-Letters to Liv {5 Months}-

Baby girl,

How in the world are you 5, FIVE months old already? I can't even deal. You are the light of our lives and we love you so SO much! You are getting quite the little personality I must say. You have figured out how to cry with "sass" and attitude. You are still the best baby though. You rarely ever fuss unless you have a tummy ache, are hungry, or we're trying to put you down for bed. You went through a long spurt where you didn't go to the bathroom for 17 days. Breastfed babies typically can go longer without having to poo and your Doctor wasn't worried at all. He said I was most likely producing efficient, nutrient rich milk during that time and you were absorbing all of the nutrients and didn't have much waste to get rid of. You definitely hit a growth spurt during that time. You look like a little roly poly. We ended up having to give you a suppository and boy, did that make you go. 4 times to be exact. You were so much happier though afterwards. You are almost rolling completely over from your back to your belly. You get all the way over but haven't figured out how to flip your head or get your arm out from under you. You are on your way to sitting up. You are getting stronger in your core everyday. You usually fall forward rather than side to side now. You have started screaming in a high pitch to talk. That's so good. Reduplicated babbling comes next and I'm so excited to hear your little voice with real sounds. I was thinking about starting baby food this month, but you seem to still be pretty content with milk and I want you to be able to sit up a little better. You are still taking 4 oz. of milk every 3 hours. You are so observant and you try to grab everything. You constantly grab our faces and your Daddy's lips are your fave thing to grab. It's so funny. You love putting your left pointer finger in your mouth and moving it around. you will grab your paci now and take it out of your mouth to talk and put it back in when you want it. You are so smart already. You absolutely LOVE your little teddy bear that Nanny got you. It comforts you so much and you love to fall asleep holding it. Your cradle cap is finally starting go away thanks to coconut oil and your face isn't as dry thanks to Aquaphor Baby cream.

You have taken up with your Daddy so much here lately. You have him wrapped around your little finger and I absolutely love watching you two together. You loving going to his and Uncle B's ball games. You also prefer to watch basketball or football games on TV when we actually let you watch it rather than children's shows. If you had to pick a children's show to watch, your favorites are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and The Chipmunks. You have also taken up with your Papa since he has been down here more for Uncle B's games. You love to walk around the house with him and play Patty Cake.

We love you more than words can describe and we can't wait to watch you continue to grow. Even though we want you to stay little forever.

Love,
Mama

-2016 New Year Goals-

I can't believe it's already 2016! Seriously? The year definitely flies by when you're pregnant and have your mind consumed by that little baby growing inside. Exactly one year ago today we found out that our precious little Liv was on the way. It was the most exciting New Year's we have ever had. I'll never forget the way Bradley reacted when I announced it to him. I'm so glad I recorded it. I can't wait to show her one day.

On to the new year and the goals I have made for myself. I've never liked the idea of New Year's Resolutions because let's be honest, people do well for maybe two months then it's right back to their old ways. So this year I am making 5 goals to try my best to fulfill throughout this year rather than drastic life changing resolutions.

1. Study my Bible daily. I'm so bad at this. I do really well in spurts throughout the year but then there are times that I don't pick it up for entirely too long. Now that I'm a Mama and I have a responsibility to instill a Christian heart and love for our Lord and Savior in her as she grows. The best way I can do that is to continue learning for myself and to help myself grow as well.

2. Lose baby weight/Get Fit. I have seven pounds left to lose to get back down to my pre-baby weight. Which is probably going to be hard since I am exclusively breastfeeding, but I can still try. I mainly just want to get fit and eat better so I can feel better and have more energy. I recently ordered 21 Day Fix and am just waiting for it to come in. I've heard so many good things about it and it is safe to do while breastfeeding. I can't wait to get it started and to track my progress.

3. Improve as a wife. I feel like ever since Liv came I am solely consumed with her and I've been completely okay with that. I love being a Mama and taking care of her, but I also can't neglect my husband and my duties as a wife. He's coaching now and honestly I never wanted to be a coach's wife because of that type of life, but it makes him happy so I'm happy for him. I need to support him more and go to more of his games. It's just so easy to come home after work and spend time with her rather than getting back out and going. I have to be better because I would want that from him.

4. Save Money. I can go on some massive shopping sprees. I'm only working 3 days a week now so my paycheck isn't nearly what it was before, but I love my time I get to spend at home with Liv. I need to do better at planning multiple outfits out of the clothes I already have rather than buying new ones. I either need to learn how to make Liv's clothes or be okay with her wearing cheap looking clothes. It's so hard for me to put her in stuff that is just ugly, but $30 for leggings or shirt that she will grow out of in the next few weeks is not smart at all.

5. Do More as a Family. This kind of goes with saving money. I can get caught up in just being at home. I love to travel and see new places but I also love to be in the comfort of my own house. I can stay home without going outside for days and I'm more than okay. I would like to get better with that though. If we could save more money then we would be able to do more things as a family. I want to make so many memories as a family and I'm ready to get started with that in 2016.