-Havyn's Happenings-{6 Months}

Havyn Quinn,
How are you 6 months old? It's insane to think that you've been earth side for half of a year already. This time last year you were just a tiny bean in my belly. We didn't know if you were a boy or a girl and I was so excited to be planning for another sweet babe. You have grown so so fast. We went for your 6 month check up and you were 27 1/2 in. long and weighed 17.11 lbs. You were in the 93rd percentile for height, 81st for weight, and 96th for head circumference. You and your sissy definitely have those Spencer heads for sure. You are sitting up like a champ and just took to it one day without much help from us. You've always like being sitting up or standing up so it naturally came pretty easy for you. You are starting to scare more easily. If anyone coughs or sneezes it scares you half to death. You love to play with my hair and have your bottom patted when you're trying to go to sleep. You love to sleep to music. We've been playing the contemporary Christian station on the TV when we lay you down at night. You're sleeping pretty well. You usually wake around midnight, 3, then right before I leave for work to nurse. You're taking 3 oz. in your bottles. You have started giving us kisses and reaching for us. You have a definite ponytail and you love to play with water bottles and your feet. We've introduced you to a few baby foods. Mainly the basics. Bananas, yogurt, sweet potatoes, avocado, and green beans. You seem to like everything okay except avocado and green beans. You can tolerate a few bites of avocado but you really dislike green beans. It's the only thing that has made you gag so far. You're growing up right before our eyes and we're so sentimental about it. You can definitely still be a little spitfire. We're figuring out that it's mainly just your temperament. You are the most strong willed child ever. It's still so crazy to us how different you are from your big sissy. We love you little bird!

Love, Mama

||A New Chapter||

A few changes have been happening over here the past few months. Right after Thanksgiving, Bradley and I really got to talking about our future when it came to jobs, kids, and overall what was going to make us the happiest. I had really been struggling with my current job with being super stressed all the time. It was a very large corporation and that's how they treated their employees. When I first started there it was right after Bradley became the head Sr. Boys basketball coach at his school. It required more time away from us and he really needed to be closer to the gym. Therefore, we made the move closer to Little Rock. Which meant I needed to find something closer to home and closer to him. From the time I started that new position I struggled a lot with anxiety and stress because it was not near as laid back as my previous job had been. This one was very strict and was not friendly when it came to having young children. It was a huge deal that I chose to work 3 days a week and an even bigger deal if I chose to use vacation time or if I had to use my sick time for myself or my child. I was never greeted with "oh, I hope you/Liv feel better" it was always "well, will you be making your time up later in the week?" That was definitely not why I chose to be a therapist. I wanted to make a difference in someone's life, I wanted a decent salary, but most of all I wanted flexibility when I became a Mama. My first job out of grad school was amazing. Every company has it's issues but for the most part, that position was wonderful. I never stressed about work and I never felt like I had to.

Fast forward to this Thanksgiving. Once again, we had barely seen Bradley since his season had started. I was once again, super stressed with work. I wanted to return to my previous place of employment even though it was an hour drive from home because I knew it offered the flexibility I wanted/needed. Especially now with having two little babes. I had been praying for a while that if I needed to make a change and it would be beneficial for our family, for Him to please make it known. So over the Thanksgiving break, when Bradley was home keeping our girls and I was at work, it really hit me. Not only was he in his dream position, but he was also getting to spend way more time with the girls. I still only work 3 days a week and it's my happy medium but, he was getting weeks at a time off with them that I wasn't. He was getting the entire summers off with them and I wasn't. He had been pushing me ever since Liv came along to get into the school system because of the schedule. It was not something that I had ever wanted to do. Even in school, I knew that I absolutely did not want to be a therapist in a school. It just wasn't my thing. Then this year, he just kept bringing it up and telling me that I should consider it. Not only was it more money, more flexibility, and more days off with the girls but it was also a lot less stressful.

I had decided that if anything became available at that point then I would highly consider it. Fast forward to a week before Christmas and I had 3 different job offers from 3 different schools that had organically fell into my lap. No submitting my resume and no interviewing. The Lord had graciously sent these offers to me and I knew that it must have been time to make the change. After talking with numerous friends who worked in the school systems who answered my questions about paperwork, billing, conferences, etc. it made me so so nervous. It was completely out of my comfort zone, therapy wise, and I didn't have a clue how to go into a school and just know what to expect. I ended up turning all 3 offers down out of fear and out of lack of confidence in myself. There was really only one position that had caught my interest enough for me to consistently think about it. One of my friends that I had met at my first job had been trying to get me on with this company for the past 3 years. I kept telling her the contract world was just not for me. Then it ended up being her company that I was most interested in. I kept telling her boss "no" because of whatever reason it was that day. Then I felt the Lord just keep pushing me and pushing me towards the position. Everytime I would tell her "no" she would come back and give me exactly what I had been saying "no" to. It was like it was just meant to be. I took a huge leap of faith and decided to take the position and I would start when school started back after the Christmas holiday. I had 3 weeks off with my girls and husband right off the bat and it was magical.

Here we are a few months later and all 4 of us are at home this week for spring break. It's like a dream come true. I was super scared and stressed in the beginning when I didn't know how or what to do but I feel like I've finally gotten the hang of things. I am still not loving the caseload and type of therapy I do every day. Only because my heart always has and always will be with special needs. It has helped me realize what I love even more and it's only for a season until I can get in a school that has my type of caseload. It's incredible the difference it has made in my well being alone. I am for sure happier, I'm home earlier, I see my husband more, and we get to spend a lot more time as a family now. It's the next best thing to being a stay at home mama. Lots of prayers and talks with God led me to this decision and I am so thankful.

-Havyn's Happenings-{5 Months}

Havy,
You turned 5 months old like two months ago so let's see if I can remember your milestones and the cute things you did. You are reaching and grabbing for objects, you LOVE to play with your feet ALL the time. You are so flexible and suck on your big toe like a pacifier which easily impresses us. You constantly make noises whether it be growling, talking, laughing, or yes, even crying. You are the most social little thing I think I've ever seen in a baby so young. You will smile and talk to whomever you see. You will go to anyone and aren't shy about it. You got a sit me up floor seat and under the sea play mat for Christmas and you love both of them so much. You are still teething pretty bad and you chew and gnaw on your pacifier more than you actually suck it. You constantly drool and cry a lot with your mouth. Your fingers are constantly in your mouth. You love to stand up on our laps and you are finally bearing weight on your arms without anything under you. You want to be turned around so you can see out when you're being rocked. You're so nosy and have to look at everything that catches your attention or you hear. You have become very attached to me and you definitely know that I am your food source. You hate it when I leave you at any time. Whether your daddy or Tay-Tay is holding you, you're still going to cry when I leave.

You are sleeping in your crib in our room and are still waking all throughout the night. You love for music to be playing and you want a night light on. You love your dockAtot and really prefer sleeping in that rather than anything else. You are just like your big sissy and love for your blanket to be pulled up around your face. I have to watch you and always move it after you've fallen asleep but it's definitely your comfort right now. You are wearing size 3 diapers and 6-9 month clothes fit you best.

You do so much vocal play all the time. You are imitating or attempting to imitate any noise we make. You respond to your name by looking around for whomever said it and sissy is still easily your favorite person. You have definitely recognized Nova and you love watching her. You love books, your stuffed monkey, your coffee cup teether, your new braided pacifier clips that you love to chew on. You are growing up so so fast and I really need you to slow down, ok?

Love,
Mama

||Christmas 2017||

Y'all I am SO behind. I'm just now blogging about Christmas and it's almost Easter. Oops! Two kids is definitely a lot more busier than just one. So Christmas just did not feel like Christmas this year. I think I said that last year too. I think it's just the hustle and bustle of working, decorating the house, buying Christmas gifts, traveling, all of it just rolled into one. My husband also had a Christmas basketball tournament this year which was hectic as well. We did have a great time seeing family and of course watching the girls' faces when they opened their gifts or saw things for the first time. Havyn didn't really know what to think but she had fun watching her big sissy. Liv was definitely more aware of the Christmas trees and presents this year. It's March and she's still talking about them haha. I seriously can't wait to watch them two grow up together. It's the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

-Havyn's Happenings-{4 Months}

FOUR.
Q baby,
I forget how quickly time flies when we have a little babe. So month 3 to 4 was absolutely exhausting and SO challenging. You screamed literally all day, everyday the entire month. You would never do tummy time and you were just so unhappy. I took you to my PT friend who showed me a few exercises to do with you to get you on your tummy. Then we had your 4 month wellness check and they confirmed that you had reflux. At this point you were going to the Chiropractor every two weeks. The Doctor prescribed you Zantac to try. You were on it for five days and had to sleep in your swing every night. In the middle of the night on your fifth day of taking it I woke up and you were choking on vomit. You were soaked in it and it scared me to death. So then they said that you had a reaction to the meds. Which is just another reason why I hate medicine. So I took you off of it and started going back to the chiropractor every week for adjustments. Within two weeks of adjustments you were getting much better. Thank goodness.

You weigh 15.7 lbs. and are 24 1/2 inches long. Not nearly as long as big sissy was but just as chunky. You talk ALL the time and when your tummy doesn’t hurt you’re the best little baby. So happy and always smiling. You love to stand up and get so mad when we sit down. You do not like being held like a baby. You think you’re so big. You love to hold your hands together and love your blanket pulled up by your face. You love to ride in the car now unless the sun is in your face then you go ballistic! You’re imitating some speech sounds and so close to blowing raspberries. You are rolling from your back and your belly. You still despise tummy time and won’t bear weight on your arms but we’re working on it. You love Nova and sissy more than anyone and you already look up to sissy. You still don’t like headbands very much and your hair is still so long that you have a ponytail. You’re full force teething and your shirts are soaked the majority of the time.It seems like every night we alternate between gripe water and Tylenol. If there's anything I don't play with it's fever. We're going to figure everything out with you one of these days, baby girl. I promise. We love you!!

Happy 4 months!!

||Thanksgiving 2017||

I've been a little MIA and am so behind on blogging. We have been so busy since Thanksgiving. I'm finally sitting down with my cup of coffee and trying to catch up. So the holiday season this year just seemed so rushed and chaotic. Anyone else feel that way? We had a pretty laid back Thanksgiving with Bradley's family and relaxed at home with our baby girls. As we get older and we lose family members, the holidays are just not the same. People stop coming around as much and try to make traditions of their own when the extended family dynamic changes. It just felt off this year. The food didn't taste the same, the vibe wasn't the same, and the company wasn't the same. Everyone seemed to be in their own state of mind rather than being thankful for being with family at the time. Is it strange that I'm pretty much obsessed with my little family? I couldn't be more thankful for them. No matter how tough life gets with two little ones and a husband who is gone all the time during basketball season. We had such a great time just spending a few days with each other and our girls over Thanksgiving break. We have so incredibly much to be thankful for. You know that song Count Your Blessings? It often popped in my head this season and the words rang clear to me every time.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings-money cannot buy,
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

-Havyn's Happenings-{3 Months}

THREE.
Q girl,
3 months have gone by so fast. You're growing so fast and becoming your own little person. Your little personality is really starting to shine through. You're still a little spitfire at times but you're turning into a very happy baby. You love when people talk to you and you're seriously the most social little thing I've ever seen. You talk and smile at anyone and everyone that talks to you. Your little grin is so contagious and I love it so much. You've slept through the night twice so far and for the most part are only waking up once to nurse. You're a good little sleeper. You have really started to love your swing, music, and having people's attention. The only thing you dislike right now is tummy time and that's because you're still having some tummy troubles. You're rolling like a champ but it's because you're trying every way to get off your belly. You're trying to reach for objects now and definitely track your sister and Nova girl. Sissy has finally accepted the fact that you're here for good and you're not going anywhere. She has started playing with you more and not getting as upset when we have to tend to you. You have started preferring bottles more than Mama recently. Probably due to the fact that you're starting to teeth and I went back to work.

You're wearing size 2 diapers and wear size 3-6 month clothes comfortably. You're not near as long as sissy was so her clothes fit you a tad bit differently. You're a little chunky monkey and I love it so much. Your squishy little cheeks and thighs are to die for. You laugh out loud ALL the time when you're being played with. You love to cackle more than anything. You are just the sweetest little thing even when you're being a little mess. We can't wait to see what month 4 holds, baby girl!!

We love you so much!!

-Havyn's Happenings-{2 Months}

TWO.
Havyn Quinn, I just really love saying your name. Your first name means "a place of safety or refuge". Yes, it's spelt differently but has the same meaning. There's just something about you that makes me feel just that. When you look up at me with your big beautiful eyes and smile, I feel refuge. It's like when I look at you I see Jesus. You have challenged me in more ways than your big sister ever did and you have taught me patience and serenity in your short 2 months of life. You are still a little firecracker and have the biggest personality already. You still cry quite a bit but it is SO much better.

Around 5 weeks old I finally broke down and took you to a chiropractor. You just cried so much and like you were in pain. You hated your car seat, you hated laying down, you hated your swing, and you hated not being held a certain way. My mama instinct was coming out full force and I just knew something else had to be going on. The chiropractic series is a whole other blog post but bottom line is that it has helped you SO much. You had started spitting up after every feeding, getting hiccups, and having gas pains all day. You were just so miserable. I am happy to say though that the spitting up has reduced some as well as the hiccups. You still get pretty intense tummy pains though and I'm hoping those start to fade soon.

You are eating every 2 and a half to four hours during the day depending on how well you sleep after your very first feeding of the day. You are a super great sleeper at night. You only wake twice throughout the night to eat and that's after giving mama at least a 6 hour stretch of rest. You love sleeping in your rock and play and love that it rocks you all night long. You are starting to like your car seat just a tad bit more but if the sun is in your face you can forget it haha.

We went for your 6 week check up and you weighed 11 lbs. 11 oz. and was 23 inches long. They said you were very healthy. You absolutely hated getting your shots though. You screamed so loud and it took you a bit to calm down afterwards.

You are becoming more and more social and LOVE to be talked to. As long as someone is in your face talking to you, you are the happiest baby. Your little grin is seriously the cutest. You coo and goo all the time and have semi-laughed out loud a few times. You start kicking your legs and moving your arms as soon as any of us start talking to you. You love seeing your sissy though. She can come over to you and you get so happy. You are tracking everything that passes you and you have noticed the bright colors on the tv and the ceiling fan.

You are wearing size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes. You still don't like having your clothes changed and hate it when I put a bow on you. You still love to take a bath and have the blow dryer going. You still have a head full of hair but have lost a little bit of it. It's still super straight and I can't give you a mohawk or make it curly. I think you're going to have hair more like mine. It looks dark brown but when the light hits it it's really light and has sort of a reddish tint. You can thank your sweet Nanny for that. Your eye color has gotten it's permanent color and they are brown with a little blueish tint to them.

Your mama is pretty high on your list and you always know when I am not around. It's like you look for me and get so sad when I don't come to you. You love to be covered up and have warm clothes on. You are our own little sister bird and we all love you so very much!

Love, Mama

-Havyn's Happenings-{1 Month}

ONE.
The first two weeks of your little life were just as they should have been with a newborn. You ate, slept, and pooped all day, everyday. Then it was like the day you turned two weeks old, things took a turn for the worst. You cried ALL the time. It didn't matter what we did, you always cried. From the time you would wake up in the morning until you went to sleep at night. Surprisingly, you have been a really great sleeper at night. You are wearing newborn diapers and clothes and you definitely hate being cold or having your clothes changed. You prefer eating off one side at a time every 2 hours. You go at least 3 hours during the night. You love to eat, you're a little chunky monkey but you're not a super great eater. You get choked a lot and it scares me so bad. I think you swallow a lot of air when that happens so then you get tummy aches. I thought you had colic and I cut dairy out of my diet for about a month. I noticed a small change but nothing drastic. You definitely love to be held and cuddled.

When you were two weeks old you caught a little cold from your big sister. You thankfully recovered from it quickly but it definitely made me nervous because you were so young. You had been sleeping in your dock-a-tot at night in our bed but I started noticing you getting stuffy and colicky after feedings so I transitioned you to the rock and play. You do much better in it and feel snug. You do not like to be swaddled anymore. You loved it in the hospital but not so much now. You try to kick out every time. We haven't introduced a pacifier yet and I'm not real sure you will like it. You definitely try to suck on your hands all the time. I think you were a thumb sucker in the womb. It's like sometimes you prefer your hands over actually eating. It's so sentimental to see you wearing your big sissy's clothes that she wore. Man, I love being y'alls mama.

You love to take baths and have the blow dryer blowing on you. That's one of the only things that will calm you down. You have a ton of hair and it is so dark. I hope you don't lose any but I know that's probably wishful thinking. Right now it's more like mine and just lays straight. You hate wearing bows and having your head touched for some reason.

We haven't been able to do as much tummy time as I would like because of your fussiness and obvious tummy troubles. You are just like your sister with your strength. You could hold your head up from the time you entered the world. You love being upright on our chests and to be snug in your baby carrier. You love music and to be sang to. Your daddy can bounce you just the way you like it. You're not so excited about your swing right now but hopefully that will change. You already stare at your big sister and I know y'all are going to be the best of friends. We love you so much sweet girl and am so grateful for you.

Love, Mama

||Liv Turns Two||

My sweet sweet Olivia Jade,

It doesn't even seem possible to be writing about your second birthday. You have grown into the most beautiful little girl and are no longer looking like a baby. Which breaks my mama heart terribly. You are the most lovable little thing I've ever seen. You constantly say "hiiii!" and give kisses! You have had a little bit of a rough time since your baby sissy arrived but you love her nonetheless. You always give her kisses and say "I kiss hahahaha I kiss!" It has killed me having to watch you learn to play on your own and not need so much attention from us. You still demand attention at times but for the most part you are a great big sister. Your vocabulary keeps growing but you there's still a lot of it that we just don't understand. Your jabbering has started to turn into more real words you will be going to town and we'll hear "papa", "taytay" randomly. They're easily your favorite people right now. You love them so much and get so excited when they show up and emotional when they leave. You are their pride and joy for sure. They got you your little red jeep for your birthday and you LOVE it! You want to go driving as soon as daddy gets home everyday. You love to talk about papa riding in airplanes and you absolutely love to pray. Still and it's the sweetest thing. You've started doing it on your own and we can hear you thanking God for mama, daddy, sissy, Nova, papa, taytay, etc. and then you scream AMEN! Seriously the cutest!

You have gotten more particular about your routines for sure. Like your bedtime routine, you love the both closet doors to be wide open, the fan off, and the door shut. You tell us every night as we lay you down. You've started to love Rio, Frozen, and Elmo. You request those more than anything else right now. You are the roughest/slightly meanest two year old girl I know. Your daddy has played so rough with you since you were tiny that now you definitely know how to hold your own. You still love to dance and you make sure everyone else dances right along with you. You are so fun to be around and you play so hard. Uncle B and Aunt Bailey got you a cute little table and chairs for your birthday and you will sit and play at it all day long. You still have to be challenged though. You still love to dump and pour things out. You sit in the bathtub forever just pouring water back and forth into bottles. I'm ready for that phase to end because you've warped our living room tables from pouring so much. You get so bored during the day and we can tell you're aching for kid interaction. You get all giddy and excited when you see your friends at church and get to play with them. I'm getting you some educational toys and activities to get you ready for Pre-k3 that you'll start next year.

You are wearing 5t clothes and size 10 shoes. You're still our BIG girl. You weigh 36.6 lbs and are 3 feet 1 inch tall. Size 6 diapers but we're hitting the potty training hard while I'm still off work. My goal is to have you completely potty trained by the time I go back. You love shoes! There's no denying you are your daddy's child especially when it comes to shoes. Every time you get a new pair you have to wear them all day everyday for at least a week and you constantly ask for them. So cute! You love to wear mama's tshirts with your fro. You love to drink milk, orange juice, gatorade, and Sprite. You have a freak out if we make you drink water which we've been trying to do more now. You love to eat popcorn, blueberries, pickles, grilled cheese, homemade mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, and hamburger meat by itself. Your appetite is slowly starting to pick back up thank goodness.

New words/phrases: mine, let's go, in there, home, a whole bunch, remote, no home, i break, no, that mine, mean, face, talk, her feet, nasty, elmo, oh mess, move. You love to tell Nova to "shhhh" and when Havyn cries you will tear up and tell her "Havyn hush!" You attempt to sing your ABC's and you love to wear your flip flops everywhere you go. Your absolute favorite shoes of all time were your red rain boots which you've grown out of now and you most definitely not happy about. Cue Christmas gift! We love getting to watch you grow and learn everyday, sweet girl. You love like no one else and you are our most treasured gift. We love you so so much!!

||Havyn Quinn's Birth Story||

I'm so behind on this post as Havyn is a 5 weeks old now. Oops, life! Okay so we had my induction date set for almost 3 weeks and I made a point to get everything ready and spend as much time with Olivia as I could before then. Everything was going as planned and then the night before we checked into the hospital, Olivia caught the dang stomach bug. I had just finished cleaning the house and was getting ready to take my shower and head on to bed as we had to get up early. Then the next thing I knew vomit! Everywhere! As many of you know I have a serious phobia of throwing up. Like I can make myself have a panic attack if I think about it too much. So as usual, I started freaking out thinking I was going to be puking during my entire labor and delivery but the Lord came through and didn't allow me to catch it. Thank goodness. So as you can see a very stressful, sleepless night going into "labor" day. This put a damper on things because my mom was supposed to go to the hospital with us but instead she had to stay home with a sick little Liv.

Bradley and I left our house around 5:20am the next morning and checked in a little before 6am. It was actually nice because the hospital was quiet, minimum staff and patients and it just gave me an overall peaceful feeling. A little before 8am my doctor came in to check me and I was still at 4cm. I immediately asked when I could get my epidural even though the only pain I was experiencing at that point was irregular back contractions. The nurses had to keep increasing my pitocin because labor kept stalling. She was very comfortable in there and was not ready to come out! Around 830am my doctor came back and broke my water. He was confident that it probably wouldn't be long before I was ready to start pushing. During this time, it was just Bradley and I in my room and the occasional check in from my nurse. It was honestly so nice. We had time to reflect on becoming parents to two baby girls and just talk and rest. This time was just so much more relaxing and low key. I guess because we knew what to expect and we love my doctor so much that we literally weren't worried about anything.

Around 1045am the anesthesiologist came in for my epidural. He had a student with him and I was totally cool with him explaining everything to her. It was a teaching moment and I am all about that. My blood pressure was a little low so he had to administer my epidural very slowly and as he was explaining to the student why he was doing that, it totally freaked me out haha! But I didn't say anything. At that point it was time for my catheter to be placed and I let the student do it. It's crazy how much more gentle a student is as they are just starting out than seasoned nurses and doctors haha! I continued to labor more regularly and when my doctor came back to check me at 1130am, I was already at 8cm and a -1. He said we'd have a baby within the hour. Before the nurses got the room ready, we had a little bit more alone time and I am currently obsessed with the song Humble by Kendrick Lamar so Bradley had to play it to get my mind right. By the time he came back around 1210pm I was fully dilated and ready to push! Our doctor is such a nut and seriously takes the nerves and worries out of the experience. As he was getting dressed he was hopping around my room calling himself the gyno-man which made all of us crack up! They got me situated and it was time to push. Bradley was a great cheerleader and he even watched the majority of it this time. I pushed twice and her little head was out with SO much black hair. The minute her head came out everyone gasped at how much hair she had! One more half push and she was out, screaming her little head off which she still does haha! A perfectly healthy baby weighing in a 7 lbs. 9 oz. 19 1/2 inches long born at 12:38pm.

We had a full two hours of skin to skin time and she nursed like a champ. Once she was finished nursing Bradley got a little skin to skin time with her as well before they came in to give her a bath. This time around was just so much easier in so many different ways and I'm so thankful for that. I was starting to get super nervous about it all again because my recovery with Liv was so awful! It was uneventful to say the least in the most perfect way. We are now parents to two beautiful baby girls and we are SO blessed!

||Oils for the Hospital||

It's been a long while since I have posted about essential oils. We're preparing this weekend to have our second baby girl on Monday and I have our bags packed and ready to go. Of course I have my oils and toxin free products ready to go. I wanted to give y'all an idea of the different types of oils/products that would be beneficial if you are pregnant and looking for extra support during labor and delivery. With my first baby I had a birth plan and when I showed it to my doctor he just laughed and said "no birth plan, when women do these they have labors from hell and often result in an emergency c-section." So we tossed the birth plan haha. This time I didn't even make one but I know the oils that I'm going to use for the different phases for natural support. First up, let's talk about oils themselves. I have been super conservative when using my oils this pregnancy. I have only used stress away, frankincense, gentle baby, lavender, and peppermint (in the first trimester) topically all diluted with coconut oil. This was just my preference and what my body needed.

Stress Away for just what the name says. I plan on rolling this on my wrists and my husbands wrists as they get things started to ward off any uninviting feelings or worries.

Frankincense on my face and down my neck for grounding and all the extra skin support.

Valor in the diffuser during labor and delivery to enhance feelings of courage and strength. This will be for everyone in my hospital room.

Peppermint on hand for support during those nauseous phases.

These are my products I will be using after delivery when I get to freshen up.

Bath & Shower gel base, Thieves toothpaste, and Satin Facial Mint scrub for washing my make up off followed by the Seedlings baby wipes to remove any excess make up.

All of the beautiful new Savvy Minerals make up and Grapefruit chapstick.

Last but not least postpartum products. My main ones that I will be taking to the hospital are:
Rose Ointment for breastfeeding skin support.
Claraderm spray for support down under.

I will also have a postpartum belly rub made of coconut oil, organic olive oil, frankincense, lavender, joy, and marjoram for skin and cramping support while nursing. Along with padsicles. Since I will be using the claraderm spray after every bathroom use, I only made my padsicles with Alcohol free witch hazel and aloe vera.

This is such an exciting time for everyone and I am so thankful to have these products on hand for this time around. I am excited to see the difference they make. Especially for recovery. If you have any questions feel free to message me.

||4 Years||

4 years since this handsome man and I said "I do". Some days it feels like it's been a lot longer than that and some days it seems like we're just starting this journey. We've been together for 9 years and that seems real. Every August I get those sentimental feelings when school starts and the college students arrive on campus. That's how our story began. We met at college and those warm nights spent at the football field, basketball games in the Rhodes, and having to hang out in the car because #harding. We had a great five years there and we wouldn't have wanted any other experience. We have grown so much since 2009 and I love this crazy, beautiful life we have created and share together. I can't imagine my life with anyone else or doing this life with anyone else. He loves me for me with all of my faults and insecurities and I'm so thankful for that. I'm not the most positive person and I never have been. He makes me so much better and has gotten me out of so many not so great thoughts and feelings I've always had towards myself. He's my better half and I thank God for him every day. We have a beautiful little girl and about to welcome another one in a few days. He's the best daddy that I could've ever imagined. I love him so much and still can't believe he chose me. Happy 4 Years, my love.

||Pregnancy Update-38 Weeks||

Y'all the struggle is real. I am so uncomfortable and this little babe feels like she weighs a ton. I've been having major back pain and irregular contractions for the past week. I'm pretty sure some new stretch marks have popped up that I managed to keep at bay this entire time. So annoying! I'm exhausted and sleep is pretty much non-existent anymore. I've been getting the end of term nightmares and that's part of why I've not been sleeping real well. At this point with Liv I was getting ready to go to the hospital, but I have another week left if I don't go into labor on my own. I'm so ready. I did get my hair and nails/toes done over the weekend and I feel so much better and more relaxed to have a baby. It sounds weird but I just feel so much better when I feel like I look better. I haven't swelled at all yet so that's a plus.

How far along: 38 weeks
Weight Gain: 30.5 lbs
Maternity Clothes: yes!!
Best Moment This Month: Getting closer to meeting baby girl.
Gender: GIRL!!
Movement: She's still moving but it's slowed down a lot. She's running out of room in there.
Food Cravings: Sonic slushes and Jimmy Johns!!!
Food Aversions: Anything fried!!
What I Miss: Not having heartburn and sleeping comfortably.
Sleep: Awful!! I can't get comfortable at all and my back/stomach kill me all night long. I've also started having end of term nightmares about something being wrong with the baby.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Our anniversary and finishing my last week of work for a while.
Belly Button: Flat.

Weekly Check Update:
I went in for my 38 week check and I'm still dilated to a 3 not quite 4 yet. I'm not real surprised because I just didn't have the feeling that I was about to go into labor. My induction date is still set for August 7th unless I go on my own but my doctor is thinking that I will last until then now. Which is fine. I just want her to be healthy.

-Letters to Liv- {23 Months}

Livy,
How in the world are you one month away from being TWO years old? It just doesn't seem possible. It feels like just yesterday we were getting ready to go to the hospital to have you. You have grown so much over this past year. I have been watching videos and looking at pictures from a year ago (thank you for timehop on Facebook). You were so little and still very much a baby but now you have grown into a darling little mischievous girl. You don't look like a baby anymore either. You have grown so much and look like a little girl now. I just can't believe how fast time goes by. You are still very much independent and want to do EVERYTHING on your own. You have become super attached to me lately again and I think it's because you sense that baby sissy is coming soon. You panic when I even leave a room. You're always wanting me to hold you, especially during church. You are still loving church and to pray and it just melts me every time. The minute we pull up to the building you scream "church!, class!". I have mixed emotions about your love for class because I wasn't raised that way, but you have learned so much and I want you to always have that fire for church and for the Lord that you have right now. You love to say "amen" at the end of every prayer.

We have slowed down on your potty training because you were scared to poop in the potty. You would hold it all day and then when your night time diaper came on you would just let it all out. That was okay until you started getting extremely constipated and would just be miserable. When you finally went it was always so huge and hard. You would literally just cling to me as you pushed it out and then cry afterwards because it would hurt. You do great with peeing in the potty but for now we're just going to wait until you're a little older because of the constipation issue. You still love to wear your panties though, we just put them over your diaper now.

Your vocabulary keeps taking off and I love it! You're still very unintelligible with a lot of things you try to say but for the most part we know what you're saying if it's 1-2 word phrases. You still do a lot of jabbering but that will fade. Your favorite things to say this past month have been: help, three, read, don't touch, Havyn, Nova, shark, sprite, shut, cash, daddy see, papa please, mama no, more milk, I'm silly, and I said no. Oh my, do you love the word NO! It drives us crazy but we want you to keep talking and gaining more words so we don't tell you to stop yet haha. You're so cute when you say Havyn and you call her "Havy" half the time and it's so cute.

Your favorite snacks/foods right now are popcorn and apples with peanut butter. You love when I just give you a huge glob of peanut butter on spoon. You still like to snack all day long and it's so hard to get you to eat a good nutritious meal. I keep thinking you'll eventually get back to eating well. You drink SO much milk. We have to buy two gallons every week and a half. It's crazy how much milk you drink. You still love orange juice but any other juice you're definitely not a fan. One weird thing is that you have been mouthing EVERYTHING lately. You constantly put things in your mouth and you never mouthed much before.

You love sticker books right now. That's probably your favorite activity/toy. It's the only thing that will keep you sitting still in church for a while. You still love books too. You've kind of gotten out of much playing with toys. If you've never seen them before or haven't seen them in a while then you'll play with them but for the most part you don't really want them right now. You love your baby dolls still though. You also really like to put puzzles together. You sing and dance all the time and have recently started telling us "no" when we sing to you. You want to do it. You love to watch TV and I hate it. You would watch it all day if we let you. You're currently loving Tangled, Toy Story 3, and Monster's Inc.

You've been sleeping in your sissy's room because when we decorated her room we put the crib in there. You automatically pointed to it and said "night night". You have slept so much better since we put you back in the crib. We're hoping once we get settled in with the baby that you'll want to sleep in your big girl bed again. I know you will do great with your little sissy but just thinking about you not understanding why mama can't hold you or pick you up has me in tears already. I just keep praying you will transition well. We love you so so much baby girl. I'm in full party planning mode and getting everything ready for your second birthday party. I can't wait to celebrate you big time, my love.

Love,
Mama

||Pregnancy Update-37 Weeks||

How far along: 37 weeks
Weight Gain: 30 lbs
Maternity Clothes: yes!!
Best Moment This Month: Starting my weekly checks and appointments.
Gender: GIRL!!
Movement: YES! Still painful movements, I can feel her just gaining more weight and getting bigger each day.
Food Cravings: Cereal!!!
Food Aversions: Meats!! Especially when it is cooking, the smell makes me nauseous again.
What I Miss: Not hurting and feeling exhausted all the time. Even though I know that's about to get a lot worse ha!
Sleep: Still not great. Getting more difficult each night. The back and stomach pain is real every time I roll over.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Finishing out this week at work and being able to relax this weekend.
Belly Button: Flat.

Weekly Check Update:
I started my cervical checks this week and we're another week closer to meeting Miss Havyn. I knew that I had been feeling some progress over the past few weeks with cramps, backache, fatigue, and frequent braxton hicks. I went in this past Monday and he checked my cervix. I was dilated to 3cm and my body is definitely gearing up for labor. He scheduled my induction date for August 7th at 6am but he doesn't think I will last long. It is now Thursday and I have been having cramps and tons of back pain. I had 5 contractions yesterday but they were very irregular and not super intense yet. I have been losing a little mucous but it hasn't been bloody yet. Sorry TMI.

||Pregnancy Update-36 Weeks||

Another month closer to meeting our sweet girl. We are getting so excited. I had been having some anxiety about bringing home a new baby and having a toddler that is definitely in the terrible two phase. My hormones are definitely crazy right now and I've hit that phase where I'm just ready to not be pregnant anymore. I want her to come when she's ready and not too early though. This past month has been spent with family and friends for baby showers. We have been so blessed with an incredible village who loves and supports us. I have tried to relax the past few weeks to be rested for labor and delivery. We have finished decorating and getting everything we need for little miss. I packed our bags this past weekend and now just finishing up a few things at work then I will feel as prepared as I can be. Because let's be honest, you're never fully prepared to have a baby haha.

How far along: 36 weeks
Weight Gain: 25 lbs
Maternity Clothes: yes!!
Best Moment This Month: Having showers with family and friends.
Gender: GIRL!!
Movement: YES! She's still been moving quite a bit but it's more rolling and whole body movements rather than kicks and jabs. It is starting to hurt more when she moves.
Food Cravings: Cereal!!!
Food Aversions: Nothing specific just large meals still.
What I Miss: Just being comfortable and being able to move without difficulty.
Sleep: Awful. Half the time I can't sleep because my body hurts when I turn over or move. I'm still getting up about twice a night to use the bathroom.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Just ready for her to come!
Belly Button: Flat.

||Maternity Pictures Round 2||

We spent the day in our home with our good friend Jason who captures all of our big life events. I knew when I started planning my maternity pictures this time that I wanted something simple and inside. It's the same time of year that Liv's was and we all about died from heat exhaustion afterwards. I knew I didn't want to do that again and drag a toddler out in the heat. Thankfully Liv really loved Jason and showed her little personality perfectly. It was laid back and none of us were sweating at the end. I can't wait to add these photos to our collection and hang in our home. We also can't wait to meet our sweet little Havyn Quinn.

-Letters to Liv- {22 Months}

My sweet Livy girl,
I love you so much! I just have to put that out there. You have made me realize the depths of my heart and I absolutely love being your mama. You keep growing and doing new things everyday. You are so smart. You have the best memory and you are becoming more and more sociable. Your daddy takes you out places all the time since you've been staying with him this summer and I think that's really helped get you out of your shell. Your absolute favorite place to go right now is church. The minute we get there you say "class". That has helped me accept you going to class with the way I grew up. You learn so much and you love to go and I hope you always feel that way about the Lord. You love the little songs and lessons and I love that so much. You love your baby sissy already and love to say "Havy" and kiss my belly. I can't wait to watch you with her. I'm praying that you will transition easily and not go through a jealous phase but I'm sure that's common. You still have your days where you don't eat real great but then you'll have days where you eat all day. Your favorite foods are still fruits and veggies. You still dislike green beans. You love some orange juice! You would drink the entire bottle in a day if we would let you. You aren't keen on other juices though which is good. You drink milk, orange juice, water and occasionally Sprite.

You have started not liking to wear your hair in a ponytail with a bow. You are so strong that when you take them out you break your bows every time and I always have to hot glue them back together.You're definitely in that rough stage. You break things or tear them up and you ruin your clothes. Not purposefully, you're just in that phase. You love to swim in your little pool we bought you and just being outside period. You are still loving Toy Story and Finding Nemo but you've recently started to like Ice Age, Chipmunks, and Monsters Inc. We have to really limit you on your screen time because you would sit and watch it all day. You and Nova are best friends and love to play together. You have been sleeping with us because you are not loving your big girl bed anymore. You curl up next to me every night, put your little arm around me, kiss me and say "night night". It's seriously the cutest thing and I feel more calm knowing you're in there with us. When we put the crib up in the baby's room, you immediately said "bed" and "night night". You love to take your naps in there again but not at night.

You are still jabbering in your little toddler language but you've definitely gained more words and phrases this past month too. You're saying and doing more each month and like I always say it's so fun to watch. Here's your word list from this past month:
touch, watch, face, open door, brush teeth, diapers, wipes, big bed, church, class, move, cant see, get up, stop it, no, cha-ching, he's sad, don't touch, rain, wet, big whale, mama, pool, nanny, and I love you.
You have finally started saying mama again and it melts me every single time. It was the sweetest night because all 3 of us were laying in bed and you weren't wanting to go to sleep and you out of no where said "mama". I freaked out and was just so excited that now you say it looking for me to get excited again haha. It's seriously so cute! We love you so so much and can't believe that you're going to be TWO in just a couple of short months.

Love,
Mama