Show & Tell Tuesday: Reintroduction & Resolutions for 2016

Well, it has been a hot minute since I blogged (other than a couple of toddler updates). I am happy to join Andrea for the first Show & Tell Tuesday of 2016! And before we continue, yes, I am fully aware that it is Wednesday and not Tuesday. Better late than never, thankyouverymuch ;)

Anyway, today's yesterday's topic is Reintroductions/Resolutions. How appropriate to reintroduce myself...because A) I have been MIA for a while, and B) there has been a LOT going on in our lives lately. I mean a lot. So, here we go...

My name is Stephanie. My college sweetheart and hubby of 4 years, Eric, and I live in Savannah, GA. I have lived here basically my whole life and couldn't imagine living anywhere else (a fact my North Carolinian husband had to accept before we got married! Ha! ).

We welcomed our first sweet baby in June 2014. Wells Benjamin has been the greatest blessing we could have ever dreamed of (you can read his birth story here).

He is now a crazy, 18-month-old whirlwind of energy and keeps us laughing all day. In May 2015, just a few weeks before Wells' first birthday, we found out we were expecting Baby #2! What a surreal experience. We were so excited at the news but also shocked because we had planned to wait a few more months before trying for our second child. Baby #2 (another BOY) is due to arrive in less than a month!

The end of 2015 was a rough one for us, for sure. Let me backtrack just a sec - I have always been a very driven person. I made straight A's throughout high school and college. I graduated college summa cum laude at the top of my class. The job market when Eric and I graduated was AWFUL, and it really took me a while to find a job at all, much less one that I could see myself building a career in. I eventually ended up at a job that utilized my Business/Marketing degrees. When I had Wells, though, my whole perspective changed. I wanted nothing more than to be home with my baby. That was just not a financial possibility for us at the time. However, I eventually went part-time and was able to work that from home. I was SOOOOOO grateful to be at home. But then, in September 2015, the position was no longer part-time/from-home feasible, and due to a change in my husband's job/schedule, I couldn't work full time at that time. So, I lost my job, and we were devastated. Fortunately, God was looking out for us and provided a great part-time position for me. I only work 15 hours a week and can even bring Wells with me into the office if I need to (but he usually goes to my mom's which is literally a few streets over from my office!! another blessing!).

We thought we were in the clear...that is until we got a huge, unwelcome surprise in early December. My husband was laid off from his job (along with about 1,000 others). Eric, an Education major, had been teaching up until early 2015. He began to feel like he wanted to get out of teaching and wanted to make a career in something that would give us more financial stability and allow me to stay home more (that's how I was able to go part-time with my last job). In nothing short of a miracle, he was offered a job last February at a very large employer in our city. He loved it, and we were so hopeful about his future career growth. And then came the layoffs. Talk about horrible timing. The holidays, a baby due soon, and on and on. We couldn't believe that this was happening, but we know that God is good and is always looking out for us. We have no doubt that he will provide for us again, and Eric actually has some really great job leads (that are in the field he wants to stay in) right now that we are hoping will become a reality soon. Please keep us in your prayers if you think about it! On the plus side (and really, there always is one), we have been able to spend lots of time together as a family..which I think is awesome since Wells' only-child experience is about to come to an end.

So, that's the haps around here. Kind of a downer, but it is real life! Ups and downs, highs and lows, but through it all, I am so thankful that we have each other, great family and friends, our health, and so many other countless blessings from our faithful Father. We are so excited to welcome our new baby boy and watch Wells become a big brother. My heart, despite our recent struggles, is truly full.

Okay, onto some resolutions! I am not really a New Year's Resolutions type of gal. So, this is more just, some things I would like to do better, not hard and fast goals/timelines/whatever.

1. Be more patient. With my husband, with Wells, with everything. Patience is one of those things that I don't think I'll ever stop striving for more of. Eric is a very patient person (almost to an annoyance! Haha), and I need to learn a thing or two from him.
2. Be more intentional about devotions. Since becoming a mom, I have slacked off so bad in my quiet time. Once a tiny little human starts taking up all of your time, whenever you get a free second, it is hard to be disciplined and make the most of it when all you really want to do is sleep, shower, revel in the responsibility-free moment! I really do want to get better at setting time aside specifically for devotionals and prayer.
3. Start exercising more. I always played sports in school, and that was my physical activity. I have never really been a gym person. I gained 27 lbs while pregnant with Wells, and lost 40 lbs while nursing! I was the skinniest I have probably ever been and loved it! However, I wasn't doing any exercise (other than chasing after Wells) and did not feel toned or fit...just small. After this baby is born, I want to be sure to get in some type of regular workout - nothing majorly time-consuming or intense, but just something to make me feel healthy and get rid of the "mom flab."
4. Be a better budgeter. Now, we are actually very frugal (is that the polite word for cheap?) with our money. We don't have cable, we don't spend excessively, we eat the vast majority of our meals at home, etc. So, it's not that I necessarily want to spend less (because we don't spend that much in the first place), I just want to be better about documenting it and being more intentional about it in general. I would like to see exactly where our money goes, how we can save more, what we can afford to let go or spend more on, etc.
5. Begin a cleaning schedule. I want to be better at doing housecleaning throughout the day in small chunks instead of at the end of the day (or let's be honest, at the end of the week) when I am exhausted and the place is a complete mess.  

***And the biggest resolution is TO GET READY FOR BABY #2! Aka finish the nursery, install the carseat, pack the hospital bag...you know, all the things I had done well in advance when I was pregnant the first time around :)