Last year around this time I posted my Five Personal Goals for 2014. Well as crazy as it seems, 2014 has come and gone (almost). We are in the final weeks of the year and as I reflect it’s been a really great one. There have been ups and downs but there’s been so much to be grateful for. I wanted to make this post to share what goals from 2014 I accomplished and what’s ahead (hopefully) for 2015!
When I was younger there aren’t many Holiday traditions that I remember our family partaking in. The only one that truly sticks out is that we would go and pick out a real tree at a tree farm, cut it down and bring it home. Holiday traditions are some of the most important memories for a child and their family. Some children will even carry those traditions over into their own families (when it’s that time). I was inspired by Patience Brewster to write about our holiday traditions. Patience Brewster is a small one artist company that creates unique handmade ornaments and holiday gifts.
Today I am sharing my ’top 10 newborn essentials’ with you. I found real mommy recommendations like these to be very helpful when I was planning for Caleb's arrival. For the first few months of life, we found these top 10 newborn essentials to be must-have’s:
How is this little man one month old already? It doesn't feel like he's been here that long but then again it feels like he's always been apart of our family. I took some time the other day with the help of Hannah (she's such a great big sister) to get some pictures of my dude. I'm hoping I can keep up with these monthly pictures. It will be such a great way to monitor and view how much he grows and changes over his first year! Already since posting this he's put on 12 oz (yeah, almost a pound in a couple days!).
Everyone has something they want to change. It could be that freckle in a weird spot or you’d rather have curly than straight hair, be blonde rather than brunette. The list can go on and on. One of my ‘wish it was different’ things was my smile. Not the way I smiled, but my teeth and how white they are. It’s no secret that soda, tea and our diets can change the whiteness in our enamel and we all need some help time to time to restore that.
I’ve had dental cleanings, brushed twice a day and even tried the whitening strips from the store. Nothing resulted in much of a change. My dentist told me, “That’s just the color of your teeth.” I didn’t like that answer. Then Smile Brilliant sent me their newest at home kit and asked me to give it a try.
I’ve always tried to officially breast feed or pump for my babies when they were born. My body however, has had other plans for me. I get about three weeks into a rhythm of pumping and then BOOM…gone. Dried up. No more milk for momma to pump. I’ve also noticed that with each new baby we bring into the world it is harder and harder to try to pump and breast feed.
So I’ve FINALLY gotten around to sharing Caleb’s birth story. I’m sorry it’s taken me about 2 weeks but if you follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter you know that it’s been one roller coaster ride since my baby boy entered the world. Caleb Charles entered the world on November 7th, 2014 at 3:22 PM. My darling boy weighed 6 lbs and 13 ounces at birth and measured 19.5 inches.
Hey y'all! I'm Teresa and I blog over at Crafty Wife, a creative lifestyle blog that focuses on inspiring others to find their innovative side through photography, craft projects, and easy-to-follow tutorials. I am so excited to be guest blogging here with Penny today and talking about a subject I'm very passionate about: photography.
It's crazy to think it's here. This is my final pregnancy and my final pregnancy update. The next time I blog or post a video I'll be a momma to three beautiful babies! I'm so excited we get to meet Baby Caleb on Friday. Everything and everyone is all packed up and ready to go!
I’ve yet to meet that elusive woman who “loves” pregnancy and all its wonderful miracles (can you hear the sarcasm?). Most I meet hate being pregnant. Either the 1st trimester was nothing but sickness or the 3rd trimester was so uncomfortable. Since this is my final pregnancy I tried to enjoy it at much as possible but I’m just over it. Here are five things I definitely won’t miss about pregnancy and being pregnant!
Here is what I'm taking to the hospital for Baby Caleb! I prefer my babies wear their own clothes in the hospital and my babies are usually a little small so the newborn sizes are perfect! We can't wait to meet baby boy next week and hope you enjoy the video.
I have to say I'm so in love with this nursery for Caleb! The moment I saw the Monsters, Inc. theme I just knew it's what I wanted for him. Our girls already love the Monsters, Inc. movies so they have a wonderful connection with this room and had a very positive reaction to it. That meant a lot to me as they are anxiously awaiting their brothers arrival. I am missing two pieces right now. One is the white shelves that will go over the changing table and hold knick-knacks and the CALEB letters my husband is currently working on. Once I have those up I'll update some pictures. But without further wait here is Caleb's nursery...Mike Wazowsky and all!
Are we really 36 days from my due date? And that's just my due date...that's not actual real time when Caleb will come. That means it's even less! While I've accomplished a lot, I still feel like I have a tremendous amount to do before he arrives. There's twice weekly doctor appointments, monitoring and at least one or two more trips into Labor & Delivery before he is actually born.
Recently my brother-in-law (BIL) sent this link to my sister-in-law (SIL) on Facebook. It’s an article from Huffington Post on the differences between dates and getting ready for them while being a non-parent and a parent. Personally, I’m not a fan of articles like this. I’ve written before in my Myths I HATE About Being a SAHM & One Truth, how I hate that SAHM’s, hell moms and parents in general get a bad rap once we have kids. Like once we give birth all the sudden we forget that we are women, partners and spouses.
Dear Savannah,
You’re 2? How did that happen? It feels like you’ve been with us forever. It seems as if it took a lot longer for you to get to this place than it did for your big sister. Maybe that’s because it feels like you’ve always been with me in my heart. Our connection is undeniable and you truly are "my daughter".
To be clear, this is not really stealing. You’re technically paying for this stuff as part of your hospital stay. I’ve been told by my nurses to take certain items, and I’ve asked my nurses for additional items to take home. Sometimes though, I have hidden “essentials” just to have backups at home.
I've been told by quite a few that they wanted to know what I used on my brows and how I did it so I decided to film a Eyebrow Routine. This was filmed just before I went into the tailspin known as 32 Weeks & 8 Hours in Labor & Delivery! At least my brows looked good...right? haha Enjoy!
Oh, PE (preeclampsia), how I loathe you! I’ve suffered through you for two pregnancies and here I was in the last bit of my third pregnancy thinking that I was in the clear. NOPE! For those who don’t know PE or preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, often the kidneys. Preeclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in a woman whose blood pressure had been normal. Even a slight rise in blood pressure may be a sign of preeclampsia.
I was really blessed today to spend time with some good friends at my baby shower. It may not have been a raging, crazy party but it was perfect and calm. Just what I needed to keep my blood pressures down while celebrating this new baby boy entering our lives, maybe sooner than we expected. The camouflage event thrown by my good friend Michelle was gorgeous! I knew when Michelle offered to do my shower she would put a ton of love and herself into each piece and she truly did. From the hand made signs to the thoughtful food she pulled from my own Pinterest.
This year with the arrival of the holidays will also come our newest addition, our baby boy! He is expected a week before Thanksgiving so showing him off won’t be as easy as if he was a summer baby. Like most new moms I probably won’t be leaving the house with him unless it’s for a doctor’s appointment in the first couple weeks. The solution to sharing all his cuteness with our family and friends during this special time of year? Birth announcements of course! And there’s no one else I’d rather work with than Minted.com!
The truth is good, bad or indifferent these are the last weeks we have as a family of four. There was a time when it was just three of us and before that just my husband and me. However, the ending of this specific chapter, just us and the girls seems more bittersweet. More changes have to happen.
Hannah and Savannah will be transitioning not just into the same bedroom but into new roles as siblings. Hannah is used to being a big sister but being a sister to a brother will be new but obviously very exciting for her. Savannah will struggle; I’m sure with becoming a middle child. I will struggle most of all with how to balance all of the needs for my children in the coming weeks and months. Nobody said these transitions would be easy on any of us but whether we are ready for them or not, they are going to happen.
This is why I really want to take the time to remember and spend all the moments we can as a family. I want to spend the next 50-some odd days enjoying these two little girls just as much as I can. I want to pick pumpkins and run them through corn mazes. I want more family movie nights after family dinners. I want to listen to every word they have to say because I truly know that sadly, as bad as it sounds, I will have a ton of my attention taken away from them when this baby arrives.
I’m going to miss it being just the four of us (yes, I totally just sang that like the Will Smith song), but the addition of a brother and son will bring forth so many new and amazing journeys. But until he arrives I’ll try to keep living in the moment with them and crossing my fingers that I don’t lose my sanity when we change from Family of Four to a Party of Five.
Sample Birth Plan: Courtesy of The Bump (click to download PDF)
It’s not a secret that cesareans are “easier”. Yes, the recovery sucks but in all honesty those who chose to or have to have this type of birth are given an exact date. We don’t have to sit around waiting for a baby to pop out or go into labor. For the most part, we can plan everything in advance.
It’s time to start buckling down and “nesting”. The remaining things we needed to schedule them closer to Trip’s potential due date (November 21st) as possible. Speaking of due date, that's exactly 58 days away! Eeep. I may have him sooner so we really do need to get cracking because it can be as little as 44 days before we meet our little man!
As for an update with me, I'm feeling a lot of pain and aches all throughout my body but mainly in my pelvis and lower back. This last trip out of town for a family wedding really took it out of me. I loved seeing family but between the kids, the plane rides and getting sick on the way there and back I was so ready to come home it was ridiculous. But then I got home and realized how much there still is to do. I have a baby shower in two weeks my sweet friend is throwing me and then there’s family pictures and of course we have to get the girls into the same room and start Caleb’s nursery. Busy, busy, busy!
Okay, enough rambling. I’m trying to figure out how to manage the blog once little man makes his arrival so stay tuned for those updates but trust me there will be a lot more to come before then! Have a great week everyone! xo
I like to think that I’ve “been there, done that” and in all honesty I probably have. Sure, I haven’t dealt with colic but damnit I’ve seen all these levels in some aspect and thought I’d share my insight.
The Not Quite There Yet
I'm back folks! Well at least for this week. Courtney from The Brown Girl with Long Hair asked me a couple weeks ago to exchange questions with her and I'm so glad I did! Courtney came up with some very creative questions and was so easy to work with. For those who don't know. I created #AskAwayFriday quite some time ago but have stepped away from it to focus on my blogging and family. I've missed it and I'm so glad I have a chance to come back for the week. Courtney is an NFL wife so now in true NFL style, let's get into kickoff!
It's crazy to think I'm so far past the half way point. I'm actually closer to delivering than I am remaining pregnant. We have so much going on in the next two weeks that it's hard to focus on having the baby but after these couple of weeks we will be able to rest and "nest".
Husband - it's your 32nd birthday and I am so thankful to be the one by your side celebrating it! Thank you for choosing me 4 years ago as we walk through life together. Everything we've celebrated and endured are things I'm beyond grateful to have you holding my hand through. You're my rock and best friend and I still wake up so in love with you, thankful for the encouragement, support and laughter you bring to my life daily! You have my whole heart, let's stay young and in love forever, okay? Actually, scratch that…I like growing old with you! Let’s do that instead.
I can honestly say that I was "that" person when I first packed up for delivering Hannah. I had like two suitcases and everything under the moon to be prepared for anything. Since having two babies and going through two deliveries I've refined my packing list a little. Now getting ready to go in for baby #3; I thought I'd share what's going on inside my hospital bag and what I think are the only real essentials you need for your hospital stay.
O-M-Freaking-G! I am in love with the pictures I just got from my Maternity Shoot with April Rose Photography!! I mean, I don't think I could wait another minute to post them...I'm that obsessed! The burgundy against the greenery in the park is insane and April did an amazing job of capturing me. I'm not the "look at the camera" kinda gal. I like looking down or to the side and these are just the best thing ever...thank you, thank you, thank you April! That's enough of my blabbing...I'll let the pictures do the talking!
This is Ruby, the daughter of one of the mom's in my mommy group. She's so sweet and full of life; and when she turned 12 months her mom asked me to take some photographs of her for family. I procrastinated but we finally got them done! She looks awesome and I'm pretty happy with the outcome! For my first attempt at novice photography, I think these images came out great! Don't you love the purple against the green? Beautiful, right?
Recently, I've spent a lot of time thinking about the future and what that means for our girls, from my post about Preparing For When You Are Gone to My Goals for Motherhood, is it so far out of reach that I'm already thinking about college for the girls and all the costs that go with that?
Disclosure: I was given the products in this post for review. I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.
AlternaVites Kids is the only full spectrum children’s multivitamin & mineral that is designed to be sprinkled on the tongue, sort of like a pixie/candy stick. They come in boxes of 30 packets that are full of 23 essential vitamins & minerals that are specially formulated for children ages 4 and up who experience difficulty swallowing pills, and for those looking for an easier way to take supplements.
I get a lot of comments from people claiming the hubster and I have a “perfect” marriage and things in our life look seamless and easy which in turn shocks me a little because I don't believe anyone has a perfect marriage. I do stand firmly thinking marriage is hard work and it's a choice to stay happy in it. There are always ups and downs in a relationship but if each person is constantly working, I believe it can be beautiful with many more blissful days than trying ones. Here are a few things hubby and I do for each other and our marriage.
The thought of choosing a baby gate for your home can be overwhelming. With all of the gates to choose from, where do you begin? You want a gate that is safe but also one that will look good in your home. Does that mean the simple pressurized wooden gate our generation grew up with or do you go for some fancy gate that can cost the same as a crib? With its stainless steel design, the Baby's Journey One Step Baby Gate blends right into your home’s décor.
Twenty-Four weeks pregnant! WTF? Crazy, I feel like I blinked and I popped! And let me tell you...I've popped. Baby bump in full effect now...officially bigger than the butt and the boobs! The last four weeks have been pretty laid back minus one small trip to the ER.
The past couple weeks have been hell in this house for eating purposes alone. I've got one toddler who is super picky like her momma, one toddler who will eat just about anything, a husband who's fondness for Ramen Noodles and frozen pizza is overwhelming and then there is everything about being pregnant and food that sucks! Literally, it's felt like every day of the week we are either running out to grab something from a fast food place so everyone gets what they want or I'm making three and sometimes four different meals.
If you are a reader of mine you've probably read and know that my husband and I were married in Las Vegas almost three years ago. Vegas holds an extremely special place in our hearts...it's where one of the best days of our lives occurred.
Awww....shit! I know I said I'd never be "that mom" but damn it, it happened. Yup, I officially own a mini van...a Chrysler Town & Country to be exact. Before I get into the car itself let me just say that I have taken a lot of time to research the Mini Van vs the SUV. Deciding to go into the #minivanlife was not exactly what I wanted but after I did some serious comparing and driving back to back it won out. I'm a convert now...I know, it's so sad. But in all honesty the T&C blew away any competition in our eyes...maybe in five years I can go back to a SUV but for this mom of almost three, we 'bout that #minivanlife!
Since this is my third pregnancy, I already know it will be my third Cesarean as well. I've learned a lot about them in the past couple years and I wanted to share some tips that I've learned. Having a Cesarean is not everyone's ideal birth but you know what? It is for me and below are a few of my tips for how to handle the before, during and after effects of the surgery.
As always my pictures are compliments of the amazing Kyle with Rustic Heart Photography
Hannah is just short of one-hundred fifty seven weeks old. That's fifty-two weeks in a year times three years and one week. How crazy is that? I'm a mom to a three year old...WTF? In that week I've found out that I'll be a mom to not just two toddler girls but a new baby boy, Hannah has turned into a "threeanger" and life is just great!
It's kind of crazy to think I'm almost 22 weeks now and haven't gotten this up but last week was crazy with it being Hannah's birthday and all the baby Gender Reveal stuff going on. So I thought I'd play catch up on how the weeks 16-20 of pregnancy went. Let's just say Week 16 wasn't off to a good start.
With this being my 3rd pregnancy I can say there is a lot I’ve learned when it comes to maternity fashion. I think back to all the money I spent on my maternity fashion with Hannah and I’m so sad. I didn’t need half of it! But then I look at the shirt I’m wearing today and remember that I bought it when I was 1st pregnant so maybe I made some good clothing investments.
My good friend Amber over at Bold Fit Mom is getting married! She recently asked me for some makeup tips and a possible tutorial on wedding day makeup since she will be doing her own. When my hubby and I got married in Vegas, I did my own makeup. The products I used in the video aren't the exact products but they were as close as I could get.
The most important thing to remember when you are doing bridal makeup is that you want to use as little to none SPF as possible. SPF is what will give you that white cast back on your face with flash photography. Which you obviously don't want on your wedding day! Check out my video below for how I got the look and if you want more information click the "READ MORE" button to see all the products. Congratulations Amber!
Is this reality? I mean no shit, I'm really about to have a three year old? Yes, let's all *gasp* that I said shit on my blog haha but really it's becoming more and more unreal and real at the same time to me that Hannah is about to be 3! I can't lie, I'm tearing up writing this.
Disclaimer: I was sent the products in this post for review. I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.
Rain Rubber: A brilliant burnoutblue; Burn Rubber: A fiery-fueled orange;
Race Rubber: A powerful punch of purple; Rubber Ball: A passionate pit stop pink;
Red Tired: A racy, radiant red
Race Rubber: A powerful punch of purple; Rubber Ball: A passionate pit stop pink;
Red Tired: A racy, radiant red
Put your pedal to the medal because these nail polishes rank big this summer. Think about racy shades in rubberized textures. SinfulColors introduces its Full Throttle collection this summer with a starting lineup of five smoking hot hues that'll put your nail into overdrive The ramped-up texturized shades range from radiant red to a powerful punch of purple to a fiery orange.
Disclaimer: I was sent the products in this post for the purpose of review. I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.
Matte About Blue: A matte-nificent cornflower blue; Pipaya: A soft flash of coral;
Prime Purple: A delicate dose of lilac; Real Teal: A quiet mermaid green;
Silver Solution: A gentle, shimmering silver; Solar Faux: A subtle touch of yellow
Prime Purple: A delicate dose of lilac; Real Teal: A quiet mermaid green;
Silver Solution: A gentle, shimmering silver; Solar Faux: A subtle touch of yellow
If you are looking for stunning nail polishes to add to your collection then slip into summer with these beautiful and luxurious new nail polishes from SinfulColors! Each of the six new shades have a demi-matte finish with a silk like texture. The colors are summery and bright and they're guarunteed to add a little sunshine to your style. SinfulColors Silk & Satin collection features sultry blues, banana yellows, fruity coral and even a soft silver.
A few weeks ago I was at an event to support another blogger when I met a lovely YOUNIQUE sales representative named Miriam. I can't lie, her makeup looked wonderful and she complimented mine as well so we hit it off. After talking with her a little I found out she worked with YOUNIQUE, this is a fairly new product line ranging from their famous mascara that I'll have a review on below as well as lip glosses and foundation products.
We've all heard the wives tales that circle around predicting what gender baby you will have. There's tons out there...from the tame based on baby's heart rate to the more obscure like sitting on a fork or a spoon! I'm not kidding you! When we were pregnant with Hannah, one of David's co-workers told him to wrap up a fork and a spoon in napkins, place them in 2 chairs and whichever chair I sat in predicted boy (fork) or girl (spoon). Crazy, I know! But that's also the person who told hubby that he should dip his elbows in the lake if he's having a tough time fishing. Hey, there's wives tales all over the world and yeah, yeah, yeah!
I'm obsessed with these WANTABLE Intimates Boxes! June's box was great!. If you haven't heard about WANTABLE, it is a monthly subscription service that costs $36/month OR you can purchase just one box for $40. WANTABLE offers three boxes to chose from...beauty, accessories and intimates. Each box is guaranteed to be over the cost of your box and I personally have only gotten boxes that are double (and sometimes triple) the cost!
I don’t know about you but Father’s Day has a whole new meaning in my life. It used to be just about celebrating my dad. These days it’s about not only celebrating the man who is my father but my husband, an amazing dad to our little girls and I have the wonderful addition of a Father-In-Law who lives right down the street from us. With three very special men to celebrate not just as fathers but two of them as grandfather’s there are lots of cards to buy and lots to say in them!
When it comes to my dad I’ve always gone on the sappier side of cards. I don’t often express how extremely important he is to me and I look at Father’s Day cards to help me do that without being overly mushy. Also, just after Father’s Day (or sometimes the same day) is my dad’s birthday so add in an additional card for him! Buying a card for my husband as a father is difficult because there’s no real way to explain how awesome he is at that part of his life so it can take me forever to find the right card for him. On top of it all, what the heck do I write? I’ve included some helpful tips below to help you in your card prep for your favorite dad!
When it comes to my dad I’ve always gone on the sappier side of cards. I don’t often express how extremely important he is to me and I look at Father’s Day cards to help me do that without being overly mushy. Also, just after Father’s Day (or sometimes the same day) is my dad’s birthday so add in an additional card for him! Buying a card for my husband as a father is difficult because there’s no real way to explain how awesome he is at that part of his life so it can take me forever to find the right card for him. On top of it all, what the heck do I write? I’ve included some helpful tips below to help you in your card prep for your favorite dad!
