Our Baby Nursery Sneak Peek

I am so excited because I wasn't planning on doing Elyse's nursery yet. I had thought that Collin would still be in the room when she was born. But with the boys sharing the same room so much earlier than expected, and doing well, why not get her room all done!

For 5 years I have been planning her room. Well, just a couple details really. I saw these poppy decals and knew I wanted them behind her crib, and also to add a religious picture in there. (We have one in every room). I had planned on keeping the same bedding that they boys used, and just being as low cost as possible, but...when a friend of mine mentioned crib sheets decorated with poppies, I RAN WITH IT! And got a few items on major sale! I couldn't help it! And it has turned out SO GREAT!

Color palette for her room: 
Light yellow for the wall color, pops or red and light green.

Existing in nursery:
I did reuse a lot of items from the boys to help save some $$:
Green gingham curtains
Lamp with the matching green gingham shade
Mickey Lamp with cross stitch shade-made by my mom. That was in my room growing up.
Table used as a changing table,
changing table pad with cover with the green polka dots
Crib
Cross stitch Precious Moments Noah's Ark: My mom made that about 30 years ago
Bookshelf
Quilt hanging on the wall: My mom made that when I was about 9 years old and I claimed it for my kids!
Green "Shrek" chair. (We inherited it from my grandmother and it seems to be a very popular piece. We have another one in our room and another rocker but that is a crushed velvet in yellow. All from the 70's)

What we got:
Crib Sheets and quilt: Little Unicorn-
Crib Skirt: Pottery Barn Kids- Petter Rabbit Nursery Bedding
Wall Decals: Room Mates Peel and Stick Décor- Poppies At Play Giant Wall Decals
Pictures: Lowe's- Poppies Double Set (lucky find!) & Greg Olsen- Forever and Ever
Swaddle Blankets: Aden & Anais- RED

Enjoy the sneak peek!










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Baby Registry Must Have's And MORE

I know a lot of first time moms wonder, what do I put on the registry that I will really need. Well, here are my must haves to include on that list. I also have what is not really necessary to have so you can decide what you really need. I want to give you the essential and save you as much money as you can, because having a baby, can get expensive really fast! If you have any questions on an item that you are thinking about comment below! This is my third go around. I would love to help you if you have any questions!

First things first, here is a little tip for all of you moms to be: sign up for an Amazon.com baby registry! It is one of the easiest experience ever as they sell (and you can find) EVERYTHING. A lot of times, the products are discounted or cheaper, which is GREAT!

Not only that, you get free shipping on everything and for all items that are left on your registry, you will get sent a 15% off coupon code to use to purchase them! Sweet, huh?

Sign up by clicking here or the banner below and start creating your dream baby list:

WHAT YOU NEED

Car seat-You have to have one to leave the hospital. Generally it will match your stroller or you can get it as a match set. Aim for something that has the higher weight and height requirement so you can use it longer. We personally have a Combi car seat. We got it because it was the only car seat that would fit in the Mini Cooper that we had when Mason was born. And we have continued to use it with Collin and will use it with Elyse too. It is and will still be under the 6 year limit and has never been in a car accident.

Stroller- Need to get a good stroller, one that could hold your car seat as well is very helpful for the first year or so. We have an older version of this Combi Stroller. We got it to fold to very small so that it could easily be carried around and fit in our very small car we had at the time.
Crib- although you probably won't use it for the baby for the first 3 months it is nice to have set up and ready to go. You don't have to go all out for the crib. I like things that grow with the child. So our is a convertible crib. It goes from a crib, to toddler bed, day bed, then to a full bed. And has lasted us through 2 kids so far for being just at $200 bucks.

Crib Sheets- You don't need to get the whole matching set. To save money just get cute sheets We got our as Little Unicorn for sweet little Elyse. 2-3 is the perfect number. One on the bed, one that needs to be washed and one ready to go clean for easy changing in the middle of the night.

Pack-n-play- We personally use a pack-n-play as the bassinet next to our bed for the first 3-6 months or until the baby is ready to move into their crib. We received one that has the newborn swaddle sleep area, the changing table and the upper setting of the bassinet.

Baby Carrier- like an Ergo baby or a Moby wrap to wear your baby around the house and out and about. Being hands free is amazing.

Breast pump- Check with your insurance to see if they cover the cost of a new breast pump. I have never gotten a pump but my friends really like the Medela Freestyle pump.  If your insurance does cover your pump you can still register for the accessories, pads, and extra parts. I have never used a breast pump. I have a manual one that I use at 6 months old to extract some milk for the baby food but I barely get any out of it.

Swaddle Blankets- We love to swaddle our babies. I love the Aden and Anais blankets because they are huge and don't un-wrap very easily. For easy, easy, easy, and my husband's personal preference, get the Summer Infant Swaddle Me adjustable infant wraps. They have velcro on them and it is just so easy to use.
Baby Tub- You could use your sink, but it is nice to have a safe place made just for your baby to clean them up! I love the sling style ones like this First Years Sure Comfort. Perfect for newborns to keep them in place!

Baby Monitor- We still have the old sound monitor but honestly if we could get a video monitor, yeah, that is on my list with this baby. It would be so nice to have and just put me at ease! Check out this Summer Infant In View Digital monitor.

Rocking chair- a good quality one. These are more expensive but ours only lasted for 1 child. Honestly, if you can get the actual couch like chair I think that would last you longer. We had one of the rockers and ottoman sets that had springs in the butt, under the cushion that broke and it creaked too much right from the get go. It literally got used to death. Which is good, but it would have been nice if it lasted for longer than 1 kid for the price that it cost (around $250) Oh and choose a darker fabric. There could be spit up or poop or other things that make it onto the chair. Get something dark so that stains or spots aren't easily seen after a quick wipe off.

Changing table- invest in a midsize dresser and a comfy changing mat and some cute new shelves. It will grow with your child. In our house, we do not have a changing table at all. We have a high set old desk table with a changing pad on it and a cute cover. We really don't use it and it becomes storage very quickly because we change all the diapers on our bed in the beginning or the floor as they get bigger. I just put a large size quilt down under baby on our bed or floor to avoid getting poop all over everything.


WHAT YOU DON'T NEED

Fancy nursing pillow- Boppy pillow will do just fine nothing that will cost you an arm and a leg. You can accessorize with a cute cover, but that will just cost more money. Keep in mind these get milk all over them. Make sure that it has or you get a washable cover on it though so that you can wash it easily.

Crib bumper and special bedding sets- Bumpers aren't recommended to be used anymore in the cribs, and we only have used it for decoration. You don't want it on there in the early days for fear of the baby getting stuck against it and heaven forbid, suffocating in it. And then as they start standing or getting curious about climbing they will use it to climb up on and climb out the crib. (Mason did that one.) We never used the bumper for Collin.

Nursing cover- These might be great as a first time mom in the beginning but really, they are/can be difficult to use. The baby gets super hot under them, it is hard to see and make sure they have and keep a good latch. And as they get older, the baby will take it off anyways. A large blanket will do trick for modesty in the beginning, but at some point, nursing will become second nature to you and covering up won't be a big deal.

Bottle Sterilizer- Nope don't need it. Get dishwasher safe bottles. It is easier to throw them in the dishwasher and let it go.

Bottle Warmer- Nope takes up space on your counters.

Designer Burp Cloths- Although they might be nice and have cute sayings on them. Invest in a single plastic style one or get 2 so you can have one that needs to be cleaned and one that is ready to go. We love the Baby Björn. Easy to clean and fits many sizes of children.

Wipe Warmer- We still have one that was for our first child, who is about to turn 5, that I registered for thinking I would use, and it has never been used. So...I am thinking it might be good to use this winter, however, the warmer will dry out the wipes. That is why we never used it. That was the number one thing I was told. Wipe warmer dries out the wipes and wastes money.

Bassinet- Don't have to have one of these specifically. The baby will grow out of it in the first 4 months. We borrowed one from a friend for Mason, and actually had it downstairs so that he could nap while I was in the kitchen cleaning or cooking. We use the pack-n-play as our bassinet. Which can be used later as a safe place to put your baby when you are doing things around the house as they get older.

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Fit and Healthy Pregnancy #3

I can't keep secrets you guys! And the reason why I haven't really blogged in the last 2 weeks is because I had a huge secret that I wanted to tell you about and I wasn't ready to spill the beans quite yet. Well, I am ready now!


BABY #3 IS On Its Way, Again!!!! And with the same due date as my last pregnancy. Weird huh!

To be honest with you, we thought I was broken. My cycles have been so off since the miscarriage. Never regular and all over the place. We didn't think I could get pregnant again. Matt even scheduled a deployment so that we could save some $$ to pay for fertility treatment again, just to get pregnant. Apparently we don't need to do that anymore!

I have been in major denial, sad, angry, confused. I haven't let myself really be happy yet. And that is ok, considering what I went through last year. I didn't even want to share the news this quickly either. What if it happens again? But you know what? Every pregnancy is a miracle. Every pregnancy is a blessing. And I should know as it took us 8 years to get our first positive test after years of trying! So regardless of what happens. I still want to celebrate and honor this and every pregnancy. The main thing I am doing right now is trying to be as healthy as possible for me and the baby. So here we go again! Another fit and healthy pregnancy to share with all of you! Hope you enjoy the journey!

Want more daily motivation and inspiration? Click here get free advice, support and encouragement + a free copy of my Clean Eating guide to help you get started on your health and fitness journey! 

You Are Not Weak For Crying

Yesterday was a really powerful day for me. It started as any normal day. Getting up and getting Mason ready for preschool and breakfast made. I needed onions for my breakfast and started cutting into a nice huge onion. And then that familiar burning and stinging and crying happened from the onion. I finished chopping, washed my hands and just felt empty and hallow. And the tears kept coming and coming. I just felt drained. On the way home from dropping Mason off at school again I felt empty and hallow. I was grieving knowing that my due date was any day and it wasn't going to happen.

I knew this day was going to happen. At some point. I didn't know when or how or anything but I knew I would have a breakdown day. The tears kept coming and coming. Those hot and heavy tears full of sorrow and pain. I called Matt and told him I was having a bad day and I couldn't stop crying. 20 minutes later he walked in the door with a flower, strawberries and of course chocolate! (I have done pretty good though not eating the chocolate!)

He held me as I continued to cry. Normally when I am in pain or sad or crying I push everyone away. But not today. I let him hold me. Counseling has helped. I am letting people in! The tears didn't stop. I just kept crying. Anytime I thought I would be done I wasn't.

Matt picked Mason up from lunch and we had lunch. Kids went down for a nap and Matt sent me up for one too! Thankfully it was a Wednesday and I had my weekly counseling session. I didn't get ready. I didn't change clothes. I just went puffy swollen face and all. Talked through it. And felt lighter and so much better. I finally stopped crying uncontrollably after my session. Matt and I talked about my session and we just grieved together yesterday.

So thankful to my husband for just dropping what he was doing to take care of me. His work is so important but he still took care of me. I also realized that yesterday that I hadn't let all my feelings out. That I was still bottling them in and they just exploded yesterday. and it is okay!

Crying is not a sign of weakness. And for years I always thought it had. For me it just meant that I was holding too many things in at once and something had to give!

Hope

This past Saturday I finished my fourth piano solo composition. Bet you didn't know that I have actually dabbled in writing music? I am not a mastermind at music composition but I just write what comes to me and take it from there. Sometimes I hear a melody and I can get swept up in it and write a decent amount of music in a day, or sitting and that is really what happened with this one. It has been on my mind almost every day since I started it. I started writing again, a brand new song, on the 30th of August. And now less than 30 days I have completed it.

I have titled it Hope, or A Mother's Hope (still deciding). It really is about my roller coaster of a ride with having babies. All the struggles and joys I have experienced.

I was inspired to finish it when my sister in law had her baby. A red headed little girl. Which is what I always imagined my baby girl would be. I am not going to lie. I am jealous, I am sad. My due date was actually this coming Saturday on the 26th. My sis-in-law and I were both expecting at the same time. And it is hard knowing that she has her little girl and I don't... yet. I know this might seem petty, and I am not writing this to get pity or make my sister in law feel upset for having her baby, or anyone else for that matter. I am saying this because it is normal and natural to experiences these feelings of jealousy, anger, frustration, and sadness. It is ok to feel these things. And don't let anyone tell you different! It is also about how we express those feelings. Being angry at our family or anyone because they have something you don't is not the best right. The feelings need to be talked about, expressed and released. I needed to get those feelings out and I did it through my music. I was bawling my eyes out when my music took a turn I wasn't expecting. Mimicking the sadness and grief I felt when I lost her. But the end is so hopeful. I know that someday when the time is right she will join our family. This is not in my control. I am on God's timeline and at this point, I am hopeful that someday she will be with us. When that will be? I have no idea but I have hope that she will be here when it is her right time.

I am thankful that I have the talent to be able to play my feelings out. Holding them in is the last thing I want to do. I have to let them out. In any way I can. Music, art, dancing anything creative that you can do to help you express those feelings so that you can feel free, lifted and just at peace with what is being thrown your way. Trust in yourself and in God that you can get through this and you will. I am so happy for my sister in law and her family for her little girl making it safely here. Babies are a miracle no matter what! It is hard work making a baby!

Preschool Lunch

Mason is starting pre-school in 2 weeks from today! YAY!!!! (I may be just a little bit excited for that fact!) He is one picky eater thought and I would much rather him take the option on the left more than the option on the right. I am a clean eater. My son, IS NOT!

(source)

He can eat gold fish till the cows come home. PB&J every meal. No more eggs for him, no more oatmeal. "EWWWW!" is what he says now to that. Pasta, yeah right. And if we tell him he can't have anything else, he would rather not eat at all. (like last night.) He will do hot dogs, without the buns but only if 5 Guys make it. (yeah, at a lost on that one!) No string cheese, no meat, no anything that resembles the color GREEN!

Last night we made these pocket sandwiches (just like in the picture which he said looked good by the way!) And he refused to eat it! He picked out the bread, meat and cheese for it all by himself. And wanted nothing to do with it. He wanted to eat more chips and grapes.

So moms! I got these recipe books from 100 Days of Real Food for help and inspiration. The food looks GREAT! Does anyone out there have any help for me. Tips and tricks. I want him to want to eat healthy foods, and a variety of foods too, not just the same thing over and over. (At least when I do it, is is something more substantial and healthy!) I am at a loss and I really need some help!

I did find this site by Keeley McGuire yesterday for 20 non sandwich lunches while searching. Cute ideas!

(source)

Happy 1st Birthday Collin Baby!

Here we are. 1 year old. My baby is 1 year old. So scary how fast this year has gone and how blessed we have been with this amazing year. Collin was our surprise baby. The one where I decided that it didn't matter if I sat on my butt or kept running. I had no control over if I miscarried or not. (I had 2 previous miscarriages just before him, and he stuck!) I still worried that what I was doing would make me miscarry but I put my faith in the Lord that if he was meant to be with our family he would be with our family. AND HE IS!

Collin is THE most laid back baby ever. He doesn't really fuss, doesn't really cry, doesn't really get mad. If he gets hurt he stops crying very quickly thanks to his 2 fingers that calm him down, and mommy of course. He is just a super observant baby and loves to watch his big brother do anything.

Collin loves to follow brother around too. Wherever brother goes, Collin is sure to follow because he doesn't want to miss out on any cool things. Or if dad is home Collin is always hanging out with daddy. Such a daddy's boy.

He is our little runt of the litter. He is still in 9 month old sized clothing. He is a little short but he will hit a growth spurt and get taller. He is also the healthiest eater in the house. His favorite meal of the day is breakfast that he inhales, actually he inhales everything he eats, all 2 cups worth of it! HE IS A BIG EATER. But check out what he loves for breakfast everyday: 1-2 eggs soft over easy cooked, 1 banana mashed, 2 teaspoons flaxseed, 1/4-1/2 cup oatmeal all mixed together. He loves it and is so sad when it is all gone. Healthy eater! He has his yearly check up on Wednesday so I will post his stats after to show he is growing and how much!

Here is a photo purge of some of the pictures I took at his Birthday Party this past Saturday!

~I made the comic book cover banner and we will be hanging it in the boy's room!~

 ~Sugar Coma~

Mother's Day 2015- Last Minute Gift Ideas

Can you believe that Mother's Day is SUNDAY!?! This year I was a little late to get the gifts sent out to my mom and mother-in-law, sorry mom! Because the past few weeks just got away from me. But I feel like I am back in the game now and in control of what is going on.

I wanted to share some awesome gifts for any mom out there in case you were a little "behind" like I was!

~Breakfast in Bed: What better way to help mom feel super special to wake up early and fix her breakfast and bring it right to her bed! And the kids love to help with this. It doesn't matter if it is Lucky Charms cereal, or an extravagant omelet. Any mom is going to appreciate not having to make breakfast the day of.

~Homemade cards by the kiddos: Kids love to color. So dad's get them coloring! Let them draw a picture of their mommy and see what they do. Write a nice little letter and try to have them sign their name. Mom's can tuck this away to bring out and show future girlfriends so this is an awesome idea!

~Chocolate Covered Fruit: One of my favs! And super easy to do. Dad's just melt the chocolate in the microwave, 30 second then stir, and so forth until it is all melted. But chocolate covered strawberries, pineapple, apples or anything is YUMMY! (edible arrangements has them too if you want to go that route!)

~Flowers: Always a good choice. Try to go with something more fragrant so that every time she walks in the room she can smell the beautiful flowers. Or get a new flower that you can plant outside together so that when you see it for the rest of the season you can remember Mother's Day. That is a gift that keeps on giving right there!

~Clean house: My dream, waking up to the house that is clean so that I don't have to do it. Or better yet... House clean for the whole weekend. Saturday and Sunday. Give me 2 days off. No dishes, no vacuum, no tripped over dinosaurs. No having to clean. I am off duty for that. (without it just piling up so that I don't have to clean it all on Monday anyways.) Ah that would be nice!

To all of you Grandmothers, moms, moms to be, fur mommy's and future moms, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY. I hope each and every one of you have an amazing day filled with laughter and love. You are amazing. You are super. You are the best thing in this world. Know how important you are to your little ones (future little ones too). You are their example, their super hero. They look up to you and love you, because you are MOM no matter how old they are! What a beautiful blessing you are to them. I truly hope you have an amazing Mother's Day!

Thanks to my mom for being such an awesome friend and amazing mother to me. Your example and steadfastness in life has been such a great inspiration to me and I am so proud to call you my mom!

Check out this video on how amazing you are MOMS! Let me know what you think because I was crying just watching this. I can totally relate and I love being a MOM!

Building Red Blood Cells

As you know from the miscarriage I lost a lot of blood. And I didn't need/get a transfusion of blood. And since I am not a vampire, Tru Blood is not recommended for me! My body is doing it all on its own. Sad thing, it will take me about 3 weeks to regain all the blood that I lost. 3 WEEKS of feeling out of breath, and every time I go up and down the stairs I feel like I am running up stadium hill. (A beast of a hill here in C-ville). My doc's main orders were to take my antibiotics for possible infection and take iron pills. 3 times a day.

Why is iron so important? Iron plays an essential role in the transportation of oxygen to the blood. Symptoms of iron deficiency include weakness (check), fatigue (yep), shortness of breath (yep have that too) and decreased immunity (might have that but have been on drugs to stave off infection so don't know!)

Well I have gone a bit more granola in my iron consumption. I have the supplements if I need them but here is what I have been doing. (my doc fully supports me doing what I am doing and thinks it is awesome that I am thinking outside the box and more natural! Always confer with your doctor.)

Chlorophyll- Yes you read this right. Chlorophyll, plant blood as I have been calling it, is amazing at building back red blood cells. I specifically have been taking Chloroxygen drops in my water. It turns my water a dark shade of green and has a mild taste. It isn't that bad. Here is some research we found about this specific product. I have been drinking large mugs of water each day and I really think this is what has helped me feel so much better as quickly as I have. (my doc actually said it is awesome to take after a long run because it helps to re-oxiginate your blood. And obviously after having a baby where there is some blood loss as well.)

Black Strap Molasses- I have only take 1 dose of this and man it was hard to take straight up because it has a thick tar like consistency. And it is super, SUPER sweet! Oh man it was sweet. Matt had me take a teaspoon straight up and I swear I had a headache that night from how sweet it was. But this is the kind we got. Organic has 24% iron in it.

Sunflower Seeds-A 1/4 cup serving of sunflower seeds dry roasted with salt contain 1.22 mg of iron. It isn't a whole lot but they sure taste yummy! 

Red Meat- Man I have been eating red meat galore it feels like. And I like it! We have been getting BBQ, or I ordered BBQ from a restaurant Monday night. And hamburger. And happily it was brought to our house last night for a meal from a neighbor! Yummy! 

Liver- Liver is high in iron but I couldn't do it. Nope, not me.

Green Smoothies- Using spinach and other fibrous greens are chalk full of iron of you.

I am also taking some of the left over encapsulated placenta I have left over from Collin. I didn't finish them off cause I had so many and was saving them for a rainy day. Rainy day has come. The main thing I am doing is listening to my body. I don't push too hard because I feel like crap when I do. And it really sucks feeling out of breath all the time. I just want to get better and that means that I have to take it easy, listen to my body and allow it the time it needs to recover. That means no 5 mile walk this weekend. As much as I would love to, it would probably do me in. So more rest and recovery and soon enough I will be back at it and getting back to being fit! 

Have you ever tried any of these natural iron supplements?