Saturday, June 8, 2019

Complaining

If you complain about something without offering a solution, then YOU are part of the problem.

Earlier this week, Jonathan took his pre-workout, we got all the boys ready & loaded in the car to head to the gym, then drove the 20+ minutes (past other gyms) to get there, unloaded all the boys and walked in. (We chose this gym specifically because it has childcare, & it saves us time to be able to work out together.) When we arrived, they had to turn us away because there weren’t enough staff members per child in the daycare. Basically the gym daycare was too full, so we couldn’t work out. This was the fifth or sixth time this has happened since school let out a few weeks ago, and I was pretty irritated by it. I wasn’t rude, but I also wasn’t kind and understanding by any means. (And I know it’s not the workers’ fault. They are just following protocol, which I do appreciate.) Here’s the deal. We’ve had an “eventful” couple of weeks to say the least, we haven’t been able to work out much, and I just REALLY needed the endorphins. (Clearly.)

I am not the type to complain (like, I never send my food back, always try to be the bigger person and offer grace), but I asked for the manager’s contact info and planned to call/email her because this cannot continue happening. I am pretty sure Jon and I both huffed and puffed our way to the car like children, loaded the boys back up, and headed home. I am sure it sounds silly (because it feels a little silly even typing it out, but I wanted to give context to where the post came from…it was ME!), but for us, this is our main hobby + stress relief. And honestly we probably wouldn’t have cared if it hadn’t happened so many times in such a short time frame. (We’ve never had the issue until recently because normally we go during the day while all other kids are in school.)

Right as I was about to type up an e-mail (since the manager is out of town), that quote popped in my head. DON’T you dare complain without offering a solution to the problem! And be GRATEFUL! Well, okay then…

So, Jon & I brainstormed a few ideas of how they could eliminate this from being an issue in the future & I have a draft typed up in my e-mail. And honestly. I’ll probably just wait till she gets back in town because this type of thing typically seems much nicer in person anyway. (For me, at least.)

But the whole deal got me thinking.

I had actually JUST shared an article in my healthy moms group about how chronic complaining impacts our bodies on the cellular level and leads to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and disease in an individual. It doesn’t surprise me this would be one of consequences when God’s Word clearly instructs us NOT to complain.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing. - Philippians 2:14

And do not grumble, as some of them did-and were killed by the destroying angel. - 1 Corinthians 10:10

Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! - James 5:9

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. - Ephesians 4:29

**Want to know the remedy if you have a tendency to complain?? GRATITUDE! And CHOOSING to focus on the good.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

Silly, insignificant situation with a BIG reminder!! I’m so grateful for how the Holy Spirit convicts us and prompts us even in the daily things of life.

I don’t ever want to be known as a complainer. I don’t want my children to see/hear me complain because I don’t want to set a sinful example for them to follow. I don’t want others to not want to be around me (because seriously, complainers are NOT enjoyable to be around). I want to be JOYFUL, GRATEFUL, and GRACIOUS. I’m praying the Lord removes the sentence “I’m not trying to complain, but…” from my vocabulary, because clearly whatever is coming next is a complaint. We tend to undermine complaining, but the bottom line is when God’s Word says DON’T, I want to take that seriously. Anyone else need that reminder as much as I obviously did??

Friday, June 7, 2019

Baby Butler #4 is 22 Weeks

Keepin it classy with a bathroom selfie at Kroger. This was 20 weeks and the bump has DEFINITELY grown since then!

My Symptoms: I don’t think I posted in my last post, but in addition to some of the other really fun stuff I have going on (like varicose veins), I also have diastasis recti (which is why I carry like a torpedo) & an umbilical hernia. Thankfully it’s not terrible, but I’m wearing a wrap to help. It’s not too tight to make it restrictive, but definitely makes it WAY more comfortable. She said many times it goes away on its own after the baby is born, and I think it will this time too. If not, I’ll have to eventually have it surgically repaired.

Also, if I get up too fast or roll over too quickly, I have what I think is round ligament pain that is excruciating to the point I can barely move for like 30 seconds. It goes away quickly though and then I’m totally back to normal.

I know that all sounds really awful, but actually I feel GREAT! I am so thankful to have turned a corner and be feeling back to normal!

I also had my big ultrasound and everything looked perfect. DEF a girl! (Which we knew from the blood test.) It took a while to see all four chambers of the heart, but we finally got a picture. Measuring right on & my BP/weight was good. I was asking about trying a diff route to test for gestational diabetes (so I don’t have to do “the drink”) & they didn’t seem too thrilled, but I’m going to keep trying.

Maternity Clothes: I’ve mostly been wearing regular clothes, but I finally busted out some maternity dresses week 20. They were cute & way more comfy. It’s probably officially time to make the switch. I need some maternity jean shorts for summer! Most of my pregnancies have been through the winter, so I have plenty of pants but not a lot in the shorts department.

Movement: For sure! Ultrasound tech said she’s a little wiggle worm. I feel like I can maybe feel her from the outside, but it might just be my imagination.

Sleep: Well, I WAS sleeping a little better. Then a few nights I woke up at 3:30 and couldn’t go back to sleep for a couple hours. Wahhhh!!

We also had Vacation Bible School this past week, & even though it’s one of my favorite weeks of the year, there ain’t no tired like VBS tired! I would LOVE to take some naps, but Jon has been gone during the day so that hasn’t been an option.

Cravings: I forgot to mention that I craved dairy for a few weeks during my first trimester. I’m not much of a dairy person AT all (besides ice cream, of course), so I figured my body was telling me something. That went away around week 13 or so, but up until then it was lots of organic string cheese, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and Greek whipped yogurt (legit tastes like cream cheese). Now I’m craving all the fruit. Mostly watermelon & oranges.

Supplements: Made a change to my supplements and I’m SUPER excited about it. I can’t wait to share with all of you soon. Still taking a multi, probiotic, omega 3, D3, folate, iron, & magnesium. Still doing bone broth protein + an unflavored collagen in the mornings. **Side note: If you have never been tested for MTHFR gene mutation, I want you to reach out to me ASAP. If you’re part of the 40%+ of the population who has this gene mutation, you do not want to take synthetic B vitamins or folic acid…you need the methylated versions (& FOLATE instead). Even if you don’t have it, it’s probably a good idea not to take synthetic vitamins. I’ve just started learning all about this since February and that’s why I’m making changes this go-round. I have found the BEST prenatal on the market.

Nutrition: Making sure I get plenty of good fats (avocados, eggs, avocado oil,coconut oil, Ghee, etc.). SUPER important for baby’s brain development! Back to eating plenty of salads & trying to eat an array of veggies. Sweet tooth seems to have eased up (at least a little anyway). I ate like crap last week with VBS though, & I can totally tell. My energy is extra zapped.
We did get to enjoy a few date nights at some farm-to-table restaurants with some DELICIOUS food though! Avocados, YellowFin, & Last Resort for the win!
Work Outs: We didn’t get to work out as much as I would have liked the past week and a half, but still trying to stay active. I definitely feel WAY better when I work out! My back doesn’t hurt as bad, I sleep better, and all the endorphins make me much more pleasant. Ha!

Best Pregnancy Moment This Week: This is probably way TMI, but whatever. It’s my blog! bwahaha! So, I will just say that Jonathan & I pretty much can’t keep our hands off each other, and if I wasn’t already pregnant…well, I’d definitely be now. **Sorry if you’re reading this mom.

Goals for next week: Drink more water! I’m on the struggle bus with water & can’t get my act together.

Siblings Pregnancy Comparisons:
22 Weeks with Jase
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22 Weeks with Kade
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22 Weeks with Beau
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