Welcome to the world, 2014!

Happy New Year, friends! 

Does anyone still read this blog?  What a bore it’s become, I wouldn’t blame you for moving on… I keep hoping to come back, but alas never seem to quite make it.  Every day I sit at my computer for work, and stare at the screen, and type the little keyboard, and use the {awesome} cordless mouse… All. Day. Long.  Then I go home and spend time with my little man, whom I have missed so terribly during the day, and I try to find some time to unwind, all while doing a bazillion chores that didn’t get done during the day because I was, you guessed it, at work.  Working. 

Luckily for me, I really enjoy what I do and the people I work with.  Dad often told us growing up that if we like what we do, we will never work a day in our life.  Well, I do feel like this is true, but I also know a lot of days I am working, even if I do love it.  The end of the day can’t come soon enough, not because I dislike what I am doing, but because I want to get my arms, hands, kisses all over that sweet boy of ours.  

What does that have to do with this blog?  Well, quite frankly this is my venting session to make myself feel better about having no blog posts lately.  I doubt any readers have made it this far anyways…

There is so much to catch up on, really… Max turned one; we celebrated both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  And New Year’s too.  So maybe not that much, but it’s a lot to me.  I finally treated myself to a new camera (a “starter” DSLR, if you will) and I have loads of pictures to post!   So while I am nowhere near promising to post again soon, or to actually cover all of the above mentioned events in our lives, I do want to stop by this place of mine more often.

What I will leave you with today is something that made me melt into a puddle yesterday – Max can blow kisses now!!  Seriously, can’t stop asking him to do it.  Melts. Me.  I love being a momma. 

Make it a great day friends! 

 

 

Happy 4th of July!

We had a pretty uneventful 4th, because it would not stop raining.  Like, ever.  At least we got to spend a lot of time with family, and most importantly, I had 4 straight days with my mini boo Max.  What could be better?! 

This was our cute little family on Max's first 4th of July.  No fireworks for us, thanks to the rain!  Almost all of Atlanta cancelled their shows, so hopefully we will find another one in the coming weeks so Max can experience it!

Here are all of the boy cousins under a year in our family.  From L-R, Asher 6.5mo, Judson 2wks, Max 6.5mo, Benjamin 3.5mo.  These four are going to be T-R-O-U-B-L-E when they can walk and talk.  I cannot wait to watch them grow up together!  

Little man crossed the twenty-nine week threshold.  Where does time go?!  Oh, and he started eating puffs, which sometimes make him look like he has fake teeth in ;)

We spent a lot of time doing this; I love my little snuggles with my tiny guy!  Being his momma is my favorite thing in the whole world....I don't deserve it.  So blessed!

Max man also started sitting straight up over the weekend (for longer than 1 second!)!  No more lean, and our time up is increasing daily.  Yay!  Proud momma! 

And lastly, Max made this noise all weekend long, which pretty much sounds like he is trying to make a fart noise.  You could say he is obsessed with this sound!  All boy already, I suppose :)

That just about wraps up our weekend... Hope you all enjoyed some downtime with family and friends!

Make it a great day!

Confessions of a Working Momma {2}

Remember my last confession where I talked about finding balance?  Yeah, neither do I.  Turns out this is a daily battle I will fight for the better part of, well, forever.  Or, more like that kid in the Sandlot... Forrrrrrrrr. Evvvvvvvvvv. Errrrrrrrrr.  Seriously. 

Balance is a tricky thing.  Just ask Nik Wallenda...  

 source

No, I did not watch his walk because it would have given me a heart attack. 

I am super impressed with his ability to hop on a two-inch wire and trust in God and in his God-given talents to get him across a 1,400 foot canyon.  SERIOUSLY.  That is over 4 football fields. On. A. Wire.  

"It took every bit of me to stay focused that entire time..." Wallenda said.

What a reminder to all of us who are walking a "wire" of our own.  No wonder I am falling off, I am not using every bit of me to stay focused.  I allow myself to get distracted, or worse yet, to convince myself that I can't ever stay on in the first place.  Walking through life takes focus, and being a working momma requires a lot of it.  At the end of the day however, it's really not about working, it's not about laundry, it's not about grocery shopping {and being the perfect couponer}, and it's not about having a good baby.  At the end of the day, it's about staying focused on the One who made me and bringing glory to HIS name alone.  Whew, that is freeing to say.  It's not about ME.  It will be a lot easier to walk my wire knowing I have a huge safety net of grace around me.  I am going to make mistakes, my balance is going to be off some days, but if I receive God's grace I will get right back up on that wire and continue moving forward towards the finish line.  In the end of it all...at the end of my wire here on Earth...I just want to know that I did everything I could to do everything I do for His glory. 

On that note, it's time to go flip some laundry; this working momma has a few loads to catch up on.

Make it a great day, friends!!

Month SIX!

DIAPERS:
Wearing size 2 diapers and wearing a variety of brands.  Our favorites are Pampers, Huggies and Target brand. 

CLOTHES: 
You're a small guy... still wearing mostly 3 month clothing. We've had to put you in 6 month jammies now, but they are big on you.  You're just starting to squirm around when you're being changed, making it a good adventure to get dressed!

MEASUREMENTS:
Weighing in at 13lbs event and 25in long, you're staying pretty small for your age.  The "official" percentiles given have changed a bit in the weight department since last month: 2% weight, 10% height and 75% head.

EATING:
You've just starting eat foods and you LOVE it!  We started you on rice cereal last week and now you've tried (and loved!) peas.  It's so fun to watch you learn things, like how to eat and how things taste. I am making your baby food so far, and it's proving to be an easy and cheaper process than purchasing jars from the store.  Also, you are so interested in watching people eat around you.  You'll often study them putting the food in their mouth and sometimes even reach for it yourself.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
You are doing a great job of sitting up when supported.  Dr. Royal continues to tell us you have "incredible tone" and you're strength is great... You're great at standing up either in our laps or against something you can hold onto.  We are so proud of how well you're growing, even if you are a tiny guy ;)

LIKES:
Toys that you can chew on....ok, pretty much ANYTHING you can put in your mouth.  Cuddles, grabbing mouths (you are fascinated!), playing peek-a-boo & bath time...you love bath time!! 

DISLIKES:
Your tummy still does not like the milk protein that momma gives you, so you're still on a no-dairy diet {which really means momma is on a no-dairy diet!}. 

NOTABLE EXPERIENCES:
You had your first trip to urgent care on your 6month birthday.  Poor baby, you were so congested and choking on any mucus you coughed up.  Luckily we caught the sinus and ear infection early :)

Why Blog?

It is safe to say I have forgotten how to blog.  No, I have not forgotten how to type out words and add pictures to text.  I have somehow forgotten how to create something that will be a creative outlet for me, and a fun way to document Max and our lives as he grows.  I have forgotten that this blog thing is fun.  I think at times I was doing it for the wrong reasons, and that got to me.  I wanted to be cool, have people read my posts and think I was funny, or creative or that my baby was cute.  He is, but I digress.  Over the last few weeks I have struggled with whether or not I should even continue this blog at all.  I hate to do something halfway, and this blog was being completed just that way...half way.  So, after a bit of internal soul searching, I have decided to come back, if you will.  I need this blog and truthfully miss my blog friends {although I still connect with many via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook}, and I miss documenting this crazy life I love so much.  Will I post everyday?  Doubtful.  Will all my posts be meaningful deep?  Way doubtful.  Will I look forward to sharing what's going on in hopes that it will make at least one person smile, or feel good, or be encouraged?  Absolutely.

A lot has happened since my last post.....

 

My baby is growing fast {but not fast enough according to the docs}...

He has found his toes, and boy are they yummy....

 Max is learning new things every week.  This is such a fun stage.  He is starting to mimic what you do, and sticking his tongue out seems to be a new favorite.  He is now eating rice cereal and should start veggies this weekend.  Crazy.  Where has time gone?  

Spring sprung.  Which, by Georgia's standards, meant summer was here fast, and it's hot and humid already...

I mean how cute is my Max bug in those swim trunks?! Too much.

So, here we go... more pictures to come, more stories to be told.  Welcome back to me :)

Confessions of a Working Momma {1}

Before you read this I would just like to leave a disclaimer... I don't know what it is like to be a stay at home mom ("SAHM") and I am in NO way implying that working is harder than staying at home.  Staying at home is work too. Being a mom is tough, and no one has it 'worse' than the other...we all have our own version of "hard" and this is NOT about the comparison game.  It's about where I am right now... That said, you've been warned...read on if you so choose...

Being a working momma can be tough.  If there is one word that makes any of it easier, it's BALANCE.  I have to remind myself every day to keep things in balance.  The burning question is how do you balance the career-driven side when the baby-lovin' side just wants to take over?!  Followed by the other questions in my mind... how do you balance family life with friends and how do you balance rest with getting housework done?

Very carefully, that's how.  I have to let go of the expectation I place on myself.  

One pitfall I (all too often) fall victim to is trying to be Super-Mom!  I want to be perfect.  I want to have a successful day in the office and come home to my perfectly well behaved child, who never has spit-up on him, and prepare a gourmet decent meal for BL in a spotless moderately clean kitchen. 

Reality is that sometimes work is tough and I don't get it all done.  Reality is that sometimes my baby has gas and is really fussy.  Reality is that sometimes frozen waffles will do for dinner (as long as I add some protein for my calorie-hungry husband). 

Sometimes I feel like my house will never be clean again.  Dust bunnies in the corner, mail on the table, dishes in the sink.  They all pile up and they all drive me crazy!  There will never, ever, be enough hours in the day to complete a full day at the office and then a full day in my home. I am exhausted, I am cranky, and I am sad.  I want perfection, and yet, I realize it's just not possible.  

Spending time with my son is way more important than those dishes, and I keep it in perspective.  I have set a goal for myself to do one thing each day.  Monday I may vacuum, Tuesday I may sort the coupons strewn on the table, Wednesday I may clean the bathrooms.  Not everything has to be done in one night.  BALANCE.  

Like I said, being a momma is tough business and not for the faint of heart.  I am so blessed with my growing family and at the end of the day I just want to lay my head on my pillow and give thanks to the One who has given me way more than I will ever deserve.   He alone can sustain me to keep the balance...

In closing {for now} I want to share a little joy with you.  Little man Max loves tummy time {most days} and has awesome neck strength {isn't it amazing what moms get excited about?!}...Enjoy {the baby, not my "mom voice"}.

 

Make it a great day friends.
XO

High Five for Friday {1}

{1} One of my best girlfriends from childhood had a baby girl!  Loved meeting sweet Caroline on the day of her birth! In love with her already...

{2} Evening snuggles with my baby boy have become my favorite time of the day!

{3} Throw back Thursday was in honor of my Granddaddy, whom we lost two years ago this week.  Miss that man every single day.  

{4} Took little Max to meet his new buddy, miss Caroline!  Loved having a little baby swap time with our kiddos!  Hard to believe we played with our dolls and now we're playing with real babies...and they are ours!  HA!  Our 10 year selves would be so happy to know this is what the future holds.

{5} Someone has decided that his thumb is better than a paci. Let's see how long this lasts...

Linking up with From my Grey Desk for HF4F!

Enjoy your Friday, friends! 
XO

Month TWO!

This month....

DIAPERS:
Wearing size 1 diapers and, until this week, you had no blowouts.  You were so kind to your Papa and your Mimi and gave them both your first two blowouts in this size diaper :) 

CLOTHES: 
Wearing all 0-3 month clothing now.  Many of your pants are still too long, but your belly sure does fill up the tops!  Thankfully, you're not too squirmy when you're being changed, but I am sure that will change!

MEASUREMENTS:
Weighing in at 10lbs 10oz and 21 3/4in long, Max has certainly been eating well & growing strong!  The "official" percentiles given have only changed a bit since last month: 20% weight, 10% height and 75% head.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
You are holding your head up SO well! Dr. Royal told us you have "incredible tone" and you're strength is great...you can thank you Daddy for those genes!  You're also now starting to stand in our laps when we hold you up.  You're getting so strong and growing so well!

LIKES:
Cuddles with anyone (but especially mom & dad), playtime on the mat under the music and lights, KSU Choir rehearsal with your Papa, eye contact & bath time...you love bath time!! 

DISLIKES:
We found out this month that your tummy does not like milk protein that momma gives you, so for now, you don't like diary {unless it's momma's milk!}.  You also don't like being alone for very long or when you're hungry!

First Day Jitters

To say I was nervous about going back to work would be a HUGE understatement!  I was not nervous about seeing people at work, or getting back into my projects, or even fitting into my clothes (ok, maybe a little); I was nervous about leaving this adorable fella' all day long.  

We are so blessed to have family watching him all 5 days during the week, but even still, I knew I was going to miss him like crazy and feel guilty for getting back to the {work} grind.  About 3 weeks before I headed back I started to panic.    

How was I going to do this? Getting up early and leaving him somewhere else, with someone else!   

What if he forgets who I am? We have formed such a great bond, what if this breaks it?   

Is this really worth it? Can't we just go live in a tent on the beach somewhere and call it a day?!  

Each day led to new thoughts and new reasons to get upset and worry about the future.  Luckily for me, I was {and still am} surrounded by encouragement.  Family members and friends alike who prayed for me, encouraged me and talked me off the ledge.  What I am doing right now is exactly what I should be doing.  Where I am right now is exactly where I should be.  How we're choosing to look after Max is exactly how we should be....regardless of what anyone else thinks. 

So this past Sunday night, as I packed Max's bag, my lunch, my work bag and my pump {a whole other post of it's own...}, I knew what I was doing was right.  I held my sweet boy extra tight all evening, and gave him even more kisses than usual.  He reassured me that the bond we have could not be broken, not even by 8 hours spent by him at someone else's home while I worked.

When I woke up Monday morning, I knew I was covered in prayer, and I felt it.  I cried a little on our way to my sister's and then again after leaving her home, and that was it.  He was beyond happy to be with his Aunt Ash & cousins all day, and we are SO blessed to have them to watch him!

I arrived at work and was warmly welcomed by my friends...

And was provided awesome updates by Aunt Ash throughout the day...

When 4:30 rolled around, my awesome husband brought my sweet little man to me at work so I could show him around to my colleagues, and I was in heaven.  We can do this, I thought.  This is our new normal, and we can {and will} make it through! 

And at the end of the night, all we did was snuggle on the sofa.  This is a bond that can never be broken.

Month ONE!

Where has the time gone?  I can't believe it's been one month since this handsome little fella came into our world and turned it upside down, in the very best way!  Max has been my greatest accomplishment in my life, and I am so excited to watch him grow and develop... 

It has been a very fun month, and I want to document some of our accomplishments along the way in his first year of life.  

This month....

DIAPERS:
Wearing newborn or size 1 diapers.  The size 1's are a little big, but so far we've had no leaks. 

CLOTHES: 
Wearing all newborn size clothing now.  The first part of the month he was in preemie and some newborn, but now it's all newborn (even though some things are still a tad too big...).  Max loves his cozy footed pajamas!

MEASUREMENTS:
Weighing in at 8lbs 5oz and 19 3/4in long, Max has certainly been eating well & growing strong!  His "official" percentile at his check up was: 20% weight, 5% height and 50% head.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Max is holding his head up like a champ!  Even the pediatrician was impressed at how high he held it, and for the duration he kept it there.  {Proud momma here!}

LIKES:
Cuddles with anyone (but especially mom & dad), being in the car seat when it's moving (either in the stroller or in the car), being in the Moby wrap, eye contact & milk...lots of milk!

DISLIKES:
Dirty diapers, his paci falling out & being hungry


We love you so very much Maxwell and look forward to next month as you grow even more!

Friday Letters {8}

 my sweet baby boy this morning, just happy as can be.... 

Dear Max, thank you for completing my world.  I had no clue how a mother's love felt, but I had an idea or two, and you blew those out of the water.  You are everything we dreamed of and more.  I love you to the moon & back.  Dear friends & family, thank you for the meals, visits, love & support!  We are so blessed by each of you.  Dear REM cycle, maybe one day we will meet again?  I forget what it feels like to actually enter you, but alas, I will take whatever sleep I can get & savor the sleepless moments with my boy.  After all, I know you will return to my life once he is sleeping through the night.  Dear Veronica Roth, thanks for keeping me occupied during feedings and keeping me up when I do have a chance to sleep.  Your books are just what I needed {have you heard of DIVERGENT & INSURGENT?!  If you like Hunger Games, you will love these...}.  Dear Mother's Milk tea, thanks for working {TMI perhaps, but if you know what I mean, you know what I mean}.

Happy Friday, friends!  I hope you all have had a great week & have a wonderful weekend ahead!! 

Now  Go Link Up! with Ashley for Friday's Letters!

first three weeks

I could look at this face all. day. long.  

I promise I will be better about posting pictures and little notes!  I have been taking a picture a day of the little man, and intend to put them all together after the one year mark to show just how much he changed in one year (GASP! I can't think that far ahead)....

And finally, one from today because he met my dear friend's son today, whom we are mandating he be friends with ;) and they are both just too dang cute (ok, ok, enough with the momma bias here...)!!

Make it a great day, friends!

Survial of the First Two Weeks

Where do I even begin?

Somehow I have become the world's worst blogger because I can't seem to bring myself to go turn on my computer and write anything out.  Why?  Not sure.  Probably because when I was working I was on my computer all. day. long. And I don't want to get sucked in and miss time with my boy.  That said, I love my blog and I really want to document all of the wonderful things happening with Max so I don't forget how our first weeks together were.

In looking back, there are a few things that I could not have lived without over these last two+ weeks [and still can't do without to be really honest].  Seriously, these helped make our new world much easier to walk through and I wanted to share with you [in case you were pregnant or would become pregnant soon...].

1.         Max loves his Snugabunny Bouncer & so does his momma!  Afternoon naps, a place to rest when I am taking a [much needed] shower…there are so many reasons to have, and love, this wonderful item!

2.         Our little man loves to be swaddled, and we love these Aden and Anais swaddle blankets  The blankets from the hospital are great, as are the basic flannel receiving blankets you can get at just about any store, but these are the bomb dot com. 

3.         Holy. Moly.  Who said nursing isn’t supposed to hurt if you’re “doing it right”?!  WHAT?! No way, I am doing it right [so the lovely lactation consultant says] and it. Hurts. Bad.  Luckily I have heard from many a momma that it does get better, but in the meantime I am using this awesome Lansinoh Nipple Cream to ease the pain.  Trust me, you will want it.  And as a bonus, it’s totally safe for the bebe and no need to wipe it off before feeding.

4.        I would hate to think that my little guy breastfeeding would keep me from being out & about in the world, or visiting with people who come over.  That’s where this awesome Nursing Cover comes in.  My talented little sister makes these on her own, so she made me a beautiful chevron patterned cover which has already gotten hours of use! 

5.        This fabulous Boppy pillow is super helpful!  I use it now to prop him up during feeding, and take some of the strain off of my back.  In the coming months, we will use it for tummy time, practicing sitting up, and probably more feedings.  Get yourself a Boppy and you will be glad you did!

6.        You can’t purchase this at any store, but I could not have lived without my sweet, selfless momma who has taken such great care of me, Max & BL.  She is unlike any other, and I am so thankful for her!  I pray that you, too, have someone to help you & your husband out in the first few weeks…much, much needed!

Allow me to introduce you....

It's been a sweet, wonderful, sleepless week around our house.  Our little Max was welcomed into this world in the wee hours of the morning on December 15, weighing in at 6lbs 3oz and 19.5in long.  

 

Oh, what joy he brings!  

We are in LOVE! 

Birth story is forthcoming, but for now I want to share his beautiful face :) 

 

Friday Letters {7}

Dear Max,

I am thankful beyond words for the opportunity to be your mom.  James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above and we know that you are straight from heaven as a gift to all who will know you.  It’s truly amazing to know that someone so tiny, who has yet to leave a single footprint on this earth, can already bring so much joy. 

Our road to meeting you hasn’t been an easy one, bringing along many tears and great stress.  As with many trying situations it has also been rewarding, bringing us closer to the Lord and to one another; leaving us no option but to trust in God’s plan for our lives and our marriage.  You, my child, are impacting people’s lives before we even see your sweet face.  You are a miracle; our sweet, perfect answer to so many prayers spoken by so many loved ones and dear friends.  When people hold you and look into your eyes they will be reminded of God’s perfect plan and His sovereignty in each of our lives.  I am overwhelmed with joy and anticipation at the thought of holding you and kissing your sweet cheeks.  

The next few hours/days/weeks will be filled with so many emotions as we prepare for your birth, and my heart feels so full it might explode…I can only imagine having you in my arms will be the most overwhelmingly wonderful moment of my life.  I cannot wait to watch you grow, see you learn new things, make people smile and {most importantly} know Jesus.  Daddy & I pray you will allow the Lord to use you in a monumental way, just as He is already doing.  

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.   

Psalms 139:13-16

 

With all my heart, always,
Mom