's the scoop, in the form of the letter I wrote to our childbirth class:

Hello dear friends,

It was so fun to read Abbey and Kira's birth stories and to hear about how well Judson and Luna came out! Congratulations to you four! We're so grateful that things went so well for you... :)

Trevor and I are happy to report that Laila (pronounced LY-la) Grace was born May 10, 2010 at 3:05pm. She weighed 8lbs exactly and was 20 inches... I still can't believe that all of that baby actually fit into my tummy! I went into labor at about 10:30pm on May 9 (my birthday and Mother's Day). We knew I was in labor because the contractions became more frequent and were stronger each time. The first stage of labor lasted a few hours so Trev and I dozed and watched movies on the couch until the contractions were coming about 6 minutes apart. We didn't want to be in the throes of the worst part of labor in the car on the way to Denton so we left our house about 4am. Once we arrived at the hospital, the nurse tested to see if my water had broken... I was sure it hadn't because there had been no gush but the test came back positive! Once we were checked in at the hospital, things progressed more quickly and, after a total of 16 hours, Laila made her appearance at 3:05pm! (Kira, 4 hours, girl?! That is amazing!)

The most helpful position for me was to stand and "slow dance" with Trevor. That way, he and I were close, which was an enormous comfort to me, and I was able to squat down into the contraction as it came on. If we could offer any piece of advice, it would be to have someone else there to help you... a doula or a friend you trust and feel comfortable with. Especially when things got really difficult during transition, we were so grateful to have our friend Jenny to help us. Just having an extra set of hands made a difference when I needed a cool compress on my head but also needed massage on my lower back.

What happened next is a bit distressing but, before you read it, I want you to know that my midwife has delivered 3,000 babies and has never seen this happen to anyone but me. I was hesitant to even share this part of our story because I didn't want to cause anyone to be afraid but, friends, it is SO rare and Bryan convinced me that you would want to hear it. SO... here goes.

At some point during labor... the assumption is that it was while I was pushing... A muscle fiber in my rectum was torn. This caused, over the course of an hour and a half after delivery, a gallon of internal bleeding to fill my pelvis which was (ohmygosh) the worst pain of my life. Seriously, it was worse than labor. It took several hours for 2 OB's, a Vascular Surgeon, a Gastro Intestinal Specialist and my midwife, Holly, to decide, first, what was happening and, second, what to do about it. During this time, I was in terrible pain and my father, mother and Trevor took turns holding my hand. Eventually, the doctors were able to give me morphine and I was able to relax a bit while they decided what course of action should be taken. I went into emergency surgery at about 10pm that evening and not even the doctors knew what they would find. What they discovered was that the gallon of blood that had leaked into my pelvis had settled into a softball sized hematoma (sp?) that had situated itself between my rectum and vaginal wall. Clearly, this was the reason for all the pain. They didn't feel comfortable removing it or draining it for fear of causing an infection so, instead, the vascular surgeon used a tiny camera scope inserted through the major artery in my upper thigh to find the source of the bleeding. In order to stop the flow of blood, he inserted a tiny coil which I will now have inside of me for the rest of my life. :) This is truly miraculous to us and we are so thankful to God for the technology that was available at the hospital. When I came out of surgery, I still had the hematoma (I still have it now) but, thankfully, it was no longer being fed by the blood leakage.

After surgery, I was in ICU for 3 and a half days and had to get 3 blood transfusions to replace what I had lost into my pelvis. Thankfully, Laila was able to be with us for most of the time that we were in ICU and, while I was in surgery, Trevor got to be there for her first bath and her footprints, etc. This is another piece of advice I would give: Stress in your birth plan that, if an emergency were to occur, that Daddy (or birth coach) should go with baby. Even though I was SO out of it because of the pain and the pain medicine, I was comforted going into surgery knowing that, even though I couldn't be with Laila, Trevor was with her.

After 3 and a half days in ICU, we were so grateful to be moved down to the second floor of the hospital... the "happy floor", the postpartum floor! There, we received excellent care and Laila was able to room in with us all the time. This was such a relief after being in ICU and, to this day, we sing the praises of the nurses and doctors who took care of us!

All in all, we were in the hospital 11 days. We've been home now for just over a week and, while I'm still recovering... in a bit of pain, taking several medications, etc., we're doing very well.

The thing that I am MOST grateful for in all of this is that Laila was out before any of the trauma occurred inside my body. I believe that God spared her from enduring any of what happened inside of me and I'm so happy to report that she is healthy and beautiful and as happy as can be. All I could think of while I was in ICU was that I was so grateful it was me and not her who was there.

Attached you'll find some photos of us... :) Thank you to all of you for being our childbirth buddies and for your support and encouragement! Linda, the instruction we received from you was priceless and we will most certainly recommend your class! Thank you for everything! We look forward to hearing all of your birth stories as well and will pray for you in the meantime!

For Love,
Trevor, Chelsea and Baby Laila Grace

Not About Laila. Not A Bit.

2010-05-06T11:52:00.011-05:00

Greetings, my friends!
This blog is coming to you live from my second home, the Starbucks at Knox and Henderson... More specifically, it is coming to you courtesy of my Birthday and Mother's Day present, a new MacBook, officially named "Jumanji" by Clay and Co. this very morning!

Isn't Jumanji that kind of weird movie about jungle animals, starring Robin Williams?

Hmm... we may need to rethink this one.

Let me tell you, people, I love this thing! As my sweet friend Liz so eloquently put it, "Once you go Mac, you never go back"... I've only had this computer for 3 days but I'm thinking the girl's on to something.
Here's a picture of Liz and me at my wedding... Yes, she's as brilliant as she looks...

Anyway, this is the only "new arrival" to speak of at the moment because our Sweet Laila is Taking Her Sweet Time. After all that drama, she's decided she likes it in there and is going to stay awhile. The thought occured to me this morning that perhaps she's playing a little game of Hard To Get. Like, maybe if we don't make a big deal of her coming, like, if we don't really talk about her for awhile and we yawn and say things like, "Oh, whenever, Laila... We're in no hurry out here! Just come when you like! Oh, you want to stay a few days past your due date? We don't mind a bit. Just hang out, baby...", maybe she'll decide she wants to surprise us and go ahead and come on! See? It's called "Reverse Psychology" and parents use it on their children all the time. I'm just getting started early.

Besides that, there's the whole theory about a watched pot never boiling, etc, etc... It's really not true, though. The pot always boils... eventually... and, eventually, this child must come out, right? Right!

So, as a part of my Reverse Psychology scheme, from here on out, until this post is posted, there will be no talking about Laila. None. So don't even try to bring her up. We're talking about Other Things.

I'm not ashamed to tell you that I spent some time watching country music videos this morning. Sure did. And it got me thinking...

Did ya'll know that I'm a Country Girl At Heart? I really, truly am. Sure, I appreciate the conveniences of the city. Clearly, I love the opportunity to get a perfectly crafted decaf iced grande soy americano any time I like, on the corner of practically any major intersection in Dallas. I love all the great restaurant options surrounding us and, as I've mentioned before, I love my house in our quirky little East Dallas neighborhood.

Notice my look of triumph at finding an adorable Starbucks near the water in San Fran...

But...
Nothing compares to a cool morning breeze blowing through the barn at 6am, the smell of hay and honeysuckle, a freshly opened bag of feed, sweet horse breath in your face, a welcome whinney, an open pasture of soft grass, warm sunshine on your face and fresh, pure country air. There's nothing better than experiencing God in the midst of His creation and hearing Him speak to you in the whisper of the wind. I've known this sort of bliss on my Papaw's farm in Kentucky, at the Pine Cove Ranch on warm summer mornings, driving down country lanes with the windows rolled down and, in Wyoming, as Trevor and I quested to find a band of free-roaming, wild horses.

(We found em.)

I've known this bliss in trips to the Feed Store (http://paisleyleather.blogspot.com/2009/04/feed-store.html), long trail rides through piney woods, in blissful hours spent caring for the horses I've had the privilege of loving along the way.

Cosmo Alexander as The Perfect Farm Kid.

(Because we're Not Mentioning Laila, I'm whispering this part...) I long for my precious daughter to have the joy of experiencing these things, knowing God in this way, growing up slow and free and surrounded by authenticity and Love and Grace in an environment that fosters her curiosity and compassion and teaches her to work hard and love people and nature.

I'm grateful that it is possible to both love my new MacBook and love the open freedom of country life. I'm grateful that I can enjoy my soy americano as well as my Momo's country kitchen cooking. I'm grateful that we can live in our quirky East Dallas neighborhood and still escape the city whenever we get the itch.

What a blessed life we live. There are so many reasons to celebrate! I am choosing right now to always choose gratefulness and to teach my daughter the grace of being thankful.

Laila, you were conceived out of your Mommy and Daddy's desire to share the life we love with someone else, to invite a child into the blessings that God has given us. We welcome you with open arms, Little One... but, of course, only when you're ready.

Paisley Leather presents Laila's Paisley Nursery

2010-04-10T11:06:00.011-05:00

Trevor is fielding the Jehovah's Witnesses who just rang our doorbell and I'm popping by to say hello to you. Just a lazy Saturday morning at the Chapman house...

Hmmm... It is an interesting idea, door to door evangelism in our east Dallas neighborhood. I wonder at the effectiveness of such a method. Perhaps next time we should invite them in for a cup of tea and a chat. Friends, do any of you have stories about door to door prosletyzers and your encounters with them? I would be interested in hearing them... Comment away! Well, actually, have a look at these nursery photos first. That's the reason I popped by in the first place.

But first, I just want to tell you that we talked with the midwife on Thursday evening and she said that, at this point, if Laila's coming, we're gonna let her come! That means that my fears of being separated from her because of the NICU, my discomfort with the idea of using drugs to stop labor and my unease over the idea of having to give Laila steroids to speed up her lung development are behind us! Holly The Midwife says that Laila is cleared for take-off! Actually, umm... I think cleared for landing is more appropriate. I'm so grateful! We made it through 3 weeks of staving off contractions and we're emerging on the other side! Hearing this from Holly, my friends, was like a healing balm to my soul. I hit a pretty low place on Wednesday and Thursday because I was experiencing stronger and more painful contractions and was having a really hard time stopping them. I was haunted by the idea that Laila would come out and have to be separated from us and I couldn't imagine her out of my womb but not in my arms. Even now, a lump rises in my throat when I think about being separated from her. Whew. Shake it off, Chels. Pull yourself together. This is a celebration post!

So, the point is: She's a-comin and we're excited!
And her lovely nursery awaits...

A close-up of the AMAZING banner her Auntie Crystal made for her...

Her window valance and whimsical butterfly mobile... (Thank you, Aunt Judi!)

And the sign above her closet... (Thank you, Auntie Lezlie!)

A HUGE round of grateful applause to Laila's Nonna and Papa Bear AKA my precious Mom and Dad, for gifting us with all of the beautiful bedding you've seen in the above photos. You are going to be the spoiling-est grandparents EVER! And I say, "bring it on"! :) Thank you, Shmoopy and Daddy!

So, in conclusion, we're waiting here... with baited breath... for the moment that she arrives and completely ROCKS OUR WORLD... and we are going to love every minute of it.

Good Thing I Love My House

2010-04-07T17:21:00.009-05:00

So, they call it "Modified Bedrest" and it's what they make you do when you are 33 weeks and 1 day pregnant and you start having contractions that hurt... Not those innocent little Braxton-Hicks contractions, my friends... The real ones. The ones that make your cervix start to thin out and begin that lovely journey to 10 centimeters of glorious dilation. The ones that feel like someone is twisting your uterus like a dish towel being rung out. Oh, uh, my apologies to any male readers out there. That may have been a little too much information. Actually, I don't think I have any male readers out there, except my Dad... who can totally handle a little cervix talk. The man watched my little brother be removed from my mother's womb, ya'll, like, actually watched it happen. He's crazy tough.

By the way, when Clay came out, he was asleep. Seriously, the child was totally chilling. Evidence of the cool cat he would grow up to be? I think yes. Check out the cool-ness... It's unparalleled, really.

I, on the other hand, came out screaming like a banchee... But are we suprised? My Mama says I was mad as a hornet about how long the whole process was taking and came out with a little conehead to show for it. Poor baby. No child should be compared to Dan Akroyd, seriously.

See what I mean? That's rather disturbing, actually.

While we're on the subject of me and my little bro, how about some fun pictures of the two of us?

Too cool for school...

And we like to flare our nostrils...

And we're REALLY HAPPY!!

Wow, check out my collar bones. I miss those. Oh, and also my cheek bones... and only the one chin. Hmmm... I'm sure I'll see that face in the mirror again someday... :)

Laila is so worth it, though. And she's definitely worth all of this laying around and missing my Starbucks.
In loving memory...

I liken this bedrest thing to naps in pre-school. Remember how much you hated having to take a nap back then? I mean, I remember loathing naptime, having to be practically strapped to my nap mat and threatened within an inch of my life if I didn't stay put and close my eyes! Somewhere around 5th grade, though, I began to see the value of that nap mat that was once so burdensome to my little preschool agenda. I began to long for someone to bust out a nap mat and declare that naptime had been instituted for middle schoolers and would we all please put our heads down and close our eyes?? Alas, it never happened... And, according to all reports, once Laila arrives, I will never again, in my entire life, ever have another afternoon in which I lay around thinking, "La di da... I wonder what I should do now..." All of you Moms out there are knowingly nodding your heads, slightly charmed by my naivete and saying these like, "You better enjoy that rest while you can!" and "Oh, if someone would only put me on bedrest!" and "Girl, you don't even know..." I know, I know. You're right. I should be grateful. Sigh.

Anyway, we're in the home stretch! Today is 35 weeks and, as of this next Monday, we will be home free and Laila can come any old time she likes! As my Grandat said, "She's already looking for the door!"

I just think she's an overachiever, ready to take on this great big world and anxious to get a headstart! "Hello World! I'm Laila Chapman and I've got work to do! I can't be bothered by things like due dates and lung development! Here I come!"

Okay, Little Champ, just stay in there 5 more days, will you? For Mommy?

Your Vote Counts!

2010-02-23T20:30:00.002-06:00

Dear reader, consider yourself loved. Consider yourself valued.
Consider yourself... solicited.

Trevor and I are working on Laila's middle name. As I've mentioned, this is a serious decision. The world will call this child by the name we give her for the rest of her life. And, of course, her middle name is especially important because this is what she'll be hearing from us every time she gets in trouble... I'm joking, of course. Laila will never be in trouble... Ahem. Anyway.
These things can't be taken lightly at any rate!

So, we'd like your opinion...

Here are the finalists, in no particular order:
Laila Layne Chapman
Laila Grace Chapman
Laila Zoe Chapman
Laila Belle Chapman

Trevor would like for me to tell you that he reserves the right to completely ignore the results of this survey (he's just being spicey, you see) but I promise that your thoughtful comments will be valued and carefully considered.

Your Vote Counts!

2010-02-22T13:23:00.005-06:00

Musings from a Monday...

Lean Cuisine Pizza: is not a meal. It's barely a snack... and now I'm hungry again.

Pandora Radio: I LOVE Pandora. Have you, dear reader, been introduced to it's greatness? I've been listening to the Norah Jones station this morning and have discovered two new songs that I will be adding to my "chill" playlist. "Dream" by Priscilla Ahn and "Heal Over" by KT Tunstall. You should have a listen. You'll be glad you did. And, while I'm on the subject of music, let me just give some love to my Music Guru and Best Pal, Jennifer Powell, who always finds the most wonderful and creative music and then, in her generosity, shares it with me. You should read her blog. See the list to the right. No, not the "About Me" section... that's about me... down a little... right. There you are. Notes from G Street. She's adorable. Here's a picture of us at my wedding...

The Phenomenon of Belly Touching: Now, I was warned, well and often, by good friends who've gone before me, that I would find myself being unapologetically touched by people once I was blatantly and unmistakeably pregnant. This was not something that concerned me. I'm a touchy kind of person. I hug people I first meet. I welcome kisses from friends visiting from France. I value the human connection. My bubble tends to be rather small... So far, I've actually experienced less belly touching than I expected. Oh you know, the occasional older lady at the grocery store, friends and family, of course, and children especially seem fascinated by my protruding middle, however, The Line was crossed last week when a male student at SMU just couldn't resist reaching out for a little rub. WHAT?! I mean, we're talking a complete stranger, a MAN and a college student at that! After congratulating me like we were old friends, he went on to explain that he has "about a million" neices and nephews and that he LOVES children. "Now I don't have any myself, of course" he says, "Ya gotta find the right girl first, you know!! Ha ha ha... You must have found the right one, though! I mean, the right guy in your case... Cause you're clearly the right girl! Ha ha ha" and, all the while, I'm still totally amazed and, frankly, rather speechless, feeling confused because, while I'm a bit charmed by his enthusiasm, I'm also resisting the urge to slap his face for feeling so free to just TOUCH me. I mean, yes, the belly has the baby in it but it's still MY belly, after all. Still very much A Part. Of. Me. I walked away totally in awe, smiling a bit, I'll admit, but, still, totally in awe. Here was Laila's reaction:

How would you have reacted?

2010-02-12T12:17:00.012-06:00

And now... a word on Valentine's Day.

http://deepforestgreen.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-entry-about-valentines-day-for.html

See? See how I did that? I just tricked you into thinking that we had only just talked yesterday and that I was just popping by to share the interesting link I had just discovered (via one Amy Atkins) when, in reality, it has been shamefully long since we talked... I'm so tricky.

I've missed you.

Happy Valentine's weekend, dear friends! And, coincidentally, happy Winter Wonderland as well! Here is our house in the snow...

What is it about snow that feels so romantic? Perhaps its the snuggling that you know must follow a joyful romp in the snow. Last night, Trevor and I played in the snow at our local park. We wowed the children with our huge snow cave, defeated the punk kids who tried to start a snowball fight with us and then came home to sit in front of the fire and sip hot tea... Earl Grey for my husband, Mint Medley for me. It was wonderful... and, just as we got all snuggled up on the couch to watch The Office, the power went out. It was delicious. We moved our snuggles to the bedroom, opened the blinds and watched the snow fall instead. I'll spare you the details on the rest of the evening but let me just say: Yum-my.

Here's a picture of me and Trev on his birthday... just for fun.

Would anyone like an update on the baby girl? Well, she has an official name. Yes, we did not take lightly the task of deciding what this precious child should be called for the rest of her ever loving life... We took our sweet time. We are still deciding on her middle name but her first name is officially (drum roll, please)... Laila! Pronounced LILA. It is the Hebrew word for "night" and, just as the night sky reflects the sheer majesty and glory of God, we pray that she would reflect God's majesty and glory, that she would be a reflection of His infinite beauty. Yes, Lord. May it be so. Amen. If you would like to make suggestions as to her middle name, feel free!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I CAN'T WAIT to see her beautiful face! Hmm... the only thing is... that I know, in order for this to happen, I'll have to give birth to her. Wow. Big, deep exhale. Really, friends, its just the absolute unknowing that gets to me. I've tried to glean wisdom from friends and family. I've asked for the down and dirty, nitty gritty stories and, still, I know that I simply don't know what it will be like, how I will respond, what I will feel. One thing is for sure: for the joy set before me, I will endure. For the joy set before me, I will persevere. For the joy of looking into Laila's eyes and seeing Trevor hold her and kiss her and beginning our journey as a new family, I will give her the gift of birth... Cause, really, the alternative is staying pregnant forever and that is definitely not. an. option.

Would you like to see photos of our ongoing nursery project?

Well, here is her chandelier...

And here are her changing table and crib (found for cheap on Craig's list!)...

And, now... I speak about this in hushed reverence. My husband is amazing. He is truly a Renaissance man; lover, engineer, poet and, now, I find out that he is also an artist. Look what he did for his girls...

Yes, that amazing, beautiful horse is painted on the wall. I was speechless. Really, I still am...

And now for the whole picture...

I invite you, dear friend, to come and see the nursery in person. We'll drink hot tea and sit in front of the fireplace. No romp in the snow required.

These Days

2009-11-14T21:04:00.007-06:00

Hmm... I just found a hole in the armpit of my favorite long sleeve tee. Just when I was sitting down to blog... Dang. I love this tee. I got it on a mission trip to England, summer 2004. I traded shirts with a High School kid we ministered to who wanted a shirt that said "Texas" on it somewhere. I happened to have one. Now, I have this one instead. It says "England '03" on the sleeve and I have no idea what happened in England in 2003 that would justify having a shirt to document it. Love it, though. Have worn it well.

Hello friend.

My sweet friend, Amy, just commented on a previous blog post of mine and finished with the encouragement... "Enjoy these days." That makes me smile.

"These Days"...
These days, I spend most of my moments in wonderment. I am in wonder of the life growing inside of me, wonderment at the fact that God would take me, a broken vessel, and turn me into a sacred temple. Voila! This concept, this bit of theology, that our bodies are temples of the living God has never seemed quite so real to me as it does now... as it has for the past 10 weeks, the amount of time I've spent knowing that there is a life growing inside of me.

I have been in Kansas City with the Alexander children since Thursday and we have had some interesting talks about the fact that there is a baby in my tummy. Yesterday morning, I was explaning to the children how, right now, my body is helping God make the baby inside of me. Whitby (age 6), completely on the edge of her seat, asked me the most amazing question.
"Can you feel it? Can you feel God's hands?"

Wow.

To be honest, I know very little about what is going on inside. I read my "What to Expect When You're Expecting" iPhone app every Wednesday (my turn day) to find out what is happening with the baby this week. I've spent serious amounts of time poring over the charts in my midwife's office looking at what grows when and how the baby looks when eyelids are forming, etc. but, ultimately, I am clueless about how this child is actually being formed, like, biologically.

But Whitby gets it. God's hands are inside of my body and they are lovingly and, with intricate and careful detail, knitting our baby together in this secret place. It is a complete and utter mystery. It is an incredible and awe-inspiring miracle. And the fact that God allows me to co-labor with him, the fact that my body knows to do the things it does, the fact that Trevor and I had the privelege of being involved in this process of creation, the fact that we are now partners with God in building this life, I'm... well, I'm... speechless (and we know how often that happens).

"These days" are spent thinking about every thing that I eat, slowly, as the days go by, ruling out certain items in my closet, feeling the sensations of a growing uterus, talking to the baby (Liz, can the baby hear me yet?), running to the bathroom, counting the weeks (14 weeks and 3 days gestational age, which is a new term in my vocab), drinking tons of water, paying attention to the baby aisle at every store I'm in, experiencing the bathroom at every store I'm in, trying not to toss my cookies every time I take my pre-natal vitamins, trying to think up new ways of avoiding calling the baby "it" (until that glorious day sometime in the second week of December when we'll find out if the baby is a "he" or a "she"), trying not to crave Diet Dr. Pepper, bouncing names off Trevor, thinking, praying and talking about labor... and, mostly, dreaming about who this child will be and all of the ways that Trevor and I are going to continue our story with this sweet baby in our life.

It is my distinct pleasure to introduce to you, dear reader, Baby Chapman!
At 9 weeks.

_______ can't wait to meet you.

In Love with the 80's

2009-09-03T12:03:00.008-05:00

Last Saturday morning, I woke up with an unusual craving... not for pickles, chocolate or even a peanut butter and banana sandwich (ooh, sounds pretty good right now, though). This craving was for some good old fashioned 80's jams. Fortunately for me, the activities planned for the day would afford the perfect opportunity! We spent all day Saturday painting our TV room. It used to be this kind of maroon color with gold, spongey... um... action. The house came that way. I promise, we did not sponge our TV room! It was a bit chaotic... and dark... but, now, it is the most lovely shade of blue. It makes me sigh when I walk into that room now... I feel peaceful, light, as though I am floating in a lovely sea of blue, with the seagulls singing above me and the sunshine warm on my face...

Whew - I went somewhere for a minute there! Back now!

So, the painting afforded an awesome opportunity to jam to some good 80's rock. My sweet husband acquiesced and soon we found ourselves dancing to the music! Now, if you at some point, find yourself overcome with this craving as I did. Let me give you the remedy. Create the "Journey Station" on Pandora.com and you will quickly be transported back to the days of neon, big hair and t-top thunderbirds.
Kinda makes you wanna watch Saved by the Bell, doesn't it?! Now, be honest, you know you always wanted to be Kelly Kapowski!

For some of my (ahem) older friends, this musical journey might conjure junior high, high school... maybe, for some of you, even college memories! For me, however, it takes me back to the delightful days of childhood, specifically ages 2-7. When I hear Heart's "These Dreams" or Madonna's "Papa, Don't Preach", I'm immediately whisked back to Saturday mornings dancing in the living room while my mom cleaned the house with all the windows open... She would always play the music loud when she cleaned the house. I can literally smell the freshness of outside, the subtle scent of baking blueberry muffins still hanging on the air and a little bit of Lysol. I can feel the breeze on my face as I twirled around the living room and I can hear my sweet mommy's beautiful voice. When I listen to 80's music, the thing is... I'm not moved by the lyrics or the beat neccesairily. I'm inspired, I'm entertained, I'm moved because of the memories associated... and because, in my head, I hear my mommy's precious voice, singing along.

Isn't she lovely?
What memories do 80's songs conjure for you?

Really?!

2009-08-07T02:04:00.020-05:00

Tuesday, June 16?!
Really? Was that really the last time I blogged? Where in the world have I been?! I don't even have any good excuses! Amy has a newborn and 2 other little ones and she's blogging... Elizabeth has a newborn, a toddler, a big move and a new job and she's blogging... Jane has 6 kids and she's blogging... I am inspired!

Okay, so what have I been doing since June 16?

Hmm... There was Father's Day, for sure. I revelled in my "housewife-ness" and took the opportunity to get crafty! I made all of our Father's Day cards and had so much fun doing it! Here are a couple of pictures.

A couple of days later, Trevor cut a hole in the ceiling of our garage so that we could get cable... oh, and because he needed to scope out the attic space above the garage so that he could begin making plans for his "man space". (Thank you, Rush Harvey!)

Don't worry. The hole got bigger than that... but, I'm tellin you what, it was pretty amazing when Trevor shimmied up into that hole off the ladder. His last words were, "I think I'll only have one chance at this." He got his torso in and then commenced with a little wiggle action and (voila!) a whole new world was opened up to us! It was definitely exciting... and now I get to watch CMT whenever I want! Not to mention, Bear Grylls, International soccer, TLC, the Food Network, HGTV, NatGeo...

To celebrate the 4th of July, Trevor and I drove to Kansas City to spend the weekend with Creighton, Nikki, Canon, Whitby, Cosmo and Apollo Alexander. As it always is when we are able to be with these dear friends, it was refreshing to our souls.

Here's Trevor, or, as Cosmo called him - "Treasure", and the children as a "Trevor Sandwich"...

And here we are at the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead... a little piece of heaven one earth...

The goats aren't shy...

Chapmans and Monkeys...

Me and my soul sister...

A couple of days after we got home from Kansas, our sweet friends from Belize came to stay with us for a few days. They are Liz and Emilio, Hadassah and Bella Zabaneh and we love hosting them! They came last summer as well and we always have so much fun together.

Trevor and Bella being adorable...

Darling Hadassah...

One day somewhere near the middle of July, I spent a wonderful day golfing with my dad. Well, he golfed. I was the cheerleader, moral supporter, water girl and arm candy. We met a couple of charming young entrepeneurs on the golf course. They must have been 7 or 8 years old and they had a whole operation going. They sold Capri Sun, water bottles and used golf balls that they fish out of the water hazards. They also had donuts but, when I asked, the little darlings made it very clear that the donuts were not for sale. My dad purchased 3 high quality golf balls and a capri sun and told the kiddos to keep the change. As we drove off in the cart, one of them yelled, "Thanks for the tip!" They were really adorable. Later, we had lunch in an old railroad depot in downtown Frisco that was absolutely charming. My dad and I enjoy each other in this totally wonderful way. It's hard to describe... Of course, he treats me like an adult and we absolutely level with each other... but he is still my Daddy. I know that there is still a place for me on his lap. I know that he is ready to rescue me at the drop of a hat. I know that he still sees me as his little girl. There is so much security in that for me... and, yet, he respects me as an adult and trusts me as a friend. Hmmm... what a treasure he and my mother are.

Okay, so this is an old photo but I was looking for one of my mom... My dad and my brother are way thinner now. I'm currently far less sunburned and Trev's hair isn't quite so long as it is in this photo... but this is a GREAT picture of my mommy.

So, more recently, as in a couple of weeks ago, I went back to Kansas by myself. (Trev had to work!) I had an amazing time being with the monkeys, hulu-ing with Nikki Jo, assisting her at the National Worship Leader's Conference and meeting famous people! See below.

A sleepy morning with Cos...

Play time at Target...

Sound checking with Mac Powell of Third Day...

Hanging with my def posse at the National Worship Leader's Conference...

I also got to meet Dave Crowder and I was proud of myself for shamelessly and sneakily stealing the set list that he dripped sweat on throughout the whole concert. Dave signed it for Trevor and wrote "Sorry we missed you"... I thought that was very kind. :) I was sad to leave Kansas but the adventure had to continue.

After spending one night at home, I left again to visit my Yaya and Pop in Paris, Texas. Yes, there is such thing as Paris, Texas... They even have a mini Eiffel Tower. The distinction, however, is that Texas' Eiffel Tower has a red cowboy hat perched atop. My Yaya is very proud of that monument and constantly refers to Paris, Texas as "the second largest Paris in the world".

The Texas version...

I got to spend three days alone with Yaya and Pop, something that probably hasn't occured since early in my High school career! They took good care of me. We shopped and watched movies and made pancakes and went out for ice cream... I truly felt a little bit like a kid again! It was precious time... absolutely precious.

When I got home from being in Paris, I was delighted to simply be home for awhile. Trevor and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary that weekend and into the following week... :) It is a personal conviction of mine that birthdays should last a whole week. I've applied that conviction to our anniversary as well. We have SO much to celebrate and SO much to be grateful for! It truly takes a whole week to do it justice!

This was the best anniversary yet... I am continually amazed at how much deeper and more poignant our love becomes as the time goes by. On the day that I married Trevor, I thought my heart would burst for all the love that was there. Now, when I look back on that day, I think, "my goodness... it was only the beginning..." I didn't think I could love him more. I didn't think it could be better than it was on that perfect, blissful day... and, yet, I am even more captivated, more smitten, more cherished, more full of love than I've ever been. God, you are the giver of good gifts! Hallelujah!

Fear of the External Hard Drive

2009-06-16T16:13:00.006-05:00

I so want to blog about my trip today. I really really do. But, dangit, I want it to be good.

Here's the thing:
I want to write about the trip but I want to include pictures... and the pictures are on the external hard drive which is, I think, connected to the TV right now? This is a bit of an issue as I'm terrified to even walk too close to the external hard drive being that it holds very important photographs; wedding, honeymooon, every significant and insignificant event that the Trevor Chapmans have ever documented with a camera is stored on that little machine.

Since I don't even like to walk near it, I'm most certainly afraid to actually touch it, much less figure out how to attach it to my computer and then, like, download(?) the trip photos to my blog... (Btw, please do not tell any of my potential employers that I'm scared of my external hard drive. I mean, they always throw things into job descriptions like "must be proficient in database, blah, Excel, etc..." and I always think to myself, "hmm... proficient? probably not. teachable? definitely..." and then I'm sure to include something in my cover letter about what a quick learner I am.) :)

Bless my dear sweet techie husband... (Isn't he handsome?)

I love that he has so lovingly stored our memories. I just wish I could get to them. If I remember tonight, I will ask him to work his magic so that I will have pictures to share with you, dear reader. I promised trip blogs and I will deliver!

To Tweet or Not to Tweet

2009-06-11T20:29:00.006-05:00

I know what you're thinking! What does Twitter have to do with Chelsea's trip? Well, the answer is nothing. Not a dang thing. I know that I promised juicy trip details and I intend to make good on that promise, I... promise. :) In the meantime, though, I need help! The question I am currently pondering, struggling over and praying about (okay, I'm not really praying about it) is to tweet or not to tweet. Yes, my friends, I'm talking about Twitter!

The site describes itself as, and I quote, "Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?" Um... excuse me! Hello! Can we say - knock off of the facebook status update?! Of course we can. That's exactly what it is... and the thing is, it's brilliant!

Let's be honest! After easy photo sharing, the status update is truly the most fun aspect of facebook. Up until now, this has been my primary reason for not tweeting. I am perfectly satisfied in my relationship with facebook status updates. Status updates and I have been doing just fine, thankyouverymuch. In fact, we've been very happy together.

Until the last couple of days, I haven't even thought about seeing other social networks!

I blame the current crisis on 2 friends: My dad and Jerret Sykes.

Yesterday, my dad (shown at left - he's so cute) spent, like 8 and a half whole minutes talking to me about how much he loves Twitter... and my dad is not a man prone to exaggerated praise for things. I mean, he's pretty chill... but he was genuinely enthused over Twitter. He likes to follow professional golfers. Yesterday, he was enjoying the fact that he knew that this one golfer who he likes was in the fancy hair salon with his kids. I mean, I guess that's pretty cool... to feel connected to your favorite golfer... to know that he cares about his kids' appearance. That's pretty cool.

Then, today, Jerret Sykes explained to me how he can even send a text message to Twitter! He can twitter from his phone via text message. He explained to me how he updated his Twitter from bed at 4:30am! Pretty cool.

But, wait. It gets better. He even has his Twitter set up so that, when he updates Twitter, it also immediately updates his facebook status. Whoa, friend. Stop right there. Back up. Repeat.
It updates your facebook status?!

Now there's something I could get excited about! That is efficiency.

Oh, and Jerret follows his favorite pastors. I mean, that's pretty cool too. You can know when your favorite athletes are chillin at the hair salon and you can learn the insignificant details related to the lives of your spiritual leaders. What's not to love?

Well, my friend Erica says that Twitter is kind of complicated... You have to learn different codes or something. She doesn't like how sometimes people don't use their real names on Twitter and, she says, do we actually think Paris Hilton is really updating her own Twitter?

One more issue I have and then I'm leaving it up to the committee (yes, dear reader, you're on the committee): As Nikki Alexander (shown at left - adorable) lamented in her recently recorded original song, it's difficult to always be sharing all the time! I mean, dang, every time we get on the computer, every time we look at our phone, every time we have an original thought, must we share it with the whole world? I'm not sure I can handle the pressure!!

But, still, it kinda seems fun to tweet.

And there's an iPhone app for it.

And I might really need to know what Julia Roberts is up to this summer... I might really want to find out what Meg Ryan's 4th of July plans are...

So, to tweet or not to tweet?

Please. Share. :)

My Excuse

2009-06-09T18:43:00.003-05:00

It's a good one, I promise.
My blogging delinquency is due to the fact that I have been out of town (sans laptop, PTL) for over a month! Yes, Trevor and I had the delicious pleasure of spending 31 glorious days on vacation.
Anecdotes and reflections from this 31 days of fun will be soon to follow here at paisleyleather.blogspot.com and I hope you'll return here over the next few weeks and journey with me as I process my thoughts, record my memories, post photos and laugh and cry again over all the things I felt and experienced.
Here's a little something to whet your appetite: I decided... after almost 6,000 miles in the car with my husband... that life is most definitely about the journey. We spent hours upon hours in the car together going from place to place. The destinations were surely delightful, the things we saw memorable, the people we met amusing but, had Trevor and I had the seeming luxury of a "beam me up, Scottie" device, we probably would have taken it and we would have missed out on so much. The hours in the car were time we will never get back, time we couldn't have had any other way; unique, precious, delicious time... and I'm so grateful for it. I think the cheesey saying goes something like, "the joy is in the journey". I definitely agree... all 5,832 miles of it.

Episode at Thackery Park

2009-04-25T14:13:00.004-05:00

A picture is worth a thousand words... whew! I got that pedicure just in time!

So, besides being a part time Assistant Equestrian Coach at SMU and part time Campus Minister for VCM, I'm also a part time babysitter/tutor for a family with 3 small children. That's too many parts, I know. Believe me. Yesterday, I took aforementioned small children to Thackery Park. It was a lovely Friday afternoon so the park was FULL of children. I was doing my best to dodge the children on scooters, dogs on leashes and moms pushing strollers by sitting quietly under a tree with a book. It was delightful; the sun was shining, the kids were enjoying themselves and I was sitting in the dirt with my back against a tree. Just what I needed at the end of a hectic week. I do have three jobs, you know. A little R&R is quite the luxury.

All of a sudden, my reverie was disturbed by Ronak screaming to Tej, "Get her! Get her! I'm slipping!" I was too thorougly enjoying the warm sun to immediately realize that the "her" Ronak was referring to was me. I looked up to see Tej begin running the opposite direction from where I was sitting and Ronak struggling on the monkey bars. Ronak and I made eye contact and I could see the terror in his eyes. My motherly instinct immediately fired up and I sprang from my restful place in the dirt, hitting my head on a branch in the process. I stumbled forward and began a dead sprint toward the monkey bars. Ronak continued screaming, "Ms. Chelsea! Ms. Chelsea! I'm slipping!" As I bounded toward him, I yelled, "I'm coming, Ronak!" and then, all of a sudden, I felt the all too familiar feeling of my ankle rolling over in a hole in the grass. I fell to the ground, just as Ronak lost strength in his fingers and landed with a thud in the dirt.

My rescue attempt had completely failed. Ronak was in the dirt and I could barely walk. "Ronak, are you okay?" I asked, wincing. "Ms. Chelsea, are you okay?" Ronak asked as he brushed the dirt off his rear end. Tej arrived back just in time to find Ronak and I both on the verge of tears. "What happened?!" he asked... Ronak and I just looked at each other as we started back to the car, half laughing and half crying all the way. Tej followed us, completely dumbfounded.

We had had just about enough of the park for one day... and now, I'm laid up with a swollen ankle and a bag of ice. Dang that motherly instinct!

At least my brilliant husband is a brilliant engineer and he was able to lovingly rig this bag clip to hold in place the bags of ice that are perfectly incapsulating my hurt ankle... Thanks, baby. McGuyver's got nothing on you!

The Feed Store

2009-04-07T21:52:00.005-05:00

There are many things that Assistant Equestrian Coaches (coachs? Inserting the "e" continues to disturb me but, otherwise, it's just awkward) are asked to do. Some of them are mundane; spreadsheet data entry, some of them are good for the health; pumping iron with the team in the weight room, some are hard on the heart; having to discipline someone or yell at them... (No, I really do! I know you're thinking that I'm too nice for that but, uh, it turns out that I'm not...) and some of them are absolutely wonderfully exhilarating. Today, I had the distinct pleasure of being sent to the feed store and, I must mention, not just any feed store, an ADORABLE feed store: Master Made Feed on Main Street in Grapevine.

Oh, the sweet, earthy smell of the feed permeating the building, the walls full of brightly colored curry combs, halters and brushes, gorgeous honey colored bridles with fancy sterling silver buckles, buckets of horse treats in all flavors, all kinds and colors of saddles, both western and hunt seat, spurs, crops and cowboy hats. Everything is blanketed in this delicate, delightful layer of fairy dust because the doors to the feed store pretty much stay open all the time and the feed bags themselves tend to puff out this fine powder when they are stacked on top of each other. Oh, how I love the feed store. I enjoy the leathery skin and husky voices of the old cowboys who work there. I love the cowboy hat that you know they only take off to sleep, eat and pray and their friendly way of treating people. I also love the way they don't rush. Everything happens at a slower pace at the feed store. Today, I revelled in that. I didn't hurry. I thought about my Dad telling me about how, as a kid, he would delight in being able to go with Grandat to the feed store on Saturday mornings. I imagine he felt like a prince as he sat on the stacks of feed sacks drinking his Orange Crush and listening to the men talk shop. Today, thinking about that slower pace of life, I took my sweet time and shot the bull with those cowboys as I picked out a cribbing collar, a riding helmet for myself, two bags of Omelene 100, which is this super yummy, sweet, sticky feed that helps the horses gain weight, a bag of rice bran to boost their energy and a bag of apple flavored horse treats because I couldn't resist. I especially enjoyed meeting Jacob. He works 4 hours a day at the feed store and spends the other part of his day working as the horse manager at a ranch near by. If I had to guess, I would say that Jacob is probably 65 years old but still going strong. He, of course, would not let me carry my feed bags to the car so he had one of the young whipper snappers working there take the heavy bags to the car for me. (Confession: I was totally embarassed about pulling up to the feed store in a Maxima and was really really missing Peppermint Patty.) The young guy who carried my feed was wearing Wranglers, a plaid shirt, boots and a ball cap and he looked as though he loved the feed store as much as I do. He called me ma'am and opened my car door. Jacob and I talked for a little while about what alfalfa cubes could do for our horse's energy levels and said that the feed store would be happy to "send some out our way". As we stood there talking by my car, Jacob lit up a cigarette and continued speaking to me with it sticking to the edge of his lip. I kept waiting for it to fall but, miraculously, it stayed perfectly perched and I thought, "years of practice... years. of. practice." I thanked him for taking the time to help me find what I needed, walking me to my car and giving me such great advice on alfalfa cubes. As I was leaving, Jacob said "God bless you, Chelsea." Wow - As I drove away, the sun shining and the feed sacks in the trunk already sending their sweet aroma throughout the car, I thought, "God bless you too, Jacob. God bless America and God bless the feed store."

2009-04-03T08:10:00.003-05:00

By the grace of God, this is the place I choose to live.
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love"
Galations 5:6b

Enough is enough.

2009-04-02T22:18:00.003-05:00

Enough is enough.

(Dramatic pause for emphasis.)

I have put off starting my blog for far too long.

Dear blog reader, I have been thinking of you for such a very long time. I've dreamt of you, imagined your frequent and witty comments, written to you over and over in my head... Heck, I even started a list a couple of weeks ago on my IPhone notes app entitled "Future Blog Titles"! And, yet, I have delayed. The illusion that I must wait for the perfect time, the perfect title, the perfect opening lines, the perfect font, color scheme and graphics was a paralyzing force that kept me from deliberately opening blogspot.com and simply signing in!

Marshall Terry, one of my favorite writing professors at SMU, once said, "You are not a writer unless you write."

I want to be a writer. I've believed that I could be good at it... and, yet, I haven't chosen to be disciplined about doing the very thing I want to do! Today, I am beginning the dialogue with you that I've looked forward to for so long. I would like to thank the scores of brilliant bloggers who have challenged me with your faithfulness, your creativity and your charm. I am happy to finally be joining your ranks.

Although it has been a long time a comin', I can now officially say, with a bit of fear and a lot of excitement, that I am a blogger. Thank you for being patient, dear reader. Now, let's talk.