This is My Story

Ever since I was a little girl, all I have ever wanted was to be a wife and a mom. Well my first dream came true when I married my husband, Brant on July 20, 2007. After a year and a half of marriage, we decided to try and start our family.

I had been on birth control for several years, so I obviously got off of it, but after 14 weeks, still did not have a cycle. That began our almost 2 year long journey to have a baby. The doctors began to run an assortment of tests, but nothing seemed to reveal the cause of a lack of ovulation. I was prescribed progesterone and different hormones in hopes that my body would react to them, but it didn't. I was prescribed high doses of Clomid, but is still did nothing. Last October, the doctor told us that our next option was an infertility specialist. He had exhausted every avenue possible to him but a specialist may be more suited to address the "problem."

As I began to research infertility specialists in my area, I reached a breaking point. I was stressed out, emotionally exhausted, and scared of what the future held. So I called a dear friend of my family, Mrs. Edith. Mrs. Edith has a doctorate in natural medicine. I simply called and asked her if she would tell me something that I could take for the stress. After a long appointment with her in early November, she put me on a cell detox. Her thoughts were that since I was on birth control, the tissue and cells of my ovaries and uterus had absorbed the toxins in the birth control; therefore, my body still had the drug in the bloodstream which prevented ovulation. So, I started to take a cell detox. On January 1st, I had a cycle.

I will remember that for a long time. Brant and I felt like we had finally won a battle in this infertility war because I finally ovulated.  Before I went to the infertility specialist, I wanted to exhaust my options. So we did. I continued the cell detox, got back on Clomid, and let nature take its course. After 5 months, we still were without a baby, and again felt completed defeated.

Brant and I began to talk about adoption more and more. We had finally come to a place where we just laid it at His feet. I told the Lord that I would be ok if I never "had" a child, but that I still desired to be a mother. I told Him that I trusted His plan, and that if He would just lead us, we would gladly follow. I remember what a peace I felt after finally giving it ALL to Him.

I never imagined that God just needed me to finally let Him have the reins before He was ready to put His plan into action.

August 20, 2010 is a day that changed our lives forever. After two years of trying, we found out that we were going to have a baby. On September 3rd, we heard the sweetest sound - a strong beating heart. Our sweet baby girl Emmalee was born on April 15, 2011.


Today, at almost three years old, she is one of the spunkiest, sassiest, and funny little girls I've ever met!  





At the time I never knew God's plan for my family, but He has proved Himself faithful over and over. On the days where I felt nothing but despair, He provided people to pray over me. When I felt hopeless, He provided women who encouraged me. He was my ultimate physician and healer.

Fast forward a few years and we were thrilled and VERY surprised when we found out that God was going to bless us again!  This past September Ms. Madeline Grace was born.







In an instant, God changed our lives. I will encourage those struggling with infertility by saying this: His plan is perfect, even when we are not. Rest in Him and follow where He leads you. Remember Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord, ' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for a HOPE and a FUTURE."

5 on Friday

Emmalee was incredibly laid back and only cried when she was hungry.  She was one of the easiest babies I have ever known.  Madeline is different.  Madeline is a momma's girl and loves to be held by her momma.  She fusses quite a bit in the evenings and loves nursing, so it can make life and mothering a little more different than it was when Emmalee, not to mention the fact that I'm still trying to be a "hands-on" mom to Emmalee.  Having 2 is completely different than having 1, that is for sure! 

So today my 5 on Friday is all about the things that is making my life a little easier and manageable.

{ONE}

The Swing

I have the Sung-A-Bug Craddle and Swing and I LOVE it.  One of my favorite things about this swing is that it has a power cord that allows you to plug it into the wall so if you use it for hours at a time (as i do) then you're not constantly worried about having to buy stock in Energizer!  The swing also has several speed settings and can swing side to side, or you can switch it to a backward/forward motion setting.  Emmalee and Madeline both are "swing-babies" so this is one of my ultimate must-haves for baby.  I can sit Madeline in her swing just to "play" and look at the birds, or she'll nap here, so for me, this is one way that allows me some hands-free time.

{TWO}

SwaddleMe Blanet

  The swaddle blanket is my new BFF, y'all.  Emmalee was an incredible sleeper and I just swaddled, or tightly wrapped, her in a receiving blanket.  But Madeline is a wild-hands sleeper - she flails, like many babies do.  So I tried the swaddle blanket.  At first, she hated it and would scream.  Well, come to find out I was doing it wrong.  Once I watched a few videos and learned to tuck her hands down under her bottom, things improved - literally over night!  Now, Madeline loves being swaddled and sleeps GREAT!  She has consistantly (for almost 2 weeks now) slept for one 6 hour stretch, wakes and eats, then goes back to bed for another 4-5 hours.  So, I love the SwaddleMe blanket and it has greatly improved our quality of sleep! 

{THREE}

Moby Wrap

My personal choice for an infant carrier is the Moby Wrap. I was given a Boppy (sling style) carrier before Emmalee was born and she hated it, so I got the Moby.  Emmalee and I both loved it, so I've continued using it with Madeline. Since Madeline loves being held, especially in the evenings, I've been able to put her in the Moby and make dinner, fold clothes, play with Emmalee, etc.  It is definitely on my Favorites List! 

{FOUR}

Although Madeline doesn't have colic, I love Gripe Water.  It seems like Madeline ALWAYS has the hiccups - she had them 3 or 4 times a day while I was pregnant with her and she still has then a few times a day.  So, I always have a small bottle with equal parts tap water & Gripe Water that help so much when she has the hiccups, and can be a life saver when she is gassy. 

{FIVE}

My Crockpot!!

I LOVE my Crockpot, and if you have ever read any of my recipes, then you know I will cook just about anything in it.  This thing has been incredibly helpful in getting meals on the table.  I can put dinner on to cook in the morning (when Madeline naps the best), but can still have a reasonable dinner on my table with little effort by 6ish during her fussy period.  Its great, and I've been discovering so many great new recipes while I've been at home!  

So, what are some of the tricks or things you have up your sleeve to keep your life manageable with a new baby at home? 

Madeline's Birth Story

Our sweet Madeline Grace was born on Monday, September 16th.  Its crazy to think she is already ten days old - I'm not quite sure where those 10 days went. The days seem to already be flying by and I can only pray that the next two years slow down a bit, but I know I'm only kidding myself if I think they will.
 
My birth story with Madeline is pretty simple.  My blood pressure started to rise on Friday, September 13th.  I called and talked with my doctor's office about it and we agreed the best option was for me to take it easy (or, as easy as possible with a 2 year old at home) for the weekend and monitor my blood pressure every few hours.  I would have spikes in my blood pressure where it would be really high, then it would drop back down to normal just as fast as it spiked.  On Sunday, we went to triage because my BP spiked and I started feeling pretty sick.  By the time we got to the hospital and they checked my BP, it was back down to normal.  After a few hours of monitoring, they sent us home.

Monday morning, I had my weekly appointment.  When I arrived, my blood pressure was 150/90.  They decided to check it again about 10 minutes later, and this time it had spiked to 160/100.  So the doctor came into the room and informed us that we would be having a baby that day.  We were instructed to home, get my bag, and head straight to the hospital.

When we arrived at the hospital, we were directed to a Labor and Delivery room, and within an hour I had my Pitocin IV.  The drip started about 12:15 and contractions started occuring pretty regularly within 30 minutes.  Around 3:30 I was ready for my epidural, and my water was broken shortly after around 4:30.  Contractions really started to pick up after that!  I did feel quite a bit of pain on one side, but my wonderful nurse and anesthesiologist came in and helped get it under control.  Around 6:30, the nurse checked and I was complete, so she called the doctor and told him to head up to my room, and quickly! After 3 very small pushes, Madeline Grace was born at 6:48pm.  It was such a great feeling seeing my sweet daughter for the first time.

I have to give all the credit of an easy delivery to my L&D nurse, Monica.  She was amazing.  Because my delivery was pretty easy, so was my recovery.  We stayed in the hospital just over 24 hours then got to come home.  Madeline's billy ruben was slightly high, but we were just instructed to go see our pediatrician within 48 hours.

We are so thankful to be home and resting well.  Emmalee is adjusting alright.  She has shown a little more defiance toward mommy and daddy, but she absolutely LOVES her little sister.  I'm sure that things are going to be great as soon as this adjustment period passes.

 I am so thankful for my little family of 4! 

Five on Friday

 {ONE}

My sweet, darling child was up from 1:21am - 4:58am this morning.  When you get up at 5:45am to start your day, this little interruption makes for a VERY rough morning.  

Bring in the coffee!!!!

Brant and I tried this coffee creamer from International Delight several weeks ago and it has definitely become a favorite.  We love it. You can definitely taste the sweetness and cinnamon of a Cinnabon.  

 {TWO}

We are starting "Operation: Diaper Freedom" at our house this weekend!  We tried potty training in June, but it didn't work so well.  So we didn't force her to do it.  Well, now it's time!  So, I found this website that talks about fast and easy potty training.  I actually paid and bought the book because $17 is about the price of a small package of pull-ups!   And if we succeed at potty training, then it was well work it in my mind! 

{THREE}

This is definitely my new favorite paint - the Sherwin Williams ProClassic Interior Acrylic Latex.  This is what we used to paint our kitchen cabinets last weekend and I couldn't be happier with the results.  It just looks amazing and this dried so quickly. 

I promise to dedicate an entire post soon on our kitchen facelift and include all of the items we used, and our step-by-step process on how we managed to paint an entire kitchen in a weekend!

{FOUR}

With Baby #2 on the way, I've been looking at different things to put into a special basket of goodies for Emmalee as her "Big Sister Basket."  But at the Rangers baseball game on Monday, I met a sweet older lady and we began talking.  She had 3 girls, and she said the best piece of advice she could give me was to make sure that the "Big Sister Basket" was a gift to Emmalee FROM Madeline!   I now consider this woman to be a complete genius! 

My idea for this basket was to make it have items that Emmalee can use on her baby dolls when momma is taking care of Madeline.  My thoughts are items like...

{FIVE}

Its been somewhat of a slow week at work, so I've been watching a new show.  I've seen episodes here and there, but never watched a whole season.  But thanks to Hulu, I can actually see an entire season of....

5 on Friday

So I decided that today I would participate for the very first time in 5 on Friday!!!  I'm actually very excited about it.  I have had several people express to me that its a great way to get over my blogging slump, mainly because I can just talk about any ole' thing I want to- and what's better than that?

So without further ado, here are my 5 on Friday!

{ONE}

 Kelly's Korner is, of course, having her "Show Us Your Life" and this week is for freezer meals! 

Can I just say Praise the Lord!!!!!!  If there is one thing I know I need to do before baby #2 gets here is prepare some of these meals, and I honestly don't have but maybe 1 or 2 freezer meals recipes: chicken spaghetti and lasagna.  So I have a feeling my printer might be working overtime printing off every recipe posted! 

{TWO}

I know I posted about one of my new favorite Etsy stores yesterday, but I found another one!  My sister was looking for a gift for one of her girlfriends, and found this site.  She sent me the link and now I am in love!  Its Rosie Posie Designs. Her stuff is adorable, and the shop owner's name is Ashley, so how could I NOT love her stuff?  This is probably one of my favorite things she sells:

I do not have any rights to this picture, it was used from the linked website above.

I am seriously in LOVE with it!  I think I need it.  But she has these personalized trays (in practically EVERY color/pattern known to man)  She also has notepads, coasters, etc.  I think these are perfect for wedding presents! 

{THREE}

 Halloween.  It may seem far off, but considering I'll have a newborn - one month old at Halloween, I'm trying to plan ahead...way ahead!  Last year Emmalee was the Chick-Fil-A cow, and one of the cutest CFA cows I have EVER laid eyes on!  

I had originally planned on dressing her up as a cowgirl this year, and putting a saddle on Dax, our loveable lab, and he would be her horse.  Of course, I wasn't planning on having a new baby this Halloween either, so that has interfered with my plans a bit, unless I just stick Maddie in my moby wrap and go on our merry way...who knows.  

Do you have any cute suggestions for coordinating Halloween costumes for a 2.5 yo and newborn???

{FOUR}

I think I want a new blog design.  I haven't changed this one up in a long time, and I don't really design them anymore.  They are just so time consuming.  I really prefer to just stick with card/party printable designs.  I like the simpler blog designs - you know, the muted colors, simple patterns, etc.  Maybe I'll work on creating a new design this weekend....or I'll wait until Madeline comes.  Who knows. It seems like these pregnancy hormones have me changing my mind every 5 minutes...just ask my husband! 

And speaking of my husband, my

{FIVE}

is him - my one and only.  Tomorrow we celebrate 6 wonderful years of marriage.  Its kind of crazy how fast 6 years can go by, especially once you add babies to the mix.  But the thing that has been on my mind the most lately is how I can't imaging being married to anyone else.  This man is my very best friend.

 He is an amazing father to our sweet girl. He loves her more than life itself, and she adores him.

He loves me like no one else can love me, and puts up with all my pregnancy hormones, emotions, and fits.  I mean truly, how could I ask for anything more?

Happy anniversary, my love!  Here's to the best 6 years of my life, and the next 60 to come!  I can't wait to spend them with you!

Definition: Blog Slump and Sistering

If you want the definition of a blog slump then just ask me...I'm in it!!!  Its when you have the desire to blog, but you just don't.

I want to blog.

I have things to blog about.

I just don't have the energy to blog.

So, I'm doing what I can to get out of it.  So today, let's talk about some of my new favorite things!!!

Since baby girl #2 should be making her debut within the next 8 weeks or so, I've been "sistering."  That's the art of preparing to have sweet sisters, a.k.a. buying matching bows, matching outfits, coordinating our first sisterly photographs, etc.  And let me tell you that I am having a blast!

I got some wonderful matching sets and coordinating outfits when Remember Nugyen had their big sale.

 

I tried to stay away from too much holiday stuff because I know I want to make the girls a few things too,. which leads me to my next point...

...I found a new favorite Etsy shop that has adorable, and I mean ABSOLUTELY adorable, iron on appliques.  Its called BigBlackDogDesigns.  She has the cutest stuff with nice embroidery around the appliques and I love some of her ribbon iron-ons.  I have a list of items that will purchased in the very near future:  the ribbon Christmas tree, the ribbon Santa, the chevron pumpkins, etc!

I also am completely in love with Pumpkin Butter Kids!  If you're on Twitter or Facebook then I know you have seen me post about Ashley and her work.  I just love it.  She made Emmalee's "Big Sister" shirt back in February when we found out Em was going to be a big sister.  Well she also made a gown for Madeline.  I cannot wait to see my two girl in their sister set!!!

 

 So this is pretty much what I have been up to lately.  I can honestly say that this pregnancy is going by quickly - I guess chasing after a 2 year old makes your days fly by, lol!  Hopefully I'll get out of my slump soon and reclaim my blog...stay tuned to see if it actually happen!

Temptation

Sweet Emmalee,
Temptation - it's something that will be all around you all the time. Its inevitable.   Its what the devil loves to use against us and make us constantly doubt ourselves. Its what brings you to your knees in a moment of weakness.  Temptation is a not a fun thing - but is something that can also make you stronger.

 If I can tell you one, or maybe two, things about temptation its this:
1) There is always a way out. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." This is one of my favorite truths in the Bible. Our God is so faithful to us and will also provide for us. He will always take care of us.

2) There is nothing you can do and no sin great enough that can ever separate you from the love of God (or your momma).  Romans 8:38-39 says "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."   

Temptation can hit you at the drop of the hat, especially when you don't expect it.  Always be prepared and always be on guard.  The devil will strike when you're at your best and when you're at your weakest.  It will knock on the door every single day.  

Be prepared for it, sweet baby girl, but do not temptation bring you down.  Be ready for it, learn from it, and grow from it.  Remember that no matter what you do, no matter where you go, no matter who you are - I will always love you.

Sweetest Sound

 

Today is the last day for the "Fall Back Into Blogging" week from The SITS Girls.  Today writing prompt is to re-post a blog post from this week last year.  I was so thrilled to look back at this time last year, and this is a post from last September 24th.  I still can't believe Emmalee was this little last year.  Oh, how quickly times passes.  And since the post from last year has a video of my angle then, here is a comparison video that was taken this past weekend:



from September 24, 2011

I think hearing Emmalee "talk" and laugh is one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard. She is so vocal lately, but I really have no idea where she got it from because I am as quiet as a mouse...maybe she got it from her dad because he doesn't know how to shut his mouth :)!

Just so you can hear the same sweet sounds I do, I have a few videos for you!  Both of these are Emmalee and her daddy.  I absolutely love seeing them interact.  Brant is such an amazing daddy and Em LOVES playing with her daddy! 

This first video is Emmalee in "Attack" Mode! She just started this and it cracks me up! She was attacking Brant the other night!



This one was taken last night. This video just cracks me up! 

Discipline...Its NEVER easy

So this little adorable face is 17 months old!  Can you believe it, because I certainly can't!

I know - BAD blurry picture but sometimes its all you can get!

From 0-12 months, Emmalee was here daddy to a tee - calm, laid back, go-with-the-flow, quiet, etc.  As soon as she turned a year, she decided she would "become" her mother - sassy, stubborn, LOUD, a chatter box, always on the go, etc.  When experts say that "opposites attract" - the hubs and I are PROOF!  Just ask anyone who knows us IRL (in real life).

Needless to say, discipline has become a regular occurrence in our home but I also know its just a part of raising a child, and not letting that child raise you. 

But know this, just because Brant and I discipline often does mean that it easy for us to do.  So I just wanted to take a minute to give you some advice, one parent to another. 

We watched! We Read! We Gathered!  
I have watched so many SuperNanny episodes, and although my child is only 17 months old, I believe that she needs discipline.  We watched others and different parenting/discipline styles.  We read books, read articles, read blogs, polled our friends - we gathered as much information on discipline as we could.  It wasn't until we felt fully equipped that we decided how WE were going to discipline.  It was a decision WE had to make together.

We changed our plan! 
 You might realize quickly into your discipline "journey" that its not working - our original plan didn't work for us either, so we changed it!  Just telling Emmalee "no" didn't work  - remember she's just like me - stubborn to the core!  What we realized with LOTS of trial & error is that time out works best for her.  Emmalee is a busy-body but she is also an extrovert (again, just like me).  So being made to sit in one place not being the social butterfly she desires to be is what gets her attention.  She hates it.  But after that 1 minute of sitting by the wall, she has usually calmed down so that mommy can tell her why she was in time out, that she is STILL mommy's precious treasure, and that mommy loves her unconditionally!

Remember that they are smart!
Yes, they may be young but our children are so very smart.  So many experts will tell you that although you may not always understand what they are saying to you, they almost always understand what you say to them.  So remember to talk to them.  Tell them why they got in trouble; tell them the "Why" (i.e. "We don't touch the oven BECAUSE the oven is hot and can hurt you.  Mommy doesn't want you to get hurt.")

And last, but in my opinion one of the important tips to successful discipline:

BE CONSISTENT!
When you (you as in the parents) decide what course you're going to take to discipline, you both have to do it!   I don't want to be the only "bad guy" in my house, I want my husband to share that responsibility.  Brant and I both discipline our daughter.  If we are both in close proximity, we will both sit down and talk to her about it.  She knows that daddy and mommy both love her, but daddy and mommy will both discipline her.

Discipline is not easy - it usually makes Emmalee cry and seeing my child cry usually makes me want to cry - but it is a part of parenting, its a part of learning and its a part of growing.  I hope these few things may help you a little bit.  I know that learning "how" to discipline was certainly a learning lesson for me and my husband.  But we started early, and I believe that my child is benefiting from that.  I now know why someone once said "It takes a village to raise a child".  And I hope that maybe, with these little tips, my experience can be a part of your village.

So please feel free to comment and share - especially is you have other tips that may help other parents.

"Fabulous" Father's Day

Well, maybe it wasn't fabulous.  On Saturday, Emmalee had a fever when she woke up from her nap but we had plans to go to my sister's for a cookout to celebrate my dad for Father's Day.  Em was acting complete fine and ate a good dinner.  Well when I went to get her out of the bed Sunday morning, Em had thrown up in her bed.  So Brant ended up going to church while I stayed home with this poor thing.

.

Brant was also sweet enough to pick up some fried chicken on his way home so I didn't have to cook, although I offered. Since I didn't have to cook lunch, I did cook dinner (Monterey Chicken found here) and made a special dessert - homemade apple fritters with a caramel dipping sauce - DELICIOUS! 

I will share the recipe in the next post.

  All in all, it was an ok day, but I felt horrible that we didn't get to go to church with this man.

The saying goes that "A Daddy is a son's first hero, and a daughter's first love".  And I say its true.   This baby loves her Daddy - and always has a smile and a kiss waiting just for him!  Brant Williams, you are one incredible dad and I could not have asked for a better father for my children.  Emmalee and I are two lucky gals to have you in our lives.

Wordless Wednesday

Being A Mom Is...

!) The GREATEST thing on Earth!  And yes, it is everything I hoped it would be, and more.  Although hearing "Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy" every 5 minutes can get on your nerves, it is also the sweetest thing I hear every day.

2)  Its much more time consuming than I ever imagined!  Don't get me wrong, I knew being a mom was a full-time 24/7 job...but I never realized how much I would ""forget" to do.  Hence why I have not blogged regularly in forever!  My evenings are no longer filled w/ a computer in my lap beside a still, sleeping infant; they are now filled with my exercise routine...running all through my house chasing a 14 month old!  (And yes I said chasing because the child actually RUNS - not crawls, not walks - RUNS!)

So, I promise to change this.  I forgot how much I really loved blogging until a few days ago when my daughter was taking a 3 hour nap and I spent that 3 hours reading and catching-up on the blogs I used to read almost every day.  I felt so out of touch.  So I'm back int he saddle! 

So stay tuned this week for:
Menu Monday Tuesday
Wordless Wednesday
Thursday Tales of a Toddler (aka Emmalee at 14 months)
Family Friday

Dog Callin'

This is my darling daughter. 

This is my darling dog - Dax. 

 This is my mom's dog, Spencer.  

Emmalee has it in her mind that all dogs are called Dax, even little dogs like Spencer, are Dax.  In all honesty, any animal to Emmalee is a "Dax." 

So last night, Emmalee and I had to go to my parents' house to let Spencer outside for a little while. Apparently Emmalee has heard Brant and I yelling at Dax a little too ofetn, so I guess she needed to let "Dax" (aka Spencer) know who was boss!  If Spencer started walking away, she called "Dax" back!

This video just cracks me up!

Celebrate

My Sweet Emmalee Caroline is officially a year old.  I still can't believe it even as I type it.  It doesn't seem like its been an entire year since I brought her home.  Actually, it was exactly one year ago today that she came home...April 17, 2011.  I remember bringing her home like it was yesterday.

Getting ready to leave the hospital.  She looks so tiny in her seat.

Parenthood has been an amazing journey - each day you learn something new and watch your precious child grow and learn.  It seems like they change everyday, and they certainly grow up way too fast!  Nothing can compared to the joy Emmalee has brought to our lives.

To celebrate as a family, Brant and I both took off work yesterday to take Emmalee on her first trip to the zoo.  I, personally, think going to the zoo every year for her birthday would be a fun tradition.  Yesterday was perfect weather - high of 76, partly cloud with a slight breeze.  It was the perfect kind of Zoo-Day!
 

Here are a few pics from our day!

I love the color of the bird.  It stands on one leg & looks almost like a miniature flamingo!

Getting ready to go inside & see the reptiles & amphibians!

This tiger was so beautiful!

One of my personal favorite - the white tiger!

 

This is probably my favorite picture of the day. I love how Brant is explaining to her what an elephant is! She was very intrigued by them!

So precious!

Em had so much fun when we would let her "explore" on her own.  She would look and point at everything and say "That?"  Its her favorite word these days .

The Jaguar!

Well I hope the tradition stick and that we have another fabulous trip to the zoo when our little angel turns two!