Holiday Inspiration Needed!

It's official, the holiday season has arrived! I LOVE this time of year. Normally it would mean more social events, fun new holiday clothes, buying gifts for the many people in my life and just extra cheer all the way around. This year I'm trying to define what the holiday season will look like for my little family. I've never been a wife, mommy to a toddler and 6 months pregnant all over the holiday's. I'm not gonna lie I'm tired! I sleep a good full night going to bed early and then we have a day home {like today} where we read books and just relax and I'm still tired! Growing baby girl #2 has been harder physically then it was the first time. Lot's of people tell me "welcome to 2nd pregnancy".

I want to be that fun Mom over the holiday's that has all our fun traditions and fun foods that make my kids look forward to this time of year as much as I did growing up! Ava and I put Christmas lights up on our balcony railing today and she loved it. I have to remind myself that the small things are SO not small things in her eyes. I can't wait till it gets dark tonight and we can turn them on for her to be amazed by! I'm trying to have a little bit of that wonder and awe that she has for daily life. I need some inspiration though! It's hard to get excited about all the yummy food when I am daily {not really...but it seems like it} packing on the pounds without any help! I'm having a hard time getting motivated to have a Christmas tree when I know it will ALWAYS be a battle to keep it standing and together due to the help of my adorable toddler!

What are your favorite holiday traditions? What do your kids look forward to every year? Give this Momma some inspiration! Happy Thanksgiving week!!

Mothering With Intention

Something I have been struggling with lately is getting frustrated with the day to day of life. Any of you who are mother's to young children know exactly what I mean. Life is such a daily thing these days! We have routines and try to add in fun outings and activities but still so much of it I struggle to not become mundane in. I have felt beat down some in the last couple months, being sick due to pregnancy, struggling with training a toddler and trying to keep my marriage a priority in the midst has gotten me discouraged. I write this not so you will feel sorry or sympathize with me but because I know I am not the only one struggling in this area. I'm hoping that the journey God has be on can in some way be an encouragement to someone else. Today I read James 1, I needed to give myself a time out of sorts and re-focus on what mattered. Ava and I were having a small snack of some fresh veggies in dip and just like everything she eats it was getting all over her all over me and she was way more interested in the dipping part then eating any of the vegetables. At moments like that I struggle, struggle to not get frustrated that she is making a mess all over her clean outfit for the day and on me, struggle with why everything has to be so complicated and I end up just annoyed that I am getting upset about it and she ends up frustrated cause I won't let her enjoy it. Back to James 1 and my time out, I went and grabbed my bible which I am embarrassed to say I run to more when I need perspective then to help me maintain that perspective. I have always loved the book of James, it just seems so real and something we could all relate to.

"Count it all joy...knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, and let patience have it's perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:1-5

Who doesn't want to be perfect and complete lacking nothing? Why do I hesitate to ask God for the wisdom that he freely gives when we ask? My pride maybe of not having all the answers. I resort to using my own wisdom and strength so often which ALWAYS fails me. I have a God who has all the answers and is more then willing to let me in on the secrets of life and I choose to try my own ways first.

I don't want to mother my children in survival mode and we have made parenting choices to reflect that. I have chosen to stay home with our children and not work full time out of the home, we have chosen our discipline style so that our children know it won't end up...."do that one more time and Momma is gonna loose it"...kind of way. I want to give my children the best version of this Momma there is and I know that is not going to happen by my own efforts. Aside from the grace and patience God offers I fail miserably at this Momma business. I want to spend more time loving and praising my children and less time complaining about them. I want it to be evident to my friends and family that there is nothing in the world I would rather do then raise my children to walk in the way's of God. I want to enforce and discipline not because I enjoy or like it one bit but because I know it is what scripture instructs and I KNOW it is what my children need. I want to spend more time in God's word prepping my spirit for the task at hand.

Let's mother with intention today, let's make a point to spend more time loving and less time focusing on the details of life that get us down. We have been given one of the greatest privileges EVER! We get the opportunity to help shape and mold a life.

Pregnancy Journal: Week 21

Excuse my absence to the blogging world, I have been working and thinking of a plan of sorts for this blog. I hope to soon have a new blogging home and a more regular posting schedule about life, health, food and raising babies. Stay posted for that!





Week 21 is upon us! Over the half way mark! I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has gone by and I know the holidays are coming up and once those pass it will be time to kick into baby gear. We found out this week we are having another GIRL! Hello MORE pink!! We are thrilled but a little surprised. I had totally convinced myself it was a boy, and most people agreed with me. There are so many things different about this pregnancy and I was so sure Ava was a girl that I just knew I would be right this time. But, I was wrong! I'm so glad Ava will have a sister that will be around 23 younger then her. I love that she will have a friend for life and I hope and pray they are best buddies!





I am feeling good for the most part! Finally! I have little to no nausea and am only getting sick a couple times a week now. Sounds like allot but I will take that any day over constant nausea!! I have reached the, there is no doubt I am pregnant and not just gaining weight around my middle phase. I love feeling her move more and more every day and sometimes when she is really excited I can feel her kicking from the outside. Seeing the sonogram I was again amazed at her little face, legs, spine, arms, chambers of the heart and all the other body parts you can see. I have seen many sonograms going through midwifery school but never cease to be amazed at how "fearfully and wonderfully" made we are!



Now that I am feeling better and have more energy most days my goal is to get back into more of an exercise routine, I hate that I loose that the first couple months of pregnancy but just the idea of it tires me out! I has been nice outside so we have walked some and I hope to pick up some workout DVDs at the library. If you have any good pregnancy exercises you did let me know! We are also on the name hunt! I was so convinced it was a boy that I had only looked at boy names, so now we are starting from scratch with girl names. I so wish names just came to you some magic way and we could have some cool story about how we got the name. Who knows maybe it will! :-)

What's Cookin?

Well, I guess technically lots is cookin around our house but what I was referring to was my plan and effort to get back to cooking more and the dreaded...meal planning! I can grocery shop all day long and stick to my budget but meal planning is a whole different animal for me. I like being spontaneous and I have to be in the mood to certain foods, and how on earth am I going to know a week in advance what I am in mood for? So my plan has been to shop and plan 5 dinners and then of course all the other things we need to breakfast, lunch and snacks. I started last week and it was a success and kept us from going out to eat! I'm always looking for good ways to get more raw vegetables in our diet but also simple and tasty recipes. This kale salad has become a new favorite in our house and I'm thrilled about that! I had never tasted raw kale but liked it cooked so I was a little hesitant. It is wonderful! Today for lunch I shredded a cabbage and then dressed it with this recipe of dressing and toppings and it was amazing! I love the sweet yet tangy flavors all blended together! Really, you should try it. Don't let kale scare you.

Photo Credit

Trimesters and Toddlers!

We made it, I am 14 weeks today which means the 2nd trimester has arrived! I was hoping that the first day of week 13 would be a magic day but it wasn't. I have slowly noticed my nausea becoming less and less though which I am SO happy about. I haven't gotten that burst of 2nd trimester energy yet but I am still holding out. Last night I was at a birthday party for a friend and ate so much food, grass fed steak, a loaded baked potato and kale salad. I looked down at my plate and laughed saying I think my appetite has returned! I devoured the food and when I got home Jeremy commented on my belly having popped. I think it was the dinner more then baby! I am starting to feel pregnant more every day, still wearing my normal clothes but by the evening I am usually popping the button on my jeans to let baby get some air. I don't remember exactly but I think around 20 weeks is when I started pulling out maternity clothes with Ava. I have thought several times this week that I felt baby move and then realize it is just my stomach. I'm ready to start feeling that but didn't feel Ava move until about 17 weeks.

Here is a little sneak peak of my adorable ALL girl toddler! This is a normal look for her when we are going to leave the house. She must wear her shoes and its not uncommon to see her in pajamas with her pink crocs on. She loved necklaces, hats, bracelets and always has to take her bag when we leave the house. She keeps me laughing that is for sure! Poor thing has been sick for the last week but is finally back to her active chatty self.

I was in the process and almost done weaning Ava when she got sick this last week. She ran a fever on and off for a week and was lethargic so I encouraged her to nurse as much as she wanted. So, we are starting back at the beginning I feel with this whole weaning this. I was glad to be able to comfort her when she was sick and as much as I don't think I will miss nursing her I will miss being able to comfort her like that. Her appetite has grown so much since starting to wean her which I was really hoping for because she has never been a big eater. Ava turned 16 months last week and has a list of words she can say now and daily adds to that list. I love this stage and am trying to enjoy every moment I have in the next 5 1/2 months with just her.

12 Weeks!

Hello last week of my 1st trimester! You couldn't have come soon enough!! I REALLY hope this next trimester lives up to all I have hoped it will!!

We traveled up north to see family for a couple weeks this month and it was a grand vacation! A nice break from the heat and a nice break for this Momma. There were many willing hands to help chase my ever moving toddler and boy was that nice! I got in a couple naps, slept a little later then normal, had wonderful meals I didn't have to cook and enjoyed a nice cool breeze on the porch every morning. Yes it was divine! But, anyone who has a toddler or kids at all for that matter knows that vacation is a relative term when you have said kids in tow. Ava doesn't exactly sleep well away from home and has been like that since she was tiny, I was on the tail end of nursing her and this trip did me in! The weaning process was planned for once we got home and this trip made me more then ready to begin that process. Just being honest people, don't judge!

Ok, so back to being 12+ weeks pregnant, I felt great most of the time we were gone which was wonderful! It all changed the day we traveled home and the days following that. It was horrid. I don't suggest traveling newly pregnant, nausea's and with a toddler. I don't think I have ever been so ready to get off a plan as I was that day! I headed straight for the bathroom to *ahem* discharge anything I had eaten or drank that day. I got a couple funny looks when I came out of the stall! For almost a week after getting home I felt like I had gone backwards and was 7 weeks pregnant again. Just yesterday I have started to feel human again and am hoping this lasts.

Today I actually cleaned the bathroom, went to lunch with a friend, grocery shopped and cleaned out my fridge as I put all the groceries away. Can someone say productive day?! I am counting on waking up one day SOON and feeling a burst of energy and not having to spend the entire day tired from doing nothing. On a more wonderful note, I got to hear bitty babies heartbeat on Friday! It made everything seem less of a bother and reminded my why this whole process is SO worth it!

I hope to post some adorable pictures of my hilarious toddler, but I have to take some first! I need to get on that and once I have a belly to show I will post that too. At this point there is nothing there. I'm enjoying that while it lasts! Happy almost middle of the week friends!

Week 9

We are moving along over here and you will have to forgive my absence to this blog. You see when I sit down at the computer I suddenly become more nausea's then I already was. The thought of sitting here and composing a post hasn't set well with me. My goal this week was to blog, just once! So here I am...propped up in bed with my chamomile tea and some of Ava's natural gluten free animal crackers...blogging!

Week 9 of our bitty baby has arrived! I can't believe how fast this is moving along, I honestly thought it would move soooo sloooowww this time, but I was wrong! Don't get me wrong being home all day with a VERY active toddler and feeling green and exhausted has made for some VERY long days but we have survived. My poor husband has heard more then his fare share of whining of my part, yet he still comes home from work cooks us dinner most nights and then puts Ava to bed. Yes, I have a good one ladies! I have been feeling very pregnant these last couple weeks. I was just at the point of thinking I might just cruise through this pregnancy morning sickness free, and then it hit! Literally that fast and I was down for the count. But I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel! More good days this week and no puking which is nice!

According to medical science our baby has reached the "fetus" stage, it never ceases to amaze me that at an inch long this baby is beginning to look like a baby. Arms, legs, a beating heart, eyes and all the internal organs are forming. Wow, no wonder I'm tired all the time! I am counting the weeks till that second trimester hits and hoping and praying it is all I have hoped it to be!

I plan to do a better job of documenting this pregnancy then I have so far! Hopefully with this nausea taking a hike soon that will become a reality!