Saturday, April 15, 2017

Beau’s 5th & 6th Week

The more babies I have, the worse I get at keeping up here. Here’s all about our sweet Beau’s fifth (3/30) and sixth week (4/6).

Weight/Height: Last time I weighed him he was 11 lbs & a few ounces. He looks SUPER long to me!

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Health: Still dealing with a little bit of thrush on his tongue I think? It started to clear up when I was giving him a probiotic. (I found a high quality powder one for infants that you store in the refrigerator. I dip my clean finger in it once per day and rub it in his mouth before a feeding.

I give him one vitamin D drop each day and try to make sure he spends some time outside and in the sunlight. We also do about 15 minutes of tummy time each day.

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Baby acne flares up when he gets hot.

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Sleep: He is sleeping well! His morning nap is definitely the best and he sleeps pretty good on the go (for the most part). One day he fell asleep during tummy time, and i just let him nap since he had on his Snuza. (I kept a close eye on him.) He slept very soundly, so I have a feeling he’ll be a tummy sleeper when he’s big enough.

A couple times a week I try to take a little afternoon nap with him on my chest so we can get some skin to skin (& I can get some rest).

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Nursing: Nursing is going awesome! I added in some coconut oil supplements & I feel like it has made my milk more thick & “hearty.” I take 2 a day with my other supplements. I only pump when I need a bottle, and that’s not very often. I’d like to add a pumping session in the mornings when I have the most milk so I can start storing up, but right now our morning routine just takes too long & I can’t seem to find time.

What Beau is up to: Sweet baby is smiling & cooing! It is so precious.

Bless his heart…he needs a bath but we have been under a boil water advisory for several days, so even though it has been lifted, I’m going to wait a couple more days before bathing him.

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Post-Partum: I am trying to do lots of kegels when I remember to strengthen my pelvic floor since I probably did too much (lifting and walking up stairs) after delivery. I feel great, but have definitely not bounced back as quick with this one weight-wise. I’m going to have to step my game up though because unfortunately my wardrobe is limited & I refuse to buy new clothes. (Long story short: we moved into a “temporary rental” in October thinking we’d buy a new house really quickly. All I have out is maternity clothes and winter stuff. Most other things are packed up in storage, and the things I do have access too are not very flattering right now. I kind of forgot about the awkward post-baby bod.) Still sweating, but not as bad. And it smells? I’ve never been a stinky sweater. I am loving my skin right now though, so we’ll take it.

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Big Brothers Jase & Kade:

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Jase LIGHTS up when Beau smiles at him! I think they are going to have a sweet little bond. He wants to tell everybody about our baby. “This is Baby Beau. He’s zero.” He likes to help burp him & tells me if he’s crying for me. He also refers to him as “her” and “she” sometimes, so we have a little work to do on the pronouns.

Kade always says “awwww” and points to him and says “Baby Beau” in the sweetest voice! He loves him and is very gentle with him. He has adjusted really well to having a new baby and me not being able to hold him all the time, but he still wants me to hold him a lot. Sometimes I can, sometimes I can’t. He brings him toys to share with him.

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Thoughts: Sweet baby Beau, you are such a little joy! We have already forgotten what life was like without you and are so thankful you are part of our crew. I love being your mama!

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Life as a Mom of 3!

So…how is life with three? I get asked that a lot these days, so I’m going to do my best to put it into words.

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In short I can tell ya this…it is exceedingly, abundantly more than all I could ask or imagine.

If I only had dollar for every time I heard, “Wow, you have your hands full!”

A couple of times I responded with “Yep, and a full heart to go along with it!” But then I realized, ya know what? I DO have my hands full! Literally…they are full. And figuratively, they’re pretty full too. And that’s okay, because we did this “on purpose.” (I actually said that to one lady. Why would I say that? To a stranger? Cue the awkward face sweating. Ha!) And you guys, we are LOVING it!! Seriously, would not trade it for a second. We’re enjoying it enough that I have the confidence to say…if you’re on the fence about another, I think you should totally GO FOR IT!  (Yes, even after changing the 19th diaper today & carrying an oversized 3 year old to the car after a toddler tantrum because I wouldn’t buy him a firetruck. He has like 13 already.)

They are all so precious, so unique…and it’s an absolute blast watching them grow and develop into their own little people. They each have a a little of me, a little of their daddy, and enough of their own uniqueness that it whirls together to make this precious little being. They melt your heart! (But you guys with kiddos already know that.)

I’ve heard having three kids is the most challenging number. We are outnumbered now, and someone is always needing something, so that has it’s own set of challenges. But y’all, the joy? I just CAN’T!! I feel like my heart could burst & sometimes I am literally so overwhelmed with gratefulness that I can’t do anything but praise the Lord for them. They are TREASURES.

Children are a BLESSING & a gift from above. And to whom much is given, much is required. So naturally they bring an incredible responsibility.

One of the tougher things to figure out has been logistics. Figuring out who goes where in the car, who to unload and load first, do I even have room for the stroller, etc. We stay home a lot because it literally takes FOREVER to get everyone ready, packed up, & loaded. And then of course somebody needs a diaper change as soon as I have everyone loaded. Never fails! (Amazon Fresh & Thrive Market are my new BFFs.) I have become a master at multitasking (like nursing the baby and loading the dishwasher), but definitely not a good phone talker & I really struggle to respond to texts/emails/messages in a timely manner…or at all sometimes. I try, but I’m just not as on top of it as I used to be because there are so many other things demanding my attention. And I’m tired. Mama tired is a special kind of tired- the kind of tired that requires a little bit of Spark & a whole lotta Jesus (& maybe an afternoon nap if you can sneak one in…)to be able to function. So I’ve had to learn to let some other things go too. Sometimes one of them needs something and I just can’t get to it right away. Sometimes the baby has to cry for a few minutes while I finish doing something. They each have a different set of needs right now. I don’t get to spend as much time with them individually as I would like, but I do try to do that each day, even if just for a few minutes.  And I decided not to beat myself up over it because I know that I am loving them well. I refuse to let the enemy steal my joy as a mother focusing on all the things I can’t do or I feel like I’m not doing “good enough.”

It is SO incredible to me how the Lord actually multiplies your love with each new addition.  You know when you have your first, how you think you will never love anyone as much as that baby? Well, when you have another, you do. And when you have a third, you still do. It’s different but the same all at the same time. Your time is divided more, of course, but not your love. It just multiplies. And they get the precious gift of a sibling! I pray they have a super strong bond and are always best friends & have each other’s backs.

You know how the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing? And that feels kind of impossible? Well, try having 3 boys. That’s one way to become a prayer warrior. I feel like if I’m not talking, I’m praying! Lots of times I’m doing both. Sometimes in my head, sometimes out loud. For their hearts, their futures, their attitudes, their decisions, their testimonies, their driving, their relationships, their obedience, their self-control, their wisdom, their discernment, their protection, their ministries, their future friends, their thoughts, their future wives, their protection, the people in their path, their purity, their fleeing from sin, their SALVATION, & their relationship with the Lord, and did I mention their protection?

My boys aren’t perfect, and we’re not perfect parents. And sometimes life is chaotic. And if you see me in public, you’ll probably see that in action. (Remember that time I didn’t shower for like 4…maybe even 5 days? Did I just admit that? #reallife) Like when they are all three crying at the same time…(yes, that has happened.) Or all three needing me to clean up a #2 at the same time…(yes, that has happened too.) I’m still trying to figure things out. Like when am I supposed to work out? Will I ever be able to get a pedicure again? How do we have so.many.CLOTHES?

But God is so good. He is so faithful. He is teaching me more than I ever could have imagined through entrusting these precious gifts to us. Being their mama makes my heart so full! And with three, it’s just even more full than it was with two. (And that was as full as I thought it could get!) I am so enjoying this season with littles, and I know if goes fast. Every mom I’ve ever talked to has told me that, s& I know it’s true…so I’m soakin it up.

Life with three…(3 boys, 3 and under, to be exact): a little loud, a little stinky, a little crazy, a little more challenging (& we’re just getting started!), but.. a lot more laughs, more LOVE, and even more JOY than I ever thought possible. We are richly, richly BLESSED.

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Life with three…it’s good.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Upcoming Docuseries on Vaccinations

I debated whether or not to even post this because I know vaccines are an extremely controversial subject and people are understandably really passionate on every side of it.

I asked Jonathan if he thought it was okay for me to share this because people ask me all the time what we do about vaccines. Y'all know I am pretty much an open book about everything, but this is the one topic where I choose to remain quiet. I would never try to sway anyone one way or the other because I believe it is so important for each family to choose their own game plan. Honestly, rather than sharing what we personally do, I'd rather share resources. One thing we have tried to do is educate ourselves as much as possible, talk with our pediatrician, and pray through the best approach for our family after educating ourselves the best we know how. I always appreciate when people share resources with me though (on anything really!), so I wanted to pass this along in case you're interested. Not sure what conclusion this docuseries will lead you to...or us to for that matter...but I am more than willing to listen to what 60 of the top vaccine experts have to say.

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The source is a trusted one for us. (Here is a link to their FB page.) And here’s what they have to say about the upcoming video series with info about vaccines:

"We can all agree there’s nothing more important than the health and safety of our children…

Parents should be informed about both the benefits and the risks associated with vaccines — without pressure, propaganda, or agenda.

So we brought together more than 60 of the world’s foremost health experts to investigate both sides of this contentious debate to give you the science, the history, and the untold story… the REAL information you need to make an informed decision on how to best protect your child.

The Truth About Vaccines is a 7-episode documentary series that airs starting April 12 – 19.  Register above to get special access to watch the whole thing for FREE.”

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Obviously I haven’t seen the videos yet, but again, this is a trusted resource for us and I am excited to hear more.

Here is the link if you want to register: The Truth About Vaccines

Also...Someone recently recommended a book called The Vaccine Friendly Plan. I've read through most of it and have really enjoyed it. It's about how to strengthen your children's immune system starting during pregnancy and caring for them throughout childhood (first two weeks, first 9 months, first year, childhood, etc.). It also has this pediatrician's plan for vaccinating if you go that route. He shares what vaccines he recommends, which ones he suggests skipping, and shares when/why he recommends them. I liked hearing his perspective.