Moody Mania: BONE-afide Busy

An old saying goes, "Things are not always as they appear." I'm about to prove it. Can you guess what the following images represent?

If you guessed spontaneous combustion or a stock market crash, then YOU...are wrong. The first picture is actually my mind as a result of the past few weeks. The people in the next picture almost represent the number of phone calls, texts, and emails I receive on any given day. And you haven't seen the line around the back of the building.

Sometimes I just want to throw my iPhone off of a cliff. What's so smart about it, anyway? I'm going to invent a phone that can find my keys, help me make dinner, and soothe a baby at 3:00 am.

In the past three weekends I have thrown TWO baby showers, played the organ for the funeral of a very special man, Stacey Griffin, and played the piano/sang over an hour's worth of music for a wedding. Truthfully a glance in my direction should exhaust the average individual.

When I'm 90 I'm going to be running laps in the hallways of my retirement home, both disturbing the peace and disrupting all other residents and staff.

"ATTENTION: Miss Moody is running the hallways again. Can someone please escort her back to her room?!"

I really don't know how to not do something 24/7. It's just my nature. On the 12th I helped host a Minnie Mouse themed baby shower for Meagan. Her baby girl, Charlotte, is due in just a few weeks, and I can hardly wait to meet her. Meagan is one of my dearest friends, and even though we are almost a year apart in age we were in the same class growing up. Now our little girls are going to be less than 10 months apart, and- I have a feeling- just as devious as we were.

Introducing the newest FBC greeter...~~or on occasion, the town crier.~~

We also celebrated Stephen & Lexie's college graduation/new job!

The following weekend was a shower for Laura Moody, who is having another Moody GIRL!!!! You may remember their reveal party on Easter weekend. We are 2 for 2 with girls in the next generation of Moodys. I suppose the Lord figured the family had endured enough with 10 grandsons- HA! We are stoked for Scott and Laura and can hardly wait to meet Maddie.

Later that evening Emerson and I blasted our way over to Dawson's Minecraft pool party!

Speaking of Birthdays, our family also had a hilarious dinner with my grandparents for Uncle David's 56th Birthday. We had plenty of natural entertainment.

Last Saturday was Leah and Don's wedding. The cupcakes were OUT OF THIS WORLD good. Betcha' can't eat just five. Really.

And to think that these are just the WEEKENDS. Then there's that thing called work Monday-Friday, taking Emerson to daycare, and having to remember sixty five million things on top of my daily routine.

The other morning I was determined not to forget anything for daycare OR my work laptop, both offenses of which I've been guilty in the past couple of weeks. I wonder why. So that day I meticulously packed the car, got Emerson ready, AND actually got to work on time.

Then I looked at my feet.

I got everything ready, alright; probably because I was so comfortable in these shoes. I was mortified and went home yet again and get some more professional footwear before my first meeting.

And to Ryan's surprise I wrote checks that evening and stamped a pile of bills on the counter. He held one up and said, "Where is this one going?"

"That's the water bill, Ryan! You know where it goes."

"Oh, really?"

I sealed it backwards in the envelope. And yes, I'm still using Christmas stamps. It'll still get there. Well, not in this case, but you get the point.

Seriously, Mr. Postman, you really don't know where Water Consumption Road is??? And you've been doing this how long?

Every morning presents its own set of catastrophes, but without fail Emerson falls fast asleep in the car, and I carry her into daycare while she's snoring on my shoulder. Isn't that the life? Can you imagine if I had the luxury of being carried into my office asleep?

"Katharine, what about that business proposal? The commission summary report? The spreadsheets?"

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

She also slept all the way to her recent orthopedist visit. She has a tiny spot on one of her palms that we needed to get checked out. As soon as I finished scribbling what I could on ten pages of questions that are completely unrelated to a baby old she woke up.

Are you a smoker? (Umm, that's a big negative)

Can you describe any pain you're feeling? (Baaaa MaMaMaMa DaDaDa)

I mean, really, who decided that an infant should answer these?

But when she realized that we were in a waiting area she obviously had to check out the new surroundings. Here are her various stages of awakening.

1) You woke me up for this??

2) Ooh, I like your earrings.

3) Ok, two can play at this game.

Then I got attacked repeatedly with a chubby fist. I was okay with this.

Before diaper change/ after diaper change.

She was precious at that appointment. They put a tiny little shield on her during her X ray, and she was completely fascinated with the equipment.

Look at those perfect bones and tell me that they weren't designed by THE Creator!

The orthopedist said that the hardened spot is not a cyst but a benign "fibrous nodule." He had to further explain the meaning of "fibrous" nodule, because if you ask me that means I balled up a shirt and threw it on the floor of my room.

"Katharine, you better clean your bedroom IMMEDIATELY!!! Look at all these fibrous nodules everywhere!"

He sees it as something that will cause no harm to Emerson or prohibit use of her hand in any way; we just have to keep an eye on it. Just like her hairdo.

Emerson's cowlick has really made a name for itself. Since birth there are several strands of hair smack in the middle of her head that grow straight up. Every time I look in the rear view mirror that cowlick is the first thing I see, and it seems that the older she gets the more prominent it is.

I have affectionately named these strands "Alfie" after Alfalfa.

And in the blink of an eye she turned nine months old...

How on earth did that happen? There is a phrase people use about growing children that baffles me. I've even found myself saying and then question it afterwards. "Insert-kid's-name-here" is growing like a weed!

Really? A weed? That's the best someone could come up with? Weeds are unwanted. An eyesore. Who decided that it was a conversation piece? Or a compliment of some kind?

"Wow, lady, your kid is growing faster than a fungus!"

Umm, thanks...I think???

But then again, I live in a world where nothing is normal.

What? Doesn't everyone watch TV from their bathtub wearing only a diaper and bib? Sheesh.

We've also had lots-o-fun with Jamie.

...and clapping lessons with teacher Joy.

Do I even come up for air? Nope. My sleeping state is simply a recharge, as my Dad always says. It is so incredibly easy to get caught up in things that have to be done each day. When was the last time you took a break? Talked to an old friend or relative? Stopped to pray for someone that came to your mind? People come to my mind constantly, and I pray for them. Totally random people at totally random times. But to the Lord who sees the picture- these are not random acts, I can assure you.

Sometimes I'll feel led to pray for the old guy in the grocery store who SPRINTED to the line and broke in front of me to buy three cans of cat food. True story. Or people beside me at stoplights. You never know anyone else's situation. Every week at work, church, school, you name it there are people around you who are hurting for all kinds of reasons. Putting ourselves in other people's shoes won't necessarily help, because honestly, we can't. If you've never experienced certain heartache, loss, or whatever the case may be then it impossible to imagine a walk in someone else's shoes. There is one person who did, though. His name is Jesus. And He left a Heavenly throne to live among us and experience first hand our challenges, our hurts, and our weaknesses while on earth.

We live in a world that wants to fix things right away and on the spot. We want a solution immediately. There are many people we know who have experienced loss and heartache that we can't understand, but what I've learned is that we don't have to understand. We can talk to the One who knows ALL and sees ALL and go to Him on the behalf of those we love. This was just a topic I felt led to expound upon. Maybe it speaks to you. With each passing day I'm reminded that every moment- every second- has a blessing of some kind, even in the midst of tragedy. t's easy to get angry with God over things that happen- or don't happen- or want to hold on to things we shouldn't, but in so many cases he is either protecting us or has another plan.

Each day that I have Emerson makes me grateful for something else of which I never thought- the ability to stand, clap, and crawl like a lizard are just a couple of things.

This past weekend was my first time away from Emerson. Ryan and his parents kept her, because I had a wedding. When I got back the MOST hilarious thing happened; she greeted me with a smile and then fell back to sleep like a fainting goat. See for yourself.

*Note* These videos will only play on a computer; no ipads or iphones. If ANYONE knows how to fix it, PLEASE tell me. I'm so annoyed with trying to fix it!

Today was like maternity leave 2.0. Emerson had some kind of stomach bug yesterday, so I was asked to keep her home today from daycare for precautionary reasons. We had a blast together on this stormy day.