Working (New) Mom Survival Kit

The working new mother is fueled by caffeine,
prepared for any dark circles or unsightly lines,
and running in flats. Of course, she is never
without digital portraits of her tiny tot.

Or her lipstick.

Bobbi Brown eye brightener, Goody Spin Pins, MAC hot tahiti,
Spanx, Tazo Awake tea, MAC Splashproof Mascara,
Kate Spade daycation medium leila,
Lauren by Ralph Lauren Abira flats

All of these items are perfect for the mom about the conference room, as well as the mom about the playgroup. I've mentioned how much I love Goody Spin pins before. Bobbi Brown's tinted eye brightener is a fabulous quick fix before that all important meeting where you do not need the answer to the "is your baby sleeping through the night" question written all over your face. Of course, leopard print is abundant for fall, and a flat is polished but perfect for the afternoon car sprint to reach the wee one as quickly as possible post-workday. And dear ladies, I must admit with a color called "Hot Tahiti" on my lips, I am feeling on my game.

{I'll let the Spanx speak for themselves.}

I've spilled my shortcuts. What delightful tools are hiding in your mommy survival kit?

Where this is going.

I’ve been back to work now since May 26th, which is plenty of time for me to gauge how things are going to go. I would love to have had a smooth, not much responsibility, ease back into my “new normal” transition period, but alas that was not to be. I came back from maternity leave at a critical time in my project. While it’s a great feeling to be respected for the experience and work ethic you bring to the table, my work life became a bit more complex with a little person at home whose heart beat within me only months prior.

So far, with the help of my husband, the backing of our family, and God’s blessing to provide wonderful care for our son, it is working. Really, I have 3 full time jobs: housekeeping (that’s right, I do all my own stunts), child-rearing, and the work for which I am paid. There are moments when I get all annoyed with women’s lib, not because I can't do it all, but because I am tired of doing it all. (Save me the lecture, women's libbers. Yes, I'm proud to have the right to vote.)

But God has been so gracious to me. I've only fallen flat on my face once during these three months, and it was exactly that--I fell flat on my face in my kitchen after slipping in some water! (Water that I dripped--way to go, me.) I have never felt His kindness more to me than in this time. He holds me up at work, He raises me in the morning at ridiculously early o'clock, and He grants me wonderful times with my husband and son. And somewhere in there, I have started exercising with my old running buddy and counting WW points.

So I see the blog headed in a bit of a new direction. Hopefully it won't be just in the direction of picture and caption, but instead, a place where I lay down my thoughts as a working mom, homemaker, wife, and pursuer of the Lord. I'm sure to have stories of my major fails (because that is a noun here in the '10s), but I have great expectation that there will be victories to recount as well!

I hope you'll come along for the ride!

Weekending

We've had just a lovely and long {yay!} weekend around here. My parents came up on Wednesday to play with the very cute young man that lives at my house, and in the meantime, they treated us to some fun including, but not limited to: shopping, eating out, eating in, and {oh yeah!} cleaning my house while I was at work.


Thursday evening at Babe's Chicken House in Granbury. We absolutely love Granbury! It's one of the most picturesque town squares in Texas. This kiddo is sitting up like a big boy, and we'll be ready to break out the high chair when it is finished this week.


Uncle D came for a visit! He was fresh off of a show in Dallas at The Double Wide which got a great review. Their EP will be released on iTunes on the 16th. I'm sure you'll hear about it again here. I'm definitely a proud big sister.


Granddaddy, Jack, and Sugar just before they left on Saturday. Thank you for the fun weekend!

Dog Days of Summer

We've been eating.

And laughing.

And eating some more.

And staying cool!

A Truth for Today

via Lay Baby Lay

Jack's 4 Month Update

It appears that I'm running a full month behind, because today Jack actually turned 5 months old! So that inspired me to post about his 4th month.

He is growing like a weed. I always thought it was so cliche that "they grow up too fast." Seriously not cliche. Definitely truth. At his checkup, he weighed 15 lbs. 10 oz. and was 25 1/4 inches tall. I admitted to our very awesome pedi that I'd been feeding him cereal for some time since month 3 (he is a BIG eater), so she said I might as well start him on baby food. I guess that is considered solids? They seem pretty liquid if you ask me. Anyway! We went straight to the store and stocked the pantry with food for the young gentleman.

He is such a joy to both of us. This month he figured out how to smile for the camera, rather than looking at it so pensively when we bring it out. That's made for a lot more photo sessions, most of which get posted on Twitter or Instagram. Feel free to follow me there--my username is em_gentry.

And I think to myself...

what a wonderful world.
--Louis Armstrong

Happy 6th wedding anniversary, Mr. G.
I love you.