saturday. honesty.

here's what happened today. honest and observant 7-year old, taylor came into the bathroom and commented, "gosh, mommy, i hope all your stretch marks go away after the baby gets here."

a few things happened at this moment.

1. i almost cried.
2. on the outside, i said, "yeah, me too. but you know, no one's perfect, and if they don't go away, it's just how it is. plus, we get your baby brother out of the deal.
3. on the inside, i thought ... along with several other things, "wow, really? can i just crawl in a hole now? as if i wasn't already self-conscious enough at this point."

and then, taylor did something that made my day. she responded to "no one's perfect" with, "but, you're perfect for me!"

proving once again that the only person that cares about my physical faults is my own worst enemy, me.

i have the best kid ever. end of story.

friday. little women.

i was given this book when i was 9 by my aunt for christmas. every time i open it from the shelf, there's a scribbled 'merry christmas! 1992' scrawled on the inside cover. and to this day, it's still one of my favorites. the binding's worn out, the pages torn, and i know the story from front to back (and maybe even back to front). but, i still love it.

i have a nightly routine when i can't sleep. i stand in front of my bookshelf for ten minutes or so, looking for something to 'pop' out at me and scream, 'pick me!' rarely is there something new, or something i haven't read ten times, so this can frequently become a tedious routine ... ending with several partially started books on my side of the bed.

maybe it was the cooler weather and the cold air creeping in the bedroom window, or the earl grey steeping in my apple cider. maybe it was the sporadic contractions telling me there are big changes coming our way, but last night, little women screamed 'pick me!' and i'm so glad it did.

little women is full of nostalgia. it may not have put me to sleep any faster, but when i did finally put it down, i felt a whole lot better than when i first picked it up. i can't wait to start reading it with taylor. it's definitely time for a whole new generation to know the story. hard to believe i was almost her age when i first read it. it amazes me how something i read so long ago can have the exact same impact, if not stronger, 19 years later.