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1. This weather. Today we spent an hour outside just enjoying the rays and breeze.
2. Energy. Fellow Moms relate?
3. Craft stores! Seriously best Momtopia shopping locale that rivals even the tempting shelves of Target.
4. Over flowing ideas! I’m am very excited to dive into the next few days of projects.
5. My crockpot for helping me look culinarily chic with minimum effort and planning.
Spread a little positivity. I’d love to hear yours link to your five or share here!
A few short weeks from delivery of our second little one and my excitement is finally rising. I have been excited but there is something about having child number two that puts family in perspective. My family. No longer are we a small group floating along we will be an even number. As many dependents as adults will reside in this home. It is sobering.
I can’t recall how many days out of the week my twenty something self feels like an adult, a functioning adult, but today is one. I look around at the home I reside in and am overwhelmed with the journey here. So many memories floating back. And it is good. Life is good. God is good.
The early years
The once fun man cave has been turned into a nursery complete with diaper genie. That will send you a wake up alone. Only an adults house has a diaper genie. Only a responsible home keeper thinks of diaper disposal. Where have the days gone?
And with the passing of more time we are closer to separation once again. Duty calls. I am so grateful to have an uplifting partner that knows the power of his words. Everyday a new affirmation of our life together. A new piece of love to keep me plowing on, down this unknown road. He is beautiful in that way.
I see friends struggle with the coming time apart. Spouses that have given their fair share of strength to the role of military wife shaken at the promise of another time apart. I have no words for them only faith. Faith that is growing with every dark thought swept aside and every reassuring word. In all things He is there. In all things He remains faithful.
Our newest addition!
This week was very full. I bustled to many new baby appointments in this burgeoning heat and was so grateful for the creation of ice cream! I carried a fuller work load with the husband gone and was reminded what a blessing a good nap can be. After every tantrum or sore fit from teething there is a moment of pure baby cuddling bliss that is a reminder from God as to why all this is worth the struggle. Right now I laugh as I watch little one on the monitor sleep with feet out the crib rails cross ways. You would think it would be more comfortable to sleep the other way but then again it is a little present from God to see the daily humor of children. I am so grateful for the week that has passed and looking toward greater goals this week. One day at a time…
Goals for week beginning 7-9
Family Goals:
1. Take my sweets to a play group every week. He did so much better this week at group play!
2.Read out loud to him for an hour a day. Lunch time is turning out to be the perfect story time. He chews intently while his eyes focus on the pages. He may be too young yet but I have an urge to buy his first chapter book. Maybe Charlotte’s Web…
Personal Goals:
3. Finish Life on Planet Mom. I have almost finished this review to follow shortly!
4. Work 30 minutes daily on quilt. My progress is coming along nicely and the pride wells at having almost completed something that was a real toil for me.
Pregnancy Goals:
5. Do Yoga 30 minutes daily. I feel more “alive” this pregnancy than the first. I was a bit of a bump on a log last time and exercising daily has truly helped my energy levels.
6. Start piecing together baby’s room. I didn’t get far on this. I feel lost moving things without the other half.
Marriage Goals:
7. Create separation and welcome home traditions. (We don’t have our own yet!)
Household Goals:
8. Continue to cut down on clutter!
9. Red Velvet Cake recipe perfection.
Week Goals for week 7/16
Family Goals:
1. Take little one to weekly play date.
2. Continue to read aloud an hour a day.
Personal Goals:
3. Work on quilt daily.
4. Finish Life on Planet Mom.
Pregnancy Goals:
5. Continue to work out 30 minutes a day.
6. Add nightly walks with the little one.
Marriage Goals:
7. Write him a love letter.
8. Mail off care package.
Household Goals:
9. Organize hall closets.
10. Find baskets for deep freezer.
What are your goals this week?
I am grateful for…
1. God’s love.
2. a kind husband. No words can describe the appreciation for a gentle speaker in an accepting tone walking through the door everyday.
3. flip flops. Swollen ankles best friends!
4. healthy kicks. A reminder of the love we have created.
5. nonsensical giggles from an escaping toddler.
So I know I haven’t made much of an effort to update lately and that is changing, promise. Life has been so full and busy lately that I have set my priorities in line and everything else falls by the way side. As of late I have not made myself a priority. I haven’t had time. There are new baby appointments and older baby appointments and things to cook, people to comfort, sun to soak and laughs to good to miss for me to sit and just be. But I will say now that I have just sat and relaxed…ahhhh. That is better.
Father’s Day passed without a word from One Loved American Girl! I apologize Dads. Happy belated Father’s Day. It takes an amazing person to lead a family!
This past month we have set some pretty life altering goals. God has blessed us greatly and in order to bless others we have to be great stewards of ALL our resources. After all you can not give out what you yourself do not have. To begin we decided to implement greater savings tools to help stretch the dollars further. We pray to make a greater difference in the lives of others by first creating a difference in our home. I have to admit it is not always easy walking the tight road and we sometimes fumble but the end reward will be worth it.
Our little one is growing steady and my heart bounds with all the stories I wait to read. Hopefully they will one day carry these stories around as unrelentingly as I did some years ago.
The list of things I hope to accomplish this week is long so here goes!
1. Perfect a dessert. I have no idea how I have managed to skim through life this far without having a go to up my sleeve. Leaning towards Red Velvet Cake mmmmm…
2. Have a yard sale. This is quite the underground activity I must say. I never knew!
3. Find a used book store. I very much miss such a place.
4. Start up my quilt again. It is nagging me from the hall closet. Time I answered.
5. Make hand print art with the little one for family.
Happy goal achieving this week. I hope to be busy!
It has been 13 months that started with a beautiful baby struggling to nurse in the NICU. My Sweets was born with an elevated white blood count and was kept seven long days in the hospital. He thrived on antibiotics and the feedings of newborn formula. I thought my great plans of nursing would never take form due to our rocky start. Once my milk arrived we bonded and he never again wanted anything but Mama milk. Read about our start here.
The nursing relationship is so hard to explain to someone who has never been a part of it. The sweet quiet and hour long cuddling as my body actually creates food for my child. Even now on the occasional chance that he needs comfort to drift to sleep I savor the moments. Never were they easy. Nursing is hard and time consuming but we made it to our goal!
I haven’t feed him from me once today and believe this marks the end of this special amazing relationship we have had. It will evolve into something else but this beginning, this time together has been one of the most defining of my life.
So many things I learned of myself while feeding my son. That I didn’t need that much sleep to survive, that my patience could be ten fold when he needs me…that I would one day cry at this little bit of letting go.
1. It is about quality and quantity. Many hours passed when he just would not let go and needed comfort. Teething hours, sick hours or new home hours and that was fine because I will never get them back. Savor the time, even on the days it becomes unending. It does eventually end.
2. Babies become adults. I like to think the sweet times between Mother and son or Mother and daughter in the beginning will wholly impact their ability to recognize sweet moments in the future. The days my little one nursed away while pressing in my neck freckles and laughing may have tilted his heart toward showing greater love to others.
3. Showing makes more loved. The giggles and laughter of catching his hand as he reached for my nose or the quick end to sobs reminded me of a Mother’s position. Just as God does for us we are to love before being loved. We are to set the standard for all things in that regard. Make it a good lesson.
4. There are only so many babies. We never know how many children we will be blessed with enjoy the ones you have now. Be an in the moment Mom or Dad.
5. Not all lessons in life are pain free. The good Lord knew what he was doing as He created each and every relationship and as I let go a little bit He is gently reminding me of how fleeting life is, how quickly it all goes. Daddy’s deployment day is approaching, the new baby will be arriving and a new season comes. Nothing is permanent and the troubles I had day one are a distant reminder of the person He has shaped me to be.
One of the things I, conveniently, had forgotten about pregnancy was the dreadful insomnia. When My Sweets is sleeping I lay awake unable to sleep, when he is awake I can barely keep my eyes open. This too shall pass but I am just now remembering my previous pregnancy clearly. I have to say that a healthy baby is one of the greatest blessings I have received but it still brings back memories. Memories of sitting through NSTs galore and memorizing magazines on my OBs waiting room wall. I worried so much with baby number one. Do I feel the baby move as much today? Did I sleep on the wrong side last night? Did that have caffeine in it? So much worry.
After it all was said and done I remember taking in my little wrinkly peaches leg folds and yawn creases. I remember the huge relief that this baby was so healthy and here. He was and still is my baby that God has gifted me, entrusted to me. To raise and protect until the end of my days. It is these thoughts that probably have contributed to my insomnia this go around. Not thoughts of worry this time but enormous thoughts of gratitude.
This week has been exhausting and still I lay awake sometimes staring at him. Thanking God for giving me the opportunity of such a great love. Thanking God for loving me that much.
The weekends when he is home are heaven. Usually they involve a break for Mommy and a long bath. Those little moments stolen away alone to just be…without noise. The moments flowing with kind words of encouragement from my spouse who finally is allowed a day to slow down.
It is in these quiet moments that I find peace in the imperfection of life.
Just as the great Creator accepts us, wholly and in light of our past sins, marriage is built. Someone to accept you and your love. Imperfect and beautiful in all its intention. Someone to pick up your spirits in the light of a utterly boring or depressing week. Grateful to my imperfectly perfect Husband for his love and kindness. When others fail to encourage a partner that is there in love. And I am grateful to God for the gentle reminder of who I should be in this union in return.
Wishing you a love filled weekend break that will encourage and recharge you as well.
The husband is back from far away ville (for now). My little ones Birthday party went off without a hitch and our family has since left. The home is turned upside down from unending commotion but we enjoyed ourselves. Now back to real life. After the unending family time with my husband I am sad to return to routine. It is always “feast or famine” when it comes to time together, just like the civilian world I am sure, though our “famines” are quite a bit different.
This past bit we were able to hear the new little one’s heartbeat. It sounded strong! The baby also sounded very active. I could hear him or her swishing about as we listened. Such a blessing to have been able to hear the little one growing inside me. I feel renewed even through this worsening morning sickness and what I fear may be strep throat. Eep!
But onto the week ahead and my lingering goals!
I have decided after taking stock of my pantry that I could be making so many of the things I normally purchase. My goals this week will reflect a new sense of wanted domestic goodness.
Home Goals:
1. Go through pantry and outline things to make by hand.
2. Spend 2 hours “freezer cooking”. My new devotion to weekly meal preparation!
3. Menu plan for the weeks ahead.
4. Have a baking session to replace at least 3 pantry staples with from scratch options.
Family Goals:
5. Start on my husband’s requested blanket
6. Mail Grandparents Birthday pictures
Mothering Goals:
7. Attempt to wean, again.
8. Find a Mommy and Me class locally.
Self Goals:
9. Read “Life on Planet Mom”
10. Make an Ultra Sound appointment!
