My Closet

I wore this outfit for Hannah's two week check up, so it's been in my "drafts" for a few weeks. I'd had the idea of this outfit in my head, but needed to wait until I wasn't pregnant to fit in this shirt again.  I also wondered if I'd still like ponchos, the answer is yes.  So comfy! Once we got home from her appointment, the poncho was hung up, the necklace came off, as did the boots.  Shirts and leggings are about as exciting as it gets at home.

I was also looking through my Pinterest boards recently and have realized I'm wearing about 10% of my wardrobe-the part that is casual enough for being at home most of the time. I ended up taking a bunch of bags to Goodwill and I still have more clothes than I need. I know that I'll be wearing a lot of them again once I go back to school, but when you can get rid of almost twenty pairs of pants and about as many tops and still have plenty to wear, it's time to stop shopping.  Right now I'm just saving away my monthly budget for when I want to buy something, other than a latte', which is about all I've been buying lately.  

Giving Credit

Like I mentioned last week, I've started doing The Armor of God Bible study and I'm loving it.  Ever since seeing The War Room and starting the study I've really been working on my prayer life. No more generic prayers: I'm trying to pray specifically and fervently.  One of the things I've been really praying about it for peace in our home and for Hannah to feel loved and safe...specially in her crib. And you know what, going down for naps is a whole lot better.

Here's where the Devil tries to sneak in though, I start to feel pretty good about myself and my mothering skills.  Look at me figure her out, look at me read when she's ready for bed, look at me realizing that her fussing for a few minutes before I reassure her makes her sleep so much more easily. Look. At. Me. 

But didn't I say I've been praying for Hannah to feel loved and safe in her crib? Why should I take the credit???? That, however, is exactly what the enemy wants. He wants us to take the credit, to build ourselves up, to trust in ourselves instead of trusting in God.

Well, I say no thank you. I believe God hears our prayers and also answers them, and my goodness, I need to give credit where it is due, and in doing so, I take the power away from the Devil and give it back to God.

What about your life? Where are you taking credit for something that isn't yours to take? Give it where it is due, I know it'll be worth it!

Another casual outfit today. I'm loving these long-sleeved tees from Target. I didn't get the black and white stripe one, but now I'm kicking myself because now my local Target is sold out.  These tees are perfect for my casual days at home, but I love the idea of layering a denim jacket over it. It's perfect for running out for quick errands with Hannah.

Survival Essentials for Baby and Mom

Being a mom is both the best and most terrifying thing in the world. "Here's a human, take care of her, show her all your love, help her feel content, and don't do anything that could cause irreparable harm."  That's a tall order!

I read a number of books before Grant was born, and re-read them in preparation for Hannah, although this can be helpful, as can tips from your girlfriends, the book can't do anything to help you when you're in a "What in the world do I do now?" moment.  

Today I thought I'd share a few essentials that have helped up with the first month of Hannah's life.

For Baby:

Reads: As far as books go, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer was the most helpful. It talks about creating a routine baby can get used too. First you wake/eat, then play, then sleep.  Establishing this routine helps baby not to fall asleep while nursing, so they eat a "full meal" and don't snack, it also help baby to sleep through the night more quickly too. For me, nursing was something Hannah picked up pretty quickly, so that wasn't a struggle for us. I understand that's not the case for everyone. I was most interested in the section on sleep. One of the things she says is to "start out how you want to go." We tried "cry it out" with Grant based on Baby Wise, but liked what the Baby Whisperer had to say more about sleep. She says putting your baby down when they are almost asleep, then using the aid of a good swaddle and pacifier to help aid baby in going to help baby fall asleep on their own. Now, we do let her fuss for a few minutes before rushing in to comfort her. We do this a few times and she generally is falling asleep pretty easily.

The book also talks about how to know your baby is actually ready to sleep, and there's also a survey to help you know how to "read" your own baby's emerging personality too.  Hannah is definitely more emotional than Grant was, and it's taken quite a bit of time and observing to watch her to best know how to meet her needs.

Pacifiers: We have found that Philips Avent Soothie Pacifiers are ones that Hannah prefers. She doesn't use one, except when she's getting ready for a nap and/or in her crib. I've read that you should get a pacifier that most replicates the shape of your nipple if you're nursing, so a different one might work better for your baby.

Swaddling: We didn't really swaddle Grant, but Hannah is a big fan of a good swaddle when she's napping.  These swaddle blankets are really inexpensive, and in my opinion a good swaddle can make all the difference when it comes to a baby's sleep.

White Noise: The last think I think is essential for your baby is white noise, like the kind you can get from a white noise machine. There are also apps out there that do this too. Hannah actually prefers the noise of the fan in our bathroom or a "shush" in her ear.  For her personally, we only use this when she's really worked up or over-stimulated/tired.  This is happening less and less and we get to know her, but white noise puts her at peace almost immediately when all else fails.

For Mom:

Clothes: There are also some things that I have found essential for my survival during this first month too.  The first is comfy clothes, like this tunic and these leggings (I have the black and white ones). Having a winter baby means we don't go out that much; it's just too cold and not worth the effort, so cozy clothes that are nursing friendly (if you're nursing) are essential. Even though I'm staying at home I do shower and get ready each day, even if I'm wearing lounge clothes like this-it just makes me feel better.

Caffeine: The next, is coffee.....lots and lots of coffee. I have a couple of cups in the morning, and often times another cup in the afternoon. Once Hannah is sleeping though the night, I'll be able to cut back, but when I'm up with her twice, I need all the help I can get! I also think drinking out of a fancy mug helps too. ; )

Reads: Lastly, is some time for yourself. I usually set aside time during Hannah's first nap for coffee, a shower, and my daily devotions. It's during this transitional time in my life I really need to make sure I'm relying on God, so daily time is important!  Right now I'm using this book, The Armor of God, and loving it!

What about you moms out there? Is there anything you'd add to your list?  I'd love to hear!

A Day in the Life

I'm really getting used to time at home, but it's really crazy how quickly my day goes by. Today I thought I'd share a peek at our routine during the day, now that Hannah is one month old. I literally live life in three hour increments based on when Hannah needs to eat. It's definitely different than how we lived life before she got here. I'm sharing approximate times, but don't kid your self, this isn't always the case. Sometimes Hannah will wake up later in the morning or early from a nap and I adjust the times accordingly. Also, if we leave for Bible Study, church, or an errand, it usually throws up the schedule a bit too. I let her sleep longer if her previous nap was shorter due to a change in schedule. 

6:30/7: Hannah and Grant wake up...so do we. I feed Hannah while Grant gets dressed, brushes his teeth, and eats breakfast. I'm thankful he can do most of this on his own, as I can't do much of anything while nursing.

One Month Old

Little Miss Hannah was officially one month old as of yesterday! I can't believe how much has happened this month!   Today I thought I'd share an update, which I'll probably continue throughout this year.  

Height: 21" (as two weeks old)

Weight: 8.08 pounds (at two weeks)

Clothes: 0-3 months clothes, although a few sleepers are seeming short on her, I guess she's longer than most babies.

Milestones: She has actually just started to smile in the last few days. She definitely has more serious faces than I remember Grant having, but she's' smiling when she sees me and that's pretty amazing!

Likes: She's a big fan of her play mat, more so than the swing or bouncy, although she thinks those are ok for a short time. She also loves a good swaddle for night and naps, and she is definitely fascinated with her brother and the mirror above her changing table.

Dislikes: She doesn't like "too much" of anything.  Her first "whine" means "get me out of here, I'm ready to sleep"-miss that and there could be trouble!

Sleep: 4-5 hour stretches at night, hoping to go from twice up at night to once soon.

Mom and Dad are looking forward to: Hannah beginning to interact and "play" more.

The Armor of God

I mentioned I was attending a women's Bible study at my church, which is something I haven't been able to do previously as most of them occur during the day while I'm working. Since I'm on maternity leave, I'm take advantage of getting to go. We are studying using this book, The Armor of God by Pricilla Shirer.  There are five daily devotions that go along with it and then a video and discussion the Thursday mornings.

If you're not familiar, here are the verses on the armor of God:

 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

This is the first week, so I'm just getting into the content, but what Pricilla wrote on the first day really stuck out to me.  She asked us to write down the biggest challenge we're facing right now. Honestly, I feel like mine is a lack of control with our "new normal" at home.  Hannah seems to be so much more "touchy" than Grant was and seems to be so overstimulated so quickly. Putting her down for a nap can either be really easily or really hard. It's the hardest in the evening and although I want Grant and Brian to be able to play and have fun, noise makes me a long angrier than it should. I just honestly want to control everything, and that's not possible.

After I wrote down "control" as my issue, Pricilla wrote something that totally caught me off guard: "Everything you wrote is not your real problem" The real culprit is the one working behind the scenes to try to take away all the joy and peace we are given though a relationship with God, and you guessed it, it's Satan.  This is a pretty bold statement, but I believe it is entirely true.  She goes on to reassure us that once we are God's we can't be taken from Him, but Satan will do what he can to get us off track and make our lives as free from peace as he can.

My anger at lack of control shouldn't be directed towards any one person, but I need to understand the real source of the problem, then take up the full armor of God to defend myself and my family in the midst of trials.

I'm really excited to see where this study goes and what it really looks like to take up the full armor of God. I plan to share what I'm learning with you all in the coming weeks, but I hope you'll begin to consider your life and struggles too. Consider what you think your issue is, and then work with God to do something about it.

3 Hours at a Time

For someone who is forward thinking, I've been living life three hours at a time for the past month. Everything seems to revolve around Hannah's eating and sleeping schedule. So many things are going well, but I am leery to leave the house and go do things. Going to church and Bible study are priorities, but Hannah isn't too thrilled to be there once she's tired...I guess that's the side effect of training her to sleep in her crib...not her crib, not wanting to sleep.  

I think we go through different seasons in our lives. Before Hannah got here, I'll have to admit we had it pretty easy.  Grant was getting big enough we could go anywhere and do anything, and he can do a lot independently too.  It was easy to be forward thinking, now it's a new season where I really think I'm supposed to be soaking it all in....the easy and the difficult. Before I know it I'll be back to work and the one-on-one time I have with Hannah will be gone. 

Now believe me when I say some days are much easier than others, and I'm still really trying to work on balancing life as a family of four.  Grant is pretty good at understanding I need to take care of Hannah and feed her, then a short time later put her down for her nap. However, I still feel guilty when I'm going into Hannah's room for the fifth time to put that darn pacifier back in her mouth, because it feel out and she work herself back up, interrupting the time I have with Grant to play whatever it is he's dreamed up. 

I appreciate Brian helping with dinner and errands, but I feel pretty worthless in the evenings with him, when all I want to do is sleep, because I was up with Hannah for two feedings the night before....and the night before...and so on. 

I'm so thankful for my family and feel so blessed to have each one of them, so I'll take living life three hours at a time, because I know before I know it time will begin to fly and I'll forget what this time was like.

I recently got this top from Shein and it's so fun and different than anything else I have.  I did get a medium, and the reviews said it ran big, but was I nervous about getting a small, but I do think sizing down would have been good. I'm so happy to be able to wear my normal shoes and boots again! I love these black ones, but they didn't fit while I was pregnant, so glad to wear them again.

I also adore this bag I scored from thredUP. It's real leather and was only $29, plus I had credits. Use this link for $20 off your first purchase from thredup, you won't be disappointed!