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Tuesday, September 29, 2015

If Money Were No Object I Would Hire A...

I've seen this floating around blog land lately and found it so interesting.

The options are a...
Personal Trainer

Nanny

Personal Chef

Housekeeper


Here's my answer:

A Housekeeper!
Why you might ask?  Well with 2 dogs and a toddler running around our house is on the lesser side of clean then we would like.  And with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 2000 square feet, there are plenty of spots for dirt and dust.

Ryan and I would love to have a housekeeper come and clean our house.  Definitely not everyday, I mean we do the dishes and take our the trash, but maybe every other week?

We both hate cleaning the bathrooms and dusting just isn't happening with a one year old running around us.

We can still vacuum once a week and do the dishes and laundry, but if someone could come and deep clean our plantation shutters, bathrooms and dust...AHHHHHH that would be heavenly!

So who is giving me this endless amounts of money to do this??

What would you choose?
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Monday, September 28, 2015

To The First Time Mom,


From this first time mom,

I remember what it was like those months/weeks/days/hours/minutes before your baby is born.  I remember the excitement and fear all mixed together.  I remember fearing that something would go wrong and being so excited for meeting him all at the same time.

I'm here to tell you this, it is still scary and exciting, but embrace it!

I am now a first time mom to a one-year-old BOY!  And I mean BOY!  He could care less if he scrapes his knees and feet on the concrete because he will do whatever it takes to get his dogs!  He could care less about smelling and having food in his hair because it means that he is eating well.  He is a mess 9 times out of 10 but he is all boy and he is all mine!

I've learned a few things in this past year, and although it might not all apply to you, I hope you take it with a grain of salt and hopefully not feel alone when you come across the same things.

Lesson 1:
Mama Guilt - no matter what it's about, you will have it and it will suck.  It will consume you and it is up to you to figure out how to accept it.  For me?  Mama guilt was all about nursing and going back to work.  How dare I not stay home with my sweet little babe forever!  Well we have bills and those babies are expensive and we live in CA!  How dare I give my baby formula when my body is fully capable of sustaining his hunger!  Well think again.  I tried and tried, cried and cried.  After 2 months of nursing and formula, mentally it was just better to stop.  He was barely getting enough milk from me to get him by and it was making me more of an emotional wreck.  My Mama Guilt has never gone away, but it has changed over the past year.  I now feel guilty about not always being there for him when he is learning new things, like while I am at work, but I know that he is well cared for and I give him 100% of my attention as much as I can.  Don't give up, just find a way to get through it.

Lesson 2:
Comparing - I had a lot of trouble with this my first couple of months as a mom.  I would constantly compare my life to others' and question what I was doing wrong.  My friends would have babies and nurse them forever and here I was not.  My friends would have babies and stay home and still live great lives and here I was working.  Just stop!  Learn that they think you are the bee's knees too and it's okay.  We all do it, but we need to remember that we are friends and need to support one another.  I am happy for those moms that get to breastfeed for 12 months and I am proud of the moms who know when it is time to stop and choose what is best for them and their baby.  I am happy that I have friends who do get to stay home with their babies and still live a great life, it gives me and the hubs more motivation to make that our life one day.  I am happy with my life and I have to remember that comparing our lives to other's lives is not going to make it change, so instead we just work towards our own goals and support our friends' decisions.

Lesson 3:
Baby Weight - Ugh, must we talk about it?  Of course!  Because it is a thing and as much as you might say you don't think about it, I'm sure you actually do.  When I got pregnant with Caleb I was already at a number that I wasn't too happy with.  Then while pregnant I gained 34 pounds and that was frightening, but it was all worth it because Caleb was born strong and healthy.  After baby I was determined to lose that baby weight, plus some!  Well it's not like I started working out or anything, but I did manage to lose all 34 extra pounds by the time Caleb was 6 months old.  I was super proud of myself.  I walked a lot and definitely watched what I ate.  If I had actually gone to the gym and done workouts I'm sure it would have come off faster, but I'm not that dedicated, which is something that I know about myself.  Now 6 more months after that, I am 5 pounds less then I weighed when I got pregnant with Caleb and couldn't be happier.  It takes time.  We are not celebrities with professional trainers and home chefs.  We will not be back down to our pre-baby weight in 2 weeks and smiling!  Face it, you grew a freaking beautiful little human being and the weight is worth it.  If you want to change it, it is up to you.  Just know that you aren't alone!

Lesson 4:
Learn As You Go - I definitely don't know it all and I was super hopeful that once I became a Mom I would have all the answers, because let's face it, your mom knows everything right?  Mine sure does but I am still waiting for that magical day when I don't ask her what I'm supposed to do.  When will I know how to make a screaming baby stop screaming?  When will I know how to get my now toddler to stop throwing a tantrum?  You will face many things that you will have no idea how to do (umbilical cord, clipping fingernails/toenails for the first time, first bath) but just remember that we all didn't know either.  That's the beauty of being a first-time mom, there are millions of us out there who don't know all the same things as you.

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There are many more things I have learned over the past year, but most of all I have learned that none of it matters as long as you are trying and giving it your all.  Your baby will have no idea if you dressed him in 4 different outfits one day because every onesie  you managed to get on his head is too short in the body.  Your baby will have no idea if you make two 2 ounce bottles instead of a 4 ounce in the first place.  Your baby will have no idea that you don't know what to do with his umbilical cord once it falls off.

But guess what your baby will know?

Your baby will know your smell and touch.  Your baby will know you voice.  Your baby will know how much you love them and that is all that matters.

So from this first-time mom to you, I wish you luck and love.  I hope that you realize that you are doing it right because none of us really ever know what we are doing right away.

And just think, soon you can pass your experiences on to others and they could benefit from it! :)
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Thursday, September 24, 2015

One Year With Caleb Tyler!

I still can't believe how much he has grown in the past 12 months!  When he was born we thought he had so much hair, and now, we know we were wrong!  He was so tiny and smelled sooo good!  Now he smells just as good, after a bath, and gives the best hugs!

Take a trip down memory lane with me as we look back on our monthly photos for the past year.
















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Wednesday, September 23, 2015

My Dearest Little - 12 Month Letter



My Dearest Little,

You are one!  I cannot believe it, and yet, here we are.  You are no longer considered an infant or a baby, but a big boy and toddler.  I am not quite sure how my mama heart feels about that, but you are sure loving it.

We started out this 12th month of your life with a bang!  You slept for 14 hours and have slept a consistent 12+ every night since and I am not complaining.  I know you are growing and learning so much and I am honestly okay with it.

I love watching you learn new words and new tricks.  You clearly understand when we ask you to close the cupboards or open your mouth.  You know that your dogs hang out outside and if you bang on the slider loud enough they will come to you.  You know that when we leave your sight it's usually to go to the bathroom and it fascinates you to come find us.

As much as I miss you being my little snuggle muffin, you have grown into such a big boy but you are still super snuggly, so I'll take it.

I can't believe that a whole year has passed.  I still feel as though we just brought you home a month ago and were experiencing all of your firsts.  We still have many firsts left to go though, so I look forward to those.

Snuggle Muffin, promise me this.  
Promise me that even though you are ONE now you won't forget the sound of my heart beating for you.  
Promise me that even though you are ONE now you won't forget the way I smell when I rock you to sleep each night.  
Promise me that even though you are ONE now that you won't turn into a teenager tomorrow and start "hating" us.

We love you so much and can't wait to see how you continue to grow.  You have made us the luckiest people in the world and we are still so proud, honored and blessed to have you call us Mommy and Daddy.

Always remember that we might not know all the words to the songs, but we will sing them loud and proud to you each and every time.

Love,
Mommy.

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12 Month Statistics:
Height: 31 inches :: You've grown 11 inches since you were born!
Weight: 23 pounds ::  You've gained 15 pounds since you were born!
Head:  18.5 inches :: Your head has grown 5.5 inches since you were born!
Clothes: 12-18 Months
Teeth:  You have 6 teeth now!

Photo Dump:













































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