A Third Kid? Not Anytime Soon...

I've already had people ask me if I'm going to have a third baby. After I had my daughter I got annoyed when people asked if we were having a second, I wanted to enjoy my first child. This time I don't get annoyed, it doesn't bother me. I think having a third baby would be great but I also know I need to take some time.

I got pregnant when my daughter was three months old. It wasn't much of a surprise but thinking about how I would take care of two young kids was scaring me a little. Actually, a lot. At about six weeks pregnant I ended up having a miscarriage. It was pretty tough and from that moment on I wanted to be pregnant again. We tried for a year and I started to get worried when nothing was happening. I finally became pregnant again but I was hesitant to get excited. I went for an early ultrasound and the doctor said it looked like I was either not far enough along to tell anything or I was going to miscarry. I was pretty upset with him. Who tells a person that has had a miscarriage in the past that the are most likely miscarrying again? He also said it may be a little too soon to get a DNC done but I may need to consider that. I remember praying that God would allow the baby to grow to prove to that doctor I was pregnant. The doctor made me feel like he thought he was god and could make decisions on a life. I ended up miscarrying again. Although a few months later I got pregnant again. I was nervous when I went in for that first ultrasound and when they told me everything was starting off as a healthy pregnancy I sighed with relief. The rest of the pregnancy went well (although I worried pretty much the whole time) and I delivered the most beautiful baby boy ever. Yes, I'm biased but he is quite cute.

So now, would I have a third? To be honest I get nervous thinking about it. My son is only two months old so I'm not planning on getting pregnant any time soon. I want to give my body a rest. For two and a half years I was on and off pregnant and I went through so much emotionally and physically. I want more kids. I've always said I want three to four but I feel like we've done well with the two we have and I don't want to mess anything up. I can't think that way, I know. If we are blessed to have more children I will be more than happy. This may sound selfish but I'm ready to spend some time with my husband and two kids. I did ask my husband if he wanted more kids and he didn't really answer. That may be because I asked him when my son was two weeks old but still. I know deep down inside he wants more kids too. We both feel happy and blessed to have these two sweet kids now and maybe one day we will have another sweet baby to love on as well!

June Favorites

I know you've all been waiting for this day...my June favorites blog post! Well here we go! This is a post where I show some products or generally anything that I'm into and would recommend to my readers!

Blogilates

 

I'm not sure if anyone has heard of this girl but she is pretty amazing. Her name is Cassey Ho and she started out teaching Pilates while in school, started a yoga clothing business and decided to do a farewell video for her students that turned into what is now known as POP Pilates. She has a YouTube channel where she does all kinds of work outs that are usually 10-15 minutes but man, do they work you out! I like these work outs because as I said, they are short and they really get you sweating and feeling sore and when that happens I feel I'm actually getting something out of the work out. I don't think you will regret how you feel after one of her work outs! She's also super peppy and makes the work outs fun. I love that she is sweating and seems to be hurting as well, it makes it more real!  You have to check out her YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/blogilates), she also has another channel (www.youtube.com/blogilatesTV) where she shows you how to eat clean or make healthy meals. She is on Instagram (@blogilates) and twitter (@blogilates) as well. Check her out! She has a blog also where she writes and keeps up with her work out clothing store. www.blogilates.com

Essie Deep Conditioning Cuticle Oil

 

I have a problem and I always have...I bite at the skin around my nails and I have the worst cuticles ever. Lately my hands haven't been the greatest because I'm constantly cleaning bottles but I've been using the cuticle oil and its wonderful. I try to use it two times a day and also put on some hand cream to help my poor, dry hands. This oil is in the perfect package...it's almost like a pen. All you need to do is push down onto your cuticle and the right amount of oil will come out and hydrate your cuticles. I'm sure if you use this as much as I do your nails and cuticles will look amazing but as I said, I'm washing bottles so for me when I put this on its more of a hydration for my cuticles. No matter what though it is hands down the best cuticle oil I've ever found.

GHD Flat Iron

This is a high dollar item and I apologize but I am so excited for this purchase. I've heard many good things about this flat iron and of course a lot of hair stylists use it so I knew it had to be good. I think I was a senior in high school when I bought my first Chi Iron thanks to my best friend. She worked at a salon and knew about all the good hair products. I would actually spend the night at her house and she would straighten my hair because she had a Chi and I didn't. I finally got one and I used that thing till it died last month. A sad day...sad because now the Chi is being mass produced and they are not as good as they used to be. Sure they are still $100 and that's not a bad price but they don't hold up like they used to. I've read many reviews that say they don't get as hot as the old ones and they definitely don't last as long. Enter the GHD. This baby retails for $185. Not cheap. And for my husband that can't stand spending that much money, he didn't understand why I would want to spend that much money on a flat iron. I basically laid out a proposal to him in order to get this. I explained that while the Chi is cheaper it would die faster so why not invest in a better flat iron that would last longer? Makes perfect sense to me! I found my GHD at Ulta (thank goodness for Ulta!) and they had a coupon for 20% off so of course I had to use that and buy it. I mainly straighten my hair and this thing is amazing. I'm very glad I paid the money because I have a feeling this product will last me awhile, plus it has a two year warranty in case something does go wrong.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish

I'm a big fan of nail polish. I love OPI and Essie but find they can be expensive so when I found Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polish I fell in love. My hands are in water a lot from washing bottles, as I've said, and nail polish doesn't last most of the time but let me tell ya this nail polish is great! I apply a base coat, a couple coats of whatever color I may be into at the moment and a top coat. I'm sure the top coat helps a lot as well but this nail polish lasts a few days longer than the normal stuff I would try plus it's usually only about $2.50 a bottle.

Goodwill

This one is about the whole store, yes, the Goodwill store. I never really went to Goodwill much but now that I'm not working and bringing in an income I try to find deals wherever I can. I had a friend go with me a few times and helped me figure out the whole browsing the store thing and it helped a lot. Yes, I go through every shirt but I've found a lot of name brand shirts that have been great! I got some nice maternity clothes while I was pregnant too. I buy some of the kids clothes from there also. They grow so fast and may wear an outfit once or twice so it's nice to buy second hand knowing I didn't waste a lot of money. I've found some really nice tshirts and polo shirts for Isaac. He isn't big into buying new clothes but if I buy something for him he usually wears it. I've also found some nice shirts in the sale section at Old Navy for around $5...sorry for the Old Navy plug in the Goodwill portion...maybe this should be about deals that I've found. Either way, check out Goodwill or even Old Navy's sale section. Heck, check out every places' sale sections! It's never hard to find a good deal!

Be sure to check these items out and come back in July to check out what I'm into that month!

*I have not been compensated for mentioning any of these products or websites. These are all my own opinions. I really enjoy using this stuff, that's all!

Some Thoughts

Do you ever get really excited about something then the excitement starts to fade? That's how I'm feeling right now. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy being home with my kids and getting stuff accomplished but I've fallen behind on some of my goals and ideas. I refuse to get down on myself though.

Today is a new day.

This is just a thought that has been running through my head. I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling like this every now and then. It's called life. We have good days and bad days but I am blessed!

And if you happen to think about it, be in prayer for my husband. He is getting a few calls about some nursing jobs and we are in need of him getting a job since I am no longer working. We are believing that God will provide!

My Mom is the Best!

It's not good blogging if I come up with blog ideas after the day has already passed but here I am, I'm writing a Mother's Day post. Sorry mom but it's better late than never!

Part of the reason why I decided to stay home with my kids is because my mom did when we were younger. It was nice to have her home. I remember watching the Price is Right (which, ironically, is what I'm watching right now) then watching channel 7 news while I ate my hot dogs and baked beans for lunch. I remember my mom promising me barbies if I said what I needed to say in church programs. Again, I'm bad about remembering a lot of memories from when I was younger. Side note, it's a good thing my dad took videos of us growing up so I can at least look back and remember some things!

I told my mom everything growing up. She could always tells when I was lying so I could never really get anything past her. She would always give me the "mom look" if I did something wrong and that usually worked. I am hoping to perfect that look with my kids because I think it worked out pretty well on me and my brother.

Now that I'm an adult I feel like my mom and I are best friends. I know I can always count on her if I have questions about the kids, I can talk to her about pretty much anything and I know she is always going to be there for me. I love how she interacts with my kids and all that she does for them. She is a great Gammy and they are blessed to have her in their lives.

I know I don't need to write posts about my parents, I hope they know how much they mean to me and how much I love them but everyone needs to know just how great they are! Like I said, my parents are the best! I know, I know...every one's parents are the best and that's OK too but I am lucky that I have the parents I have. I feel like I have had the greatest life because my parents took the time with us and sacrificed their own happiness at times to make us happy. I hope I can be as great of a parent to my kids that they were and are to me. I've got great role models, that's for sure!

I love you Mom! Thanks for all you do and have done!

My Dad is the Best!

Sunday is Father's Day and I thought I would write a little about my dad because I'm pretty sure I have the best dad. I realize as I'm writing this I did not write a Mother's Day post and since my parents read this blog I should probably let my mom know I will be writing a belated Mother's Day post...don't you worry mom!

My dad has been a great dad. I'm not the greatest at remembering childhood memories, I have a pretty bad long term memory but there are a few things I do remember. I remember sitting in the hallway when my brother and I were younger and my dad would read to us from the Bible before bedtime. It was great that even at a young age he would instill biblical values in us. As I got older my dad was my GPS. I am the worst with directions and my dad was really good at directions so I would usually call him if I got lost which was quite often. I locked my keys in my car a lot and he always had a spare so that helped a lot! I called him crying when I got my first speeding ticket at 17, I'm sure he wasn't happy but he calmed me down and told me we would figure it out. He ended up taking me to courthouse to get the whole ticket thing figured out. I was really nervous because I wasn't sure how everything would go down but my dad was there to make sure everything went well. My dad and I would usually go to the grocery store every Friday night. I loved doing that. We love to cook and I will come up with some new meals and my dad is usually the first one to say he likes it. He isn't picky but sometimes that doesn't help because I need to know if it really is good or bad. 

As I've gotten older my dad has still been there to help me but now my husband has taken over some of the things my dad used to do. If I get locked out of my car, he has to come help (except for the one time my husband was in class and couldn't get out so my dad had to help), my husband drives most of the time so I don't have to worry about directions which is nice and now my husband is my guinea pig for meal making time but it still doesn't help because he isn't picky either. We actually are living with my parents right now so I still get to go to the store on Friday nights but my husband and daughter go with us whenever they can, it's nice to have them come along! I'm thankful my parents have been willing to let us stay with them while we save money and in this time of job transitions. 

We aren't very affectionate in our family but I know by the things my dad does for me and my family he loves and cares for us. We love him too! Even if we make fun of him sometimes and even if he tells a crazy story (I told him growing up he should just take all these stories and put them in his "book", he has a lot of stories that go in there!). He's been a great and loving dad and I'm so grateful to have him in my life and now to have him in the lives of my kids. He makes an amazing Gramps!

Thanks dad for all you've done and still do for me! I love you! Hope you have an amazing Father's Day!

Counting Calories! It's not so bad...

I mentioned in my May Favorites blog that I was using the MyFitnessPal app and I really liked it. I am happy to say I've been using it for about three weeks now and I'm still liking it a lot. I've been doing well at staying under my calories for the day while still feeling full. I've always had trouble with watching my portions but this calorie app makes me do just that. I've been measuring my food, not eating after 7, and trying to stick to water, with the exception of coffee and a few other drinks (I'm trying to stay away from pop mostly).

I go to my doctor on Monday and should be cleared to get back into working out but in the mean time I'm glad I've been sticking with counting calories. Food is my weakness and if I can overcome that and add exercising back in I think I will do great! No matter what I'm proud I've stuck with counting calories, something else to cross off my goal list! I now feel like I can stick with eating well!

Potty Time!

I am not a fan of potty training but we all know it needs to be done. In February I actually took a week off to jump start my daughter into potty training and I got completely overwhelmed and ended up not really doing much with her for the week. I think I put too much pressure on her and myself. I wanted her to be potty trained by the time the baby got here but I finally told myself to calm down and take it one day at a time. 

Up until about a week ago she was still having accidents, I was afraid to take her out in panties and she never really told me she had to go. Now all the sudden she's telling me she needs to go, staying dry when I take her out, even holding it until we get home. She still has the occasional accident and we are now working on staying dry during nap time...we haven't tried bedtime yet but that will come. 

I'm so proud of her. She's really taken to the whole idea of potty time. She's even going without me and of course when she goes poo she doesn't want you to watch which I don't blame her, who wants someone watching them go poo? No matter what my little girl is growing up and all that worry and pressure I was putting on her and me was for nothing. 

When they say kids will just get it, it's true. One day she didn't care and now she is getting so good at it. Advice: just take it a day at a time, try to keep calm if there are accidents and be proud and excited when they do go! It's an exciting time in their little lives. My daughter drags us into the bathroom to see that she's pooed because she is so excited, it's adorable...who would have thought..poo, adorable...it's the little things in life, that's for sure!

Daily Devotions

I've set a lot of goals for myself now that I'm staying home with my kids. I've actually kept up with some and I'm pretty proud. I usually get ideas in my head and they stay there...no action is ever taken. I'm tired of doing that actually...I wish I followed through more. One goal I wish I had followed through on was keeping up with my daily devotions. I've never been afraid to tell anyone I'm not that great at doing devotions or reading my Bible. It's sad actually. I can read a 400+ page book in half a day if I have the time but I can't take the time to read my daily Bible. I feel devotions affect many aspects of my life. 

I love singing and I love helping with the worship at church. Our youth group has reinvented itself if you will and has started doing live worship again. It's something I really want to be a part of because worship is a passion of mine. One thing I would love to do is lead worship or at least lead out a few Sunday nights but I've never been good at speaking in front of crowds...I'm also not that greatest at speaking what God has given me to say and I feel that's because of a lack of a devotional life. If I'm not daily spending time with God how can He speak into my life? If that's not happening I surely can't speak into other people's lives. I've taken some time away from worship at church because of my baby and I really plan on getting back into the word. I want more than anything to hear from God so I can give those words to others. I feel like this goal is the best goal of all. Sure, taking care of my body and getting healthy, keeping the house clean, working with my daughter on potty training and such are important but what it all comes down to is what I did with my time here on earth for God. It's about time I get into the word more and let Him use me. 

I'm also going to get back into my devotional Jesus Calling but are there any books out there that speak to you? As busy moms that may read this blog, how do you handle doing devotions and keeping up with your daily tasks? Even if you're not a mom and you are just busy...how do you do it? Share with me!