Cloudy with a Chance of Heat Stroke

As most of you probably know, this is our very first summer as "Floridians."

Allen and I actually find ourselves having conversations about this all of the time... How this move was just meant to be. I can just feel it in every inch of my bones. I love looking around and reminding myself that we live in Florida now... It's the strangest moment, like "Wow, it just feels so right. It's like we were always supposed to live here." 

Usually, it's when we are settling into bed for the night, and we actually have a moment to have an adult conversation about our day... On most days, it's my very first adult conversation of the day. Which brings me back to my post title. Florida summers.

Growing up in Indiana, we're used to humid... We can even do HOT. And it's not really that the heat and humidity of Florida is unbearable. It's just different. Especially when you are 6+ months preggo... Not ideal conditions to get out and chase an almost 3 year-old around the neighborhood, or pool, or playground, or theme park, or whatever... Of course, all of the other moms that I know are always zooming their kiddos around to anywhere and everywhere possible. 

As I've sat back and watched them, with their SuperMom capes flying high behind them, I always feel extremely guilty... Mostly because I really WANT to be able to just take B and zoom right around with them. But on most days, for many reasons, that's just not an option. 

I keep trying to tell myself that it's okay... It's okay to take it easy because I'm pregnant... and it's okay to skip out because Brynn is going through an extremely difficult stage right now... and it's okay because it's just HOT and uncomfortable for a pregnant lady!

Yes, I have to constantly keep reminding myself, "You don't have to be SuperMom right now... You don't have to do it all on your own. You need time to get adjusted. To the climate. To the constant changes in B's temperament. To your pregnant body. And very soon... To being a mom of TWO."

It.. is... okay...

Oz doesn't seem to mind at all that we don't get out and about very often. He and Brynn are developing a better relationship every day, which isn't half-bad for a dog who had to be placed on psych meds before and after her birth (Poor guy. I guess he knew all about the independent, headstrong, little mini-momma that we had coming. Dog intuition.)... Now, he's treated to sneaky, all-you-can-eat toddler meals, and he always has someone to play with him when Mom is too busy or too tired. He is living the high life!

We do enjoy mini-adventures... Like, getting out around our little cul-de-sac to go on "lizard walks" (i.e. adventure walks with a LOT of lizard sightings), and even sometimes, we will venture out around the preserve that surrounds our community... B is such a nature lover! We always run into osprey, rabbits, deer, and of course, gators.

That is where the other prevalent factor of Florida summers makes its debut into our lives... The rain.

Let me just tell you, there is no such thing as "sprinkles" in Florida... If it's raining, it's pretty much always 100% downpour. Of course, it doesn't really compete with a good 'ol, noisy and theatrical thunderstorm in the Midwest, but if you're caught out in it... You are going to get soaked. No question. It makes planning an "outing" all the more difficult...

The Tampa area is about 4.5 inches over the average for precipitation already this year. So, all of the swamps and wooded areas are flooding around us... Because of this, we had the pleasure of uninviting a special guest into our backyard last week. A cottonmouth snake. No thank you!

Luckily, our lawn guys spotted it and took care of it before it became a bigger issue.

The rain has also deprived us of our treasured beach days for the past few weekends... B loves a good beach day, and so do mom and dad! :) So, we will be happy when this rain decides to lay low on the weekend!!

Instead of buzzing around, our days are usually filled with massive amounts of dress-up. Brushing hair. Coloring. Painting. Drawing. Play-Doh molding. Baking. Dancing. And just about all of the girly-girlness that you can handle!

We are also preparing for the arrival of our baby boy! B just loves to help mommy with the new (and old) baby stuff... I am in a major nesting funk right now. I have SO much to do to get ready, and I feel like by the time I will get around to doing it, it will almost be too late! I honestly can't even believe that we did this three short years ago... I almost feel like a first-time mom all over again!

 The one thing that I most certainly am trying to "catch up" on is my photography. I finally bit the bullet and taught myself how to use my camera in manual mode. It was quite the feat for someone who is professionally trained to calculate measurements for the human lungs... Tidal volumes and breath rates and inspiration times didn't really connect with the "concepts" of f-stops and apertures and shutter speeds. And with very little extra time on my hands in the past 6 months, I haven't really had the time to devote to taking the plunge into the world of Manual mode.

It was one of the many To-Dos on my list before Lucas arrives... Like, potty-training Brynn! Which is a major topic for an entirely different post. She's ready, she's just not willing. Let's just say BRYNN + being told what to do = A big, fat ZERO of accomplishment at the present time. I know we will get there eventually, and I also know that she is exactly like her momma. So, luckily, I realize the appropriate way to handle these types of situations... DON'T PUSH IT! Because you will lose.

 

I'm so excited to learn and grow more with my camera before L arrives... I am addicted to preserving memories for my family! It's a feeling that I can't even describe.... And it's in my blood. My Mawsie was always taking photographs, and it makes me feel so much closer to her to get behind a camera and capture those memories. I'm not the best at it, and I probably go a little overboard most of the time... But it's definitely one of my favorite passions!

Right now, I have a whole Pinterest board devoted to keepsake photos of newborns, ready and waiting for L's arrival... I only wish Pinterest could have been available when I was expecting Brynnie. Right now, I'm working on a G-rated version of her birth video (which was totally shot in a PG manner, but I'm most certainly not the type of gal who likes to show the world all of the 100% "natural" and expected things to see in my delivery room-- Kudos to those who have the guts to do it! I'm just not one of them... Personally, I can't even bring myself to do a belly-baring pregnancy shot! I know. I'm a weirdo like that). I have become so picky about photos these days, so it has been hard to pick and choose photos from 3 years ago, which was right after I got my D5000...

I plan on doing a birth video for Lucas too (also G-rated), so I definitely want Brynn to have her own, organized version...

So, there you have it... A little catch-up with what is going on with us lately! Hope you all have a happy Thursday!! xoxo

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Cloudy with a Chance of Heat Stroke