||Pumpkin Patch 2016||

We FINALLY got to go to the pumpkin patch this past weekend. I have been begging Bradley every year since we started dating to take me and something always seemed to come up. Now that we have Livy girl, we will make it a yearly tradition to always take her. She had SO much fun. We started on a hay ride that took us through pastures and down by the river. When we got close to the river the cows would come up to the trailer to be fed. Her face lit up when she saw real cows. Up until this point in her little life she has only seen dogs and cats. The minute she saw them she started pointing at them and saying "cow! Moooo! cow!" It was so sweet. Then she held out her corn to feed it and she was brave until it tried to take it from her hand. Then she quickly threw it on the ground and snuggled into her daddy. It was a cute moment that made him melt. When we got out to the pumpkin patch she immediately started trying to pick up all the pumpkins. She went down the rows and patted each pumpkin until she found the one that she could actually pick up. And that's the one we brought home. She was so intrigued by all the new things she was seeing. She kept saying "what's that?" to everything. We love getting to experience all of her first adventures. We just love being parents period. She's the light of our lives and we are so so thankful to God for blessing us with her.

Dear Stay at Home Mama,

Do you know how lucky (or should I say blessed) you are that you get to call yourself that? I don't know if you do. I would give anything to be able to have that title. To have the opportunity to stay home with my baby EVERY single day. I know that it is without a doubt THE hardest job on earth. I know you have your days when you want to pull your hair out and scream at the top of your lungs. That's the way it goes. I know that you need your space sometimes for "me" time, but as a working mama, please DO NOT take the days you get to spend with them for granted. I can't tell you how sick it makes me to go to work every morning and see SAHM's bringing in their children, dressed to the nines or in their Lululemon workout clothes knowing that they are dropping their children off for babysitting so they can spend the entire day doing what they want to do. Do you know what that looks like to us working mama's? Do you know how it makes us feel? Probably not. As a therapist, I understand 100% the importance of social interaction for children. I definitely promote and encourage it. 2-3 times a week or play dates or bible class at church is definitely sufficient. This post might seem like I am envious of SAHM's. But not these kinds. I am envious, I admit, of the ones who spend their entire day with their children making memories. I dream every single day of what it would be like to not have to get up and go to work. To be able to go get my sleepy baby when she cries and rock her as long as we want. To make a healthy breakfast every morning followed by a walk around our neighborhood. To have picnic's and story time in the backyard. To teach her how to bake cookies and have dinner ready for Daddy when he gets home. Instead, I get to peak in the window at her at work and watch other women take care of MY baby. I watch them read to her, feed her, change her diaper, and spend time with her. Things that I, her Mama should be doing. I am very thankful that she at least gets to be where I work and that she has such great women taking care of her every day. I love my job. I love helping those sweet babies. I love helping my husband provide for our family. But I love being a Mama more. So please, spend those sometimes exhausting moments with your babies presently and be thankful that you get to.

||My New Journey||

I just received my Premium Starter Kit from Young Living Essential Oils yesterday. Now, before you say anything about me being so against any type of network marketing organizations/companies I will honestly come clean and admit that you are right. I couldn't tell you how many people have approached me in the past few years about joining or trying Plexus. I am definitely that person who rolls their eyes and gets annoyed at things like that. Honestly, I probably never would have even tried essential oils either if I hadn't have gone through some postpartum depression a couple of months ago. I'm self-diagnosing or everyone else was diagnosing me seemed like. I did notice that I was having some trouble being happy, I didn't have an appetite and was losing weight and just wasn't enjoying life. I was so stressed out with work and I was to the point to where I literally just couldn't do it anymore. I'm not against modern medicine in any way, it obviously works, but I definitely don't think it is good for you. My own personal opinion about going to the doctor knowing that they would most likely prescribe me a "happy" pill was probably too egocentric. I'm not better than that, I don't look down on people who take meds, I just didn't want them for myself. That's when the researching began. I have a friend who uses oils and she was so nice to give me a couple to try when Liv was really congested almost two months ago. I could tell that they helped her breathe better so I really dug into the research after that. Now, almost everything I have read seems to be more testimonial rather than having research data to support them. However; I still feel comfortable putting them on our bodies and diffusing them because if you look at the label of almost every single health care product you use, there's a mile long ingredient list. In oils, there's maybe one or two ingredients and they're all natural/organic. At least Young Living's are. Their seed to seal process is what hooked me. No other company offers that or owns their own farms where the plants are grown. There are so many toxins that our bodies come into contact with on a daily basis that we dont' realize. The lotions, our face wash, shampoo, deodorant. Everything has so many chemicals in it. When we started trying to conceive back in August 2014, I completely stopped taking any kind of medicine and was super conscious of every single thing that I ate or put on my body. I still have not taken anything and I am so conscious and hesitant to give Liv anything. When she was five months old she got two recurrent ear infections and was so sick. The first round of antibiotics they gave her was Amoxicillin and the second round was Cefdinir. She was fine when taking the Amoxicillin, but the Cefdinir stripped her little stomach and she projectile vomited at least 5-7 times every time she ate sweet potatoes (her favorite) and green beans. It was traumatic for both her and I. She will not touch either one of those now. At that point I was finished with medicines and wanted something more natural. Thankfully, other than the occasional seasonal allergy flare up, she hasn't been sick since. Obviously I am very methodological and I need to know every detail and fact about anything I am putting on me or her. We would be completely organic, natural, and toxin/chemical free if it were up to me. My husband does not share those same feelings. He's all about saving money and everything organic or all natural seems to cost a fortune. When I first brought the idea of using and possibly selling essential oils, he basically rolled his eyes like I always had. About a month ago I signed up for an Introduction to Essential Oils class hosted by a woman whose blog I follow. I had been reading all about her essential oils journey for the past year or so and I am amazed at the wonders it has done for her body and family. I knew that that was the team that I wanted to be on. Upon entering the class I got 3 oils; Happy, Thieves, and Sleepy to try out while taking the class. I instantly fell in love with all 3 of them. Bradley even loves Thieves. Every morning he says "put your voodoo on me" before he leaves for work. He loves the smell of it and I think it secretly helps him, but he doesn't want to admit it. After that, I took the plunge and ordered my Premium Starter Kit. I got it in last night and I'm even more in love. I immediately started diffusing Lavender and rubbed Stress Away on my wrists and over my heart. Perfect timing as well because Liv has an ear infection caused by teething. I've been diffusing Lavender and rubbed 1 drop Copaiba and 1 drop Lavender mixed with coconut oil on her jawline. I lathered myself in Stress Away this morning because she was so fussy and restless. I noticed a change in me almost instantly after inhaling it and she calmed a little as well from smelling it on me. I washed our sheets in the free Thieves Laundry detergent I got in my kit and oh my, they smell so good. I'm so excited to learn more about this lifestyle and share it with others. If anyone is interested and wants more information message me. There are so many different blends and not only oils, but a whole cleaning line, oral and skin care line. October is going to be a great month to sign up with so many different promo options and three free oils.

||My Little Bro Got Hitched||

Yesterday we attended my little brothers' wedding. I can't believe that he is old enough to be married. He's an adult now, we both are and it's so strange to think about. How fast time has gone. I can remember him being so little and me being SO protective. Probably too much for his liking and who am I kidding, I still am. I would literally want to fight anyone who ever treated him wrong and I would still protect him if he would let me. It's usually the parents that have a hard time letting their kids grow up and become independent, not the siblings. Blake and I have always been so close and told each other almost everything about what was going on in our lives. We have never been afraid to tell each other that we were in the wrong or give advice. During my dating years, that was the one thing I always looked for in a guy. Whether or not he treated my brother like I felt he should be treated, like he was their own brother. I remember the nights when I would lie in bed,crying over a stupid relationship and heart break. Blake would come into my room, crawl into bed with me and rub my back or play with my hair to comfort me. He would tell me how they weren't worth it and that it would get better. Dang it, the tears are now flowing. I held it together so well yesterday and now I can't stop. When I met Bradley, I was of course nervous about our relationship. When I told Blake about him, it was like it was nothing. Exactly the way I hoped he would react. From that moment on I was excited for them to meet. When they did, Bradley was so kind and treated him with respect and I knew he was the one for me. I never could have imagined the bond and friendship they would develop. From playing college ball together to coaching together now. Bradley protects him in the way that I always have and I know that he would never let anything happen to him. He said to me the other day "I feel like he's my real brother, not my brother-in-law." Cue the tears again. I remember meeting Bailey when they were freshmen in college. They were friends for a while and tried dating, but it wasn't the right timing. They were so young and new to college. They needed to be free and spontaneous, as we all did. Now, when it came to girls and Blake I was extremely protective and I wanted every last one of them to know that they would have to deal with me if they hurt him. Needless to say I never really liked any of them. I remember the summer day that Blake text me asking me what I thought about Bailey. That they had been talking again and he wanted to know how I felt about her. I told him that I liked her and that there wasn't anything that she had done to make me not like her. Let me tell ya, that was a pretty big deal for me to say that because he knew I could always find something wrong with the girl he was talking to, but not her. After that they grew closer and closer and I could tell that she was the one that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She fits in perfectly with our family and he seems to fit in perfectly with hers. I have always prayed for his spouse. That she would love the Lord and complete him in a way that no one else could. That's Bailey. He lights up when he's with her or sees her and I can tell that she shares the same love and adoration for him. I'll never forget going with him to pick out her ring, helping him plan the proposal, or yesterday. It was perfect and filled with so much love. Now I pray for their life together and that they keep God at the center of their marriage. Congrats Blake and Bailey, I love y'all!

{Letters to Liv}-13 Months

My sweet, sassy little girl, You are the apple of our eye and we don't know what we ever did without you. You have become your own little person the past month. You act so grown up now and you're so independent. You have recently started to test the waters with temper tantrums. I'm not sure how much of it is you seeing other kids do it at preschool or how much of it is your little personality. It's actually pretty comical to watch. You will fall out in the floor, whine for just a second then look at us. Like you really want SO much attention for it, but honey child, do you know what I do for a living? You think you are grown already and you mainly get upset when you can't do something the very first time you try it. I have NO idea who you get that from. Your favorite thing right now is anything fine motor. Your little pig and hippo toys where you put the discs in the opening are your favorites. You love to take bottle caps off and try to put them back on. You imitate EVERYTHING now, too. We really have to watch what we do in front of you because we will find you trying to do the same thing. As a Mama, you literally go everywhere I go. Even the bathroom. You were watching me the other day when mother nature was calling and you grabbed a feminine product and attempted to put it in your diaper, like you really knew what you were doing. I literally laughed out loud and you were so proud of yourself. You love to brush your hair, brush your teeth, wash your body, (attempt) to blow your nose, and take your clothes on and off. Although your most favorite activity is messing up all the clean, folded laundry. You talk ALL the time now and it makes my speechie heart so happy. You are finally saying "dada" and "daddy" and oh my, does it melt your Daddy's heart. You two are getting SO close. You want him every time you see him and sometimes you just want him to wrap you in his arms and hold you. My heart melts EVERY SINGLE TIME! You have the best Daddy that would do anything and everything for you. You still love your 100 First Words books and your absolute favorite thing to say is "cat!" We don't even own a cat, but the neighbors do and you love to watch them. Of course you do, because I hate cats. You are practically running everywhere. I must say you have extremely good balance and you always have since you started walking. Your teachers at school just love you. Every day when I pick you up they tell me what a good baby you are and that you're their favorite. You have been making so many fall art projects and I LOVE them. I can already tell that I will be that Mom that hoards every single thing you do. Since the weather has cooled off a little your class gets to go out on the playground. I'm so lucky that you get to go to preschool where I work because I never miss your firsts. My treatment room is located right where I can see you out the window. The first day you got to go out I could see your little face light up. You loved pushing the cars and shopping carts around, sliding, and going in and out of the little playhouse. You are getting to experience so much socially with your little friends and I love it. My favorite thing is when we are driving to school in the mornings, I tell you to say "Thank you, Jesus for waking us up this morning." And in your own little baby language I know you are saying it. I tear up every time because I hope you learn to love HIM at a very young age and know that everything good or not so good in your life is because of HIM. You are down to nursing one time a day now and it's at bedtime. I'm not even sure if you're getting much milk anymore. I think it's your comfort and soother to help you relax and drift off to sleep. I have been so so sad thinking about you being weaned completely. A few months ago I would have said oh my goodness, I'm ready to have my body back. But now, I feel completely balanced with nursing you at night and I wouldn't mind if you kept going for a few more months. I love that bonding time between us, still. I am so glad that I chose to breastfeed you. I feel like we will have an inseparable bond because of it. You are still a great eater and want everything we eat. You can put down some fruit, sister. I don't know where you put it, but you love any and every kind of fruit I offer you. You are growing so fast. You have outgrown almost all of your shoes and you fit into 24 month clothes comfortably. We love this life with you and we thank God every single day for allowing us to be your parents. Happy 13 Months, baby girl. Love, Mama

||Liv Turns ONE||

Last Saturday we had Liv's first birthday party at our new house. Ever since we started house hunting back in March, I had the vision of how I wanted Liv's party and I had the perfect place in mind. It sounds crazy but every house we went in to I had that mind set of looking for an area that would be great for hosting events. Our humble abode down by the river is exactly what I was looking for. It was so stressful to plan and get together but I loved it! It turned out way better than I could have imagined. Something will always go wrong when planning an event, but for the most part it went pretty smoothly. She had so many family and friends come celebrate her. We are so thankful for all those who came out and drove the distance. You all are the reason why we survived our first year as parents. She loved opening gifts and seeing everyone. There was well over 30 people in our home and she did awesome with all the chaos. For her to only be one she was really into ripping wrapping paper and paying attention to each gift she received. Christmas is definitely going to be fun this year!

{Letters to Liv}-1 YEAR

Olivia Jade,

It's been ONE year, ONE whole year since your beautiful little soul came into this world and melted our hearts. I have cried on and off the past two weeks just thinking about how fast this past year went. It seems like yesterday I was going in for my 38 week appointment and was dilated to a four. You were ready to make your debut and I was a big ball of emotions. But so excited to meet you and see your pretty little face for the first time. When you arrived I couldn't help but cry from pure happiness and joy. You are the one thing that has ever made me feel that way. I have always wanted to be a Mama and you, my love, made me that. I might be exhausted and on edge a lot of the time, but please don't ever confuse that with whether or not I love you with ALL of my heart. This has been the best year of our lives so far and we are looking forward to see what the next year holds.

You have of course, blossomed even more this past month. You started (Pre) Pre-school this month and I have noticed a difference in you already (some good, some not so good.)You are in love with your baby dolls and books right now. Your teachers tell me all the time that if I was to walk in their room multiple times throughout the day I would find you in Reading Center, carrying around a baby doll, or playing with your good friend Lily. I won't even lie, that makes me so happy that you have taken to school like you have. Right before you started school you started to go grab your books, open them, and started pointing at the pictures and jabbering all about them. You can identify way more than you let on. Your favorite pictures to point out and label are cat and dog. You love animals right now and are becoming fond of your barn. You say "mama", "hi", "bye bye", "ball", "go", "cat", and "dog" consistently. You have imitated "dada" a few times but you are pretty stubborn when it comes to that word for some reason. You have word approximations for "baby" and "milk" and I can't get you to use any type of sign language for the life of me. That's okay though because I would prefer you talking over that anyway.

You have been walking everywhere for at least a month now, but you are starting to get more brave and are attempting to run through the house. Your play skills have skyrocketed this past month and I love watching you. You randomly started scribbling on paper one day and it's something that can keep you entertained for a long time. You are definitely a thinker and you love toys that you have to work hard at. Even though you might have a little temper tantrum if you can't get it the first time. I have no idea where you get that from? You love music and dancing. Oh my goodness, do you love to dance. We have no idea where you get your dance moves from. You will dance to the ring tone on our phones, you love dancing so much. You have discovered the TV within the past couple weeks as well. You love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Doc McStuffins. You are limited to it, but really don't care much about it unless those two shows are on.

You are so independent it gets you in trouble sometimes already. Everyone tells us that it's hard in the younger years raising an independent child, but it makes for great adults. You were eating your oatmeal one morning and you grabbed your spoon from me and started trying to feed yourself. You are getting better and better at it every day and more coordinated. I really wanted to skip the sippy cup phase so I took away your bottles and set a straw cup out one day and you literally figured it out yourself and now that's what you prefer. You still nurse 3 times a day and I have started sending you whole milk in your cup at school. You don't particularly like it yet, but will drink it. You love to chew on straws and wet wash rags. You are still fiercely teething and we all hate it. You love to hide in corners, especially to poop and you think it's hilarious when we can't reach you.

You are FINALLY sleeping in your crib all night. Woohoo!! We started you out a little at a time and within two weeks you were sleeping at least 10 hours and you actually want your bed now. We have let you sleep with us twice since you started sleeping in your crib and you don't like it anymore. You don't rest well and toss and turn all night. I definitely think starting school and you being so worn out from it has contributed to a fairly easy transition. 

I am so proud of you baby girl. You have developed so well and you work hard at things until you figure it out. You are so determined. We are so grateful to God for blessing us with an amazing blessing that is you. We love being your parents and getting to experience you. Happy First Birthday, baby girl. We love you so much!

Love,
Mama

ONE YEAR STATS:

Height: 31.5 inches

Weight: 22 lbs.

Teeth: 4 

I say: Mama, ball, hi, bye-bye, go

I love to eat: spaghetti, pancakes, fruit, applesauce, yogurt, and biscuits & gravy.

I can: wave hi and bye, clap, walk, feed my babies, and identify cat, dog, and ball.

I love: music, dancing, reading books, my baby doll, and Nova girl.