Things that should have stayed in the 80's...

OK, I need to do a silly/fun post today. Now, I appreciate the '80s for all of the good things it gave to my life: all of my memorable childhood (I mean I was born in '79, but it's not like I remember the 70s!), GREAT TV that could never be matched again in its wholesomeness and entertainment value (Cheers, The Cosby Show, The Facts of Life, Family Ties, Growing Pains, the list goes on), music that we all love to party to even today (you know you love The Breakfast Club and go to see them whenever they come to your town just to remind you of college!), and FABULOUS movies (most of which starred either Molly Ringwald, Matthew Broderick, Tom Cruise or Kevin Bacon).

HOWEVER, there are things that were popular in the '80s that should have STAYED in the '80s and never returned. Here is my list of those things:

1. leggings - Yes, those tight, spandex looking pants that hug every curve of your leg should have stayed in the '80s. Whether worn under skirts or under big baggy shirts or sweaters, this fashion trend does not make sense to me. It does not look good on anyone and does not serve any sort of purpose unless you are under the age of 3 and still have a habit of pulling your skirt up over your head.
2. leg warmers - We all loved Flashdance, or at least I did. And yes, I wanted to rock me some leg warmers after that movie because I thought I needed them to dance better. But come on people, as adults, who among us wants to draw attention to our ankles?
3. the recession - OK, so the recession we are in now kicks the crap out of the one in the '80s, but it still should have stayed there. Did we not learn anything about deregulation the first time, we have to learn it again!?!?
4. baby names - the '80s' Jennifers, Heathers, Amandas, Matthews and Adams are the parents of today's Isabellas, Olivias, Lilys, Jacksons, Jaydens and Aidens! Surely enough of us lived through being Amanda M. (me) or Matthew B. (my husband) that we would do better for our children! The names aren't coming back, but I guess the trend of popular names will always exist!
5. Sylvester Stallone movies - We all loved the original Rocky, right? OK, so technically it was made in the '70s, but I didn't see it until the '80s when all the sequels came out because I wasn't BORN yet when the original was made! Let's just remember him at his best and NOT suffer through anymore please?

I'm sure there is more, and I may update this list later, but I think it's a good start!

Prayer Request

My dear sweet friend, Adair, and her precious babies are heavy on my heart. Adair is one of the most beautiful people I've ever met, inside and out. She and her husband Cal have been on a long journey over the last 2 years to bring them to this place. They have been through so much to even GET these babies, and now they are facing more trials.

I'm asking for prayers for this sweet family. As I write this, Adair has been admitted to the hospital indefinitely for pre-term labor. Today she is 26 weeks and 4 days pregnant with their twins, Jack and Lucy. These babies need to get to 28 weeks to be out of the "scary" part of the woods. Would you please pray for my friends and their babies, that they will stay safe in her womb for as long as possible?

UPDATE

God is truly taking care of Adair and her sweet babies. After weeks of "off and on" contractions, there is absolutely NO CHANGE in her cervix (I think it must be made of steel or something). She got to go home for a while, but is back in the hospital. Her faith and attitude through all of this is amazing. As of LAST Wednesday (8/25), she was 29 weeks and the babies are weighing 3lbs 7 oz (Lucy) and 3lbs (Jack). Adair will be 30 weeks in 2 days, PRAISE GOD!!!! We are just praying those babies stay in there as long as they can, and giving HIM all the glory for these miracles so far! Thanks for your continued prayers for my dear friend.

Sweet Cecily

One of my BFFs Lamm had a sweet baby girl on Monday, July 5th. So, I took Friday off and hopped on down to the ATL to see them. Lamm is doing great, and so is her hubby Keith. Their son Knox was asleep the entire time I visited :( so I missed seeing my little buddy. But I got LOTS of snuggle time with sweet Cecily!!

Lamm is such a good mommy!

In the waiting...

Upon seeking council from a very good friend, she gave me some wonderful advice. Her own experience in her journey to becoming a mother had some bumps along the way. She and her husband had planned out the "perfect" time to start their family, but things didn't work out as they had hoped. She told me that while they were waiting for God to bless them with the child they desired, she decided to use the time she was given (even though it was against her plan and desire) to prepare herself for becoming pregnant and being a mother. Instead of being sad or discouraged about "be[ing] still and wait[ing]" (Psalm 37:7), she made the most of her time by preparing to receive God's blessing.

I decided to follow this wise council for myself. Matt and I have been trying to lose weight and get in shape for a while now. So I felt good about already being on my way. I have a walking partner that I try and meet up with several times a week, and I've decided to start adding in some weight training activities at home.

We have fallen into a rut with our dinner menu. I find that we eat the same few staple meals over and over again. I'm trying to find creative ways to incorporate more "color variation" in our diet, specifically more green veggies. Matt is much pickier about his green veggies than I am, so this one is difficult! I have to sneak some spinach into the quesadillas and hope he doesn't notice!

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this on the blog, but I'm an addict. I have fully embraced the fact that I'm addicted to coffee, and not just coffee, the caffeine in coffee. I LOVE COFFEE, and rather enjoy my addiction to it. If I don't have my morning cup of leaded joe, by 3pm I don't want to live my head hurts so bad. I've always said that if I make it through life and coffee is my worst vice, I've done fairly well.

Well, as of this past weekend I'm slowly giving up my love. I figured weaning myself off of caffeine now would be much easier than quitting cold turkey once I get pregnant (removing caffeine withdrawal from all the usual early pregnancy physical ailments). This way Matt won't have the desire to smother me in my sleep and put us both out of misery from the demon that takes over during my withdrawals. I've quit caffeine before, it AINT pretty. And the withdrawals can last a week or more. UGH.

So, in order to avoid the VERY unpleasant withdrawals from my dear love, I've started by drinking 1/2 caff and 1/2 decaf. With each week I will add a little less caff beans and a little more decaf beans to the grinder until I'm brewing all decaf (otherwise known as USELESS) coffee. So I'm still a little bitter about giving it up, sue me! Hopefully, when the time arrives, I will be caffeine free and feeling fine. :)

I also want to start preparing spiritually by doing a new individual study book of some kind. I haven't visited the book store yet, or put out feelers to acquire advice from knowledgeable friends. Any suggestions are appreciated. My search begins soon!