Little Miracle

One year ago today I found out I was pregnant with our little Sam. I cannot articulate the joy I felt then and the love that has grown in me since then for this precious little boy. If you've read any previous posts, you've seen that I'm pretty honest about how difficult this new phase of motherhood can be. But it is also the best thing I have ever done. I love that little person more than I could ever say and I really would walk through fire for him. This do anything for him type of love has grown slowly over the last several months, but the more I continue to learn to pour myself out for him, the more I love him and enjoy being with him to help him navigate his little life.

My precious students made these cupcakes for the gender reveal.

Beautiful cake at my baby shower

There really are no words, but with the words I have I'll say:

THANK YOU LORD for blessing us with our beautiful Sam. I am humbled by the opportunity to mother him and I hope I do it well.

Christmas (6 months pregnant) sitting with my cousin Jana and my Pop Pop.

Sam, if you read this one day, I hope you know I love you unconditionally and more than I can ever express. You are a dream come true and countless prayers answered. You are a beautiful gift from God and I pray I love you the way God wants me to and help you become all He intended you to be.

                                                           3D ultrasound 34 weeks

a few hours after he was born

                                                                                               3 1/2 months old

New Baby Must Haves

There is just soooo much I didn't know about having a baby. And there's still sooo much I don't know about each new stage we'll get to. For instance, I had no idea when you were supposed to switch the nipple size on the bottles. No one told me! I wish I could have just downloaded all baby info into my brain while I was pregnant.

I also wish that when I was pregnant someone had made me a list of all the important things I'd need for a baby and which stuff to leave alone. So just in case anyone who is ever pregnant reads this, I'm making my own list of things that have made this whole adjustment easier.


Swaddles

Aden and Anais swaddle blankets 

These are so precious and perfect for swaddling newborns. When your baby develops super human strength and starts to bust out of these, move to the ones below.

Swaddle Me Blankets. Here's my little nugget in one. These are wonderful. Yes they look like baby straight jackets, but if it gets him to sleep, we'll use it!

Toys
We haven't needed a ton of toys yet, but as he starts to look around and grab things, I've really enjoyed
Lamaze toys. They are so fun and creative! I feel like they're some of the best for learning for little babies.

Blankets
You can just never have enough. I love the one in this picture. It's great for him to look at while doing tummy time. And yes I have to confess. I have a blanket addiction. For sleeping, I use calmer ones because he's very visually stimulated.

Diapers
Of course I knew I needed diapers, but had no idea which ones were good and which ones were not. A sweet mom broke it down for me in Babies R Us one day when I was super pregnant. It's like this: Pampers are like the Mercedes of diapers. They're awesome, but also the most expensive. However, you can do their Gifts to Grow program and earn rewards like free Christmas cards from Shutterfly.
I buy Pampers sometimes when I have coupons, but Target diapers are the best and cheapest I have found. They work great, no leaks and cost almost $10 less per box than Pampers. I have to say, I hate Huggies so much that I'm giving away the extras that I have. They leak and don't hold up very well. Boo.


Bouncy Seat
Sam spent the first three months of his life sleeping in this bouncy seat. He has pretty bad acid reflux. Yes babies can have that. And sleeping propped up has been a life saver. We just transitioned him to his crib, but this chair was wonderful and now he plays in it a lot.

Diaper Rash Cream
Since he's been sleeping longer and pees more than I thought possible, we've needed a little diaper rash help. Desitin works great. I use more natural creams too, but Desitin clears it up the fastest.


Hand/Face wipes and or Boogy wipes
I know you could probably use baby wipes for this same purpose, but I LOVE Johnson's Hand and Face Wipes and Boogy Wipes. They both smell great and get all the sticky off his hands and face quick.

Bath Products
I love Aveeno and my pediatrician recommends it. My sweet little man has a little baby eczema and the Aveeno Eczema Therapy Lotion has helped clear it up. It's so creamy and moisturizes way better than their regular lotion. A little goes a long way too, which is nice.

Burp Cloths
We have a spitter and we go through burp cloths and receiving blankets (which I use for burp cloths) almost as fast as we go through diapers. It's ridiculous really. I love using receiving blankets because they're bigger and can hold a lot of spit up.

Changing Pad Covers
These are wonderful. My sweet sister in law gave them to me at my baby shower and I use them on top of the changing table and if they get dirty, I just wash them instead of having to wash the big changing pad sheet.

MOBY wrap
This is the best wrap I've ever seen. It's comfortable and Sam sleeps wonderfully in it. It is way more comfortable than regular carriers and it really does support the baby without hurting your back. It looks a little complicated at first, but I promise, when you get the hang of it, it's awesome.

Feeding
We just moved onto feeding with rice cereal and so far I like Munchkin bowls and spoons. They're
BPA free and cute!

And for formula, my pediatrician recommends Gerber Good Start. She says it's the best because of all the probiotics and of course, Dr. Brown's bottles.

So those are the things that have made it easier for us. I know this is totally a first world thing. Mothers have been making it without any baby gadgets for a long time, but I might as well share what's helped us out a little.

Happy Baby Shopping!

Oh and I didn't get paid or sent anything to write this. There aren't enough people who read this blog for that to happen. :)

The Best Buttermilk Biscuits

Growing up I spent a lot of time with my paternal grandparents, Nonnie and Pop Pop. I would spend the night at their house often and always woke up to the smell of bacon frying, strong black coffee and fluffy buttermilk biscuits. I have tried for years to re-create my grandmother's biscuits and this recipe from Southern Living is the closest I've come. Most of this recipe comes from Southern Living's 30 Years of Our Best Recipes on page 32 to be exact. By the way, this recipe is not technically a whole foods recipe, but it's delicious and every once in a while, you need to eat some buttermilk biscuits. 

In the food processor add 2 cups of self rising flour with 1/2 cup of cold butter.

                         

Pulse until it looks kind of crumb like.

At this point I add a little sugar, usually about a tablespoon. I like sweet biscuits. :) Pulse again.

Then put mixture in a bowl and add 3/4 cup of buttermilk. Once it's all combined, flour your hands and knead a couple of times in the bowl. Then, put dough on a floured surface. Knead a few more times and roll out to 3/4 inch thickness.

I cut my biscuits with my 1/2 cup measuring thingy. What do you call that thing? A cup? Anyway, I don't have a biscuit cutter, but this works great.

Put them on a greased baking sheet and bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes. 

Then they'll come out like this and be delicious!

This recipe makes 10-12 biscuits. Make a bunch and then enjoy them several mornings in a row for breakfast. Just pair them with some good protein and work out 10 minutes longer that day. It's worth it.

I have discovered menu planning!

I am really starting to enjoy cooking, (gasp! I know. Ok. Calm yourself back down now and keep reading) but I've noticed that I enjoy it a whole lot more when I plan out the meals a week or two in advance and go to the store to get all of my necessary ingredients at the beginning of the week. I'm just not one of those people who can whip something up with what I have in my pantry. I need structure, people.

So I found this free printable menu planner. It's AWESOME and I've been using it to plan meals and grocery lists two weeks in advance.

This week we'll be having:

Monday- Chicken with Wine & Feta, brown rice and steamed broccoli
Tuesday- Naan Bread Pizzas
Wednesday- burgers with sweet potato fries (Happy Fourth!)
Thursday- Herbed Chicken Rose, red mashed potatoes and side salad
Friday- Leftovers or take out from Moe's. I just love Moe's. Did you know that Moe's has an app? I  know! Shut up! You can order from your phone and just walk in and pick it up. Yes, I love technology...I tried to find a link to it, and couldn't, but if you search in the app store on your phone, it should come up.
Saturday- is our 5 year anniversary! I think we're getting take out from somewhere nice and eating at home.
Sunday-leftovers

I would like to say I got this idea and get lots of recipes from Jo Lynne. She has no idea who I am, but I really enjoy her blog and would like to give credit where credit is due. She does gluten free meal plans. I just modify some of those recipes for my gluten filled life.

I know this isn't a new concept, but I'm enjoying it and thought I'd share. I always love finding new recipes and these are all pretty easy since I'm a new mommy.

Buen provecho!

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday at Org Junkie and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable Blog.

Because even drug dealers like cookies...

After we had Sam and the generous friends from church were bringing us food, a sweet friend who is a wonderful cook brought us these cookies and I thought, "Hey! I can make those!"And I did. They're so hearty and just delicious. 

I usually use a lot less than three cups of oats. Three cups overcrowds the cookie in my opinion. And obviously no one wants an overcrowded cookie. I also add a few more chocolate and butterscotch chips than it calls for. I like an even ratio between oats and chips. When you take them out of the oven, they don't look done, but trust me. After about eight minutes they are. You want them to be soft and chewy.

This recipe makes way too many for two people so I'm planning to take some to my neighbors later today. I'll take some to our sweet neighbor who watches our doggies for us when we're away. And the other batch will go to the drug dealer on the other side in hopes that he'll quiet down his vileness out of respect for the cool girl with a new baby that brings him cookies. :) A girl can dream can't she? Aaand if that doesn't work, I'll just start calling the police, but hey, at least I tried cookies first.

If you don't have a drug dealer in your life or a sweet neighbor who watches your dogs, you can wrap the rest of the dough up in plastic wrap and fridge or freeze it til you're ready to eat the rest.

Beautiful Friend

When I was two and she was three her family moved in across the street from my house. She asked me if I wanted to play and that started a lifelong friendship that has lasted 26 years. She enriched my imagination when we played house, princesses and sang like we were rockstars into my play microphone. We would specifically pretend to be Whitney Houston. Oh those were the days...

She has always been my biggest fan no matter what crazy phase we were going through. And even though our lives have been drastically different, she has loved me like a sister the whole way. Our differences and years spent apart haven't changed a thing. There are some friends that are like family. It doesn't matter how long it's been since you've seen each other, you just pick back up where you left off.  She is that kind of friend, more like a sister than anything else.

When I got married, she was there in full force, with her vibrant personality and vivacious energy and she caught the bouquet with more enthusiasm than I thought possible and didn't care that she ended up on the floor. It was one of the highlights of my reception.

I always knew she'd do incredible, wonderful things and I'm watching and reading along now as she does. I can't describe her situation better than she can, so I'll just put a link to her beautifully authentic blog. She will also be appearing Wednesday night on HLN's Stories of Courage. Here's a preview.



I could not be more proud to call this amazing woman my friend. Kathleen, I love you and I'm inspired by you to love my husband more selflessly.

Post Baby Body

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LOVED this story on The Today Show this week. It is so true that we embrace our pregnant bodies and then feel gross, floppy and schlumpy after having the baby. Post partum is definitely an adjustment period, but worrying about our bodies shouldn't be another thing on the list of stressors. I love that these women put this out there to help the rest of us feel normal and give ourselves some grace.

In having a baby, our bodies have done a BEAUTIFUL, miraculous thing. If it takes a few months, yes a few months, not just six weeks for us to fit back into our old skinny jeans, so be it. It's worth it to have a precious little miracle. 

And it's ok that we don't all look like Beyonce. 

Grace for Mommies

For some reason, I came into this phase of my life (new mommyhood) thinking that it would be easy, that I would adapt well, always know what to do and never get frustrated. I hope whoever is reading this is laughing out loud at that, because it is pretty ridiculous. After a pretty bad "mommy day" as a dear friend calls them, I read this post by Ann Voskamp and cried like a small child.

OF COURSE this is difficult. I am raising a person and hoping to do it well,  to teach him somewhat accurately who God is and how much He loves him, show him how to be a compassionate loving person, how to love others, share, eat his vegetables, use the potty. Oh it's so much. And some days I'm just so overwhelmed. These are the days I need grace the most. I have never had to depend on Jesus minute by minute like I do now. I need to feel His constant presence, peace and patience. I desperately need His love and affirmation that I am loving my son well, that I am hopefully some of the time, reflecting Christ. I rest continually in the promise that where I lack, God will fill in for Sam. Praise the Lord that He doesn't require perfection, just a willing heart. I am willing.