Coffee with a side of: About Me...Oh Boy!

What do I say about myself? This was the hardest part about starting a blog. Who am I? My name is Addison Messer. That one was easy. I am uh...cough...30. On the Meyer's Briggs personality test, I am an ENFP. For those unfamiliar, I am an extroverted, intuitive, feelings, perspective kind of gal. Easily put, I’m a mess. The first letters of my first and last name are ADD MESS. Coincidence, I think not. I am a ball of everything all of the time until I am not, and then I am very not. I am very energetic and occasionally lack impulse control. I have big feelings and opinions on pretty much everything, however, I also think to each their own.

I graduated college with a degree in early childhood and taught elementary school for 6 years before deciding to stay home with my son. I have a wonderful and supportive ENFP husband that is constantly trying to change the world. It makes me need a nap sometimes. My son is 2 and very precocious which means we are really in for it. He has so much personality and tells me exactly what he thinks. I wonder where he gets that from.

Staying home was a very big decision that I did not take lightly. I loved being a teacher. It had its moments (especially mounds of useless paperwork), but I thrived motivating and creating new ways to teach each student. I felt I was making a difference every day. Then my son contracted RSV. If you ever hear this acronym and it isn’t about a bible, run! It was horrible. He was breathing so fast and was admitted into the hospital with RSV, pneumonia and a double ear infection. Oxygen, IV Fluid and 2 weeks later, we were all exhausted. I never wanted to go back to work and leave my own baby, yet even as he sat on oxygen fighting, I felt the pull of the 22 children that I also loved. It was a pivotal moment for me. I made it through the rest of the year and began my new job as a stay-at-home parent.

I definitely had some preconceived notions about staying at home. My house would finally be immaculate. I would be in awesome shape. We would go on daily adventures to the parks, libraries, zoos, play dates, etc. I would read 15 books to him and knock out a few a week myself. I would learn a new language within the year and quickly return to school. Oh, and my son would not watch TV. I mean, if I made the choice to stay home, I would be making the choice to make my son’s every need a priority. Time for a reality check.

So, I have managed to find balance with some of these things. We go on an adventure to the park or library most days and we go on a bigger excursion maybe every other week. He gets lots of play group time and alone play time at home. I have begun to learn Spanish and am making some progress. My house is cleaner with an emphasis on the -er. We read books some and I listen to audio-books while I am driving or walking around the neighborhood for the umpteenth time because that is the only way he will sleep. I work out about 4 times a week unless someone is sick (which is a lot still).

Nothing is nearly what I thought it would be but I am finally coming to peace with that. This is not a race. Life is not something to get through. I am no longer concerned with ticking off things on a to-do list. I want to learn because it is fun. That is my passion. Learning. Learning and meeting new people. I love meeting new moms. It is that wonderful thing that most people don’t tell you about, probably because it is an introvert’s worst nightmare, but there are always moms to converse with. I love meeting everyone, plus, my child is way better in public than in the confines of our home where he temporarily loses his mind every two minutes.

I am just excited to see where this chapter takes us.

What do I say about myself? This was the hardest part about starting a blog. Who am I? My name is Addison Messer. That one was easy. I am uh...cough...30. On the Meyer's Briggs personality test, I am an ENFP. For those unfamiliar, I am an extroverted, intuitive, feelings, perspective kind of gal. Easily put, I’m a mess. The first letters of my first and last name are ADD MESS. Coincidence, I think not. I am a ball of everything all of the time until I am not, and then I am very not. I am very energetic and occasionally lack impulse control. I have big feelings and opinions on pretty much everything, however, I also think to each their own.

I graduated college with a degree in early childhood and taught elementary school for 6 years before deciding to stay home with my son. I have a wonderful and supportive ENFP husband that is constantly trying to change the world. It makes me need a nap sometimes. My son is 2 and very precocious which means we are really in for it. He has so much personality and tells me exactly what he thinks. I wonder where he gets that from.

Staying home was a very big decision that I did not take lightly. I loved being a teacher. It had its moments (especially mounds of useless paperwork), but I thrived motivating and creating new ways to teach each student. I felt I was making a difference every day. Then my son contracted RSV. If you ever hear this acronym and it isn’t about a bible, run! It was horrible. He was breathing so fast and was admitted into the hospital with RSV, pneumonia and a double ear infection. Oxygen, IV Fluid and 2 weeks later, we were all exhausted. I never wanted to go back to work and leave my own baby, yet even as he sat on oxygen fighting, I felt the pull of the 22 children that I also loved. It was a pivotal moment for me. I made it through the rest of the year and began my new job as a stay-at-home parent.

I definitely had some preconceived notions about staying at home. My house would finally be immaculate. I would be in awesome shape. We would go on daily adventures to the parks, libraries, zoos, play dates, etc. I would read 15 books to him and knock out a few a week myself. I would learn a new language within the year and quickly return to school. Oh, and my son would not watch TV. I mean, if I made the choice to stay home, I would be making the choice to make my son’s every need a priority. Time for a reality check.

So, I have managed to find balance with some of these things. We go on an adventure to the park or library most days and we go on a bigger excursion maybe every other week. He gets lots of play group time and alone play time at home. I have begun to learn Spanish and am making some progress. My house is cleaner with an emphasis on the -er. We read books some and I listen to audio-books while I am driving or walking around the neighborhood for the umpteenth time because that is the only way he will sleep. I work out about 4 times a week unless someone is sick (which is a lot still).

Nothing is nearly what I thought it would be but I am finally coming to peace with that. This is not a race. Life is not something to get through. I am no longer concerned with ticking off things on a to-do list. I want to learn because it is fun. That is my passion. Learning. Learning and meeting new people. I love meeting new moms. It is that wonderful thing that most people don’t tell you about, probably because it is an introvert’s worst nightmare, but there are always moms to converse with. I love meeting everyone, plus, my child is way better in public than in the confines of our home where he temporarily loses his mind every two minutes.

I am just excited to see where this chapter takes us.