Bad things come in...?

Threes I hope? Where to even begin. Let's just say the past few weeks have been a little challenging around here. It all started about a month ago when our car was involved in a hit and run leaving it un-drivable. After a hefty car bill we were back in the game. Then this past week it broke down on the side of I-35 during one of the busiest times of the day-right before rush hour. The car overheated and smoke filled the cabin as we rushed out as fast as we could. I stood on the side of a busy interstate holding my baby girl for hours in 90 degree weather. After an expensive tow and an estimate from the dealership we were looking at a $5,000 fix. Without the necessary repairs the car would not be drivable, once again. We left for the Keys the next day, so we had to leave it at the dealership in the meantime. When we returned Jay's car died just as he was planning to leave and drive to the dealship to deal with my car, leaving us with no useable vehicles. Today we got a call that Jay's school is closing which means he is unemployed. So here we stand with no vehicles and down a job. I bet you think we're in panic mode, right?

Strangely I'm at peace with everything. At this point nothing surprises me and all I can do is laugh about it. I'm solely relying on God to provide for our family as he always does and I know he will. Patience isn't usually a strong suit of mine, but I'm certain it's why he puts me in situations such as this. I'm learning. I'm growing.

We were on our way to a family photo session when we got the call, and all I could think about during the shoot was how lucky I was. How lucky I am that my car broke down because it meant I had means of transportation to get me where I need to go. How lucky I am that Jay lost his job because it means a better opportunity waiting, and he will get to spend more time with Lucy while looking for another. How lucky I am that we go through trials like this so God can bring us closer as a family. And most of all how lucky I am to have the two of them to hold onto in times of need.

Please keep our little family in your prayers tonight. xoxo

Much to share!

So much has been going on that it's hard to put everything into words as each day is fun and thrilling with Lucy and I wish I could share every detail. My first Mother's day was spent as a family at my Mom's. Bunny and Papa came up to celebrate and we grilled steaks. My 26th birthday followed shortly and I've never felt so young. Lucy keeps me on my toes! Jay planned a special birthday for me and took the day off of work. While we had originally planned on spending it doing something very special (more to come on that!) we had to change our plans and he took me to downtown Stillwater for the day. It was the one day out of about 2 weeks that was actually warm and sunny and we had a great time just wandering around as a family. We started out with burgers and malts for lunch and then he patiently took me antiquing! That night my mom and sister made us a homemade scallop dinner and we had cake and gifts. It was more than I could have ever asked for. Here are some pictures from our day!

Lucy makes even the smallest of things special for us. She's such a joy in our lives. I'm not sure a night has passed since she's been born where Jay + I haven't been cuddled up in bed after she has gone to sleep and we've said that we are the luckiest people in the world and we love our little life we've created together. I think it's funny to think of the trivial things we based our life off of or the things we worried about or spent our time on pre-Lucy. Children certainly change your view on the world :)

She had a great 4 month check-up and we were thrilled when the doctor observed that she is very socially advanced for her age. She's in the 75% percentile for height but less than 50% for weight, she's such a tall + scrawny little peanut. We keep waiting for her to get her baby chub, which there is still plenty of time for...but she's perfect to us ;) She's babbling like crazy, wanting to stand on her feet, and laughing a lot. She does this adorable thing where she smiles so big she has to close her little eyes and we think it's the cutest. We love to see her happy! We also recently started her on rice cereal and it's pretty hysterical to see her face when we try and feed it to her....let's just say she's less than impressed. We'll get there.

We have a lot of fun planned {and a little surprise too!} for the week so I hope I can make it back to blog about that sometime this week before things get crazy and we leave for vacation.

Before I was a Mom.

My mama e-mailed this to me on Mother's Day, I'm not sure where it originates.

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew how much I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

Mama tips.

I thought I'd put together a quick post on things I've found really helpful as a mama since I know so many mama's to be {and also as a reminder for when baby #2 makes an appearance!} There are a few items that really came in handy after Lucy was born, but they are items you might not necessarily think of {I'm not going to list the obvious items like a crib, carseat, etc. because well, you people are smart ;)

-Bath sling. This thing is amazing. It's like a reclining lawn chair for babies....except for the bath. I like it because we don't have the storage for a big plastic baby tub, nor did I want one. This one fits in the kitchen sink, and also under the kitchen (or bathroom) sink for easy storage. You can get one for $7 instead of spending $30-40 on a baby tub.

-Waterproof pads from Target {they have little lambs on them}. These are super nice to have for diaper changes when you are out, and make it easy to change baby anywhere. I actually have a changing pad that came with my diaper bag but I still like to lay one of these on top of it so it doesn't get dirty. We also use these at home for quick changes on the bed, couch, etc. Lucy also likes to nurse side-lying so these are nice to lay under her. They are handy!-Wet bag. I got mine here in juicy jungle. It's basically a zipper sealed bag with a waterproof inside so you can throw dirty clothes, cloth diapers, baby bottles, etc. in it and it's washable. We keep ours in Lucy's diaper bag and use it often and it's a good way to be green rather than using disposable zip lock bags. I think we're going to order another one, and I'd recommend the large size. I thought this would also make a unique and fun shower gift.-Prefolds. I think I purchased chinese refolds {you can also buy indian refolds, the materials slightly differ but I've heard chinese last longer and are more absorbent}. These are typically used for cloth diapering, but we use them for burp cloths/feeding. They are nice because they are bigger and absorb a lot more than the skinny burp cloths you can buy at the store. Plus they are cheap. I got a pack of 50 for $12.
-Circo washcloths. I've found these are the softest washcloth for baby. I've tried other kinds and you can't beat these for the price. They are around $3 a pack at Target, but keep an eye on them-they go on sale often and I got them for $1 a pack. I always have some of these on hand, especially when feeding or bathing.
-Snap shirts. We call them Lucy's ninja shirts because she looks like a little ninja wearing them! These are nice because newborns hate having their clothes changed. They don't want to be naked and cold they want to be warm and snuggly! Well, at least for us-Lusy used to scream at diaper + clothing changes. The snap shirts are nice because they don't have to be pulled over the head and irritate your baby {and if there is a blowout they are easier to get on and off. Plus it keeps baby warm during the cold months. I would recommend the short sleeved ones even in the winter because under long sleeved jammies they can get bunched up underneath and baby can get too hot.
-Baby gowns. This one is similar to the ninja shirts. When baby is so small, they just want to be comfy, and while little people outfits look cute, they can be a hassle especially when baby doesn't like to be changed and can't sleep in little jeans and a cute sweater! I like these gowns because they gather at the bottom but don't have closures, so they make it really simple for frequent diaper changes. Also I'm not a big fan of zippered jammies. This is because the zipper only zips down one leg, leaving the opposite sort of hard to get out without waking baby for middle of the night changes. I like snap jammies because you can easily un-snap and change without having to wiggle their legs in and out.

-This nursing bra. I had the hardest time deciding what bra to purchase because most of the places available to me did not have the quality of bra I was hoping for, so I needed to order online. Once I started looking I realized there are a million options and I was really overwhelmed. But I can say invest in a few good nursing bras because you will live in them! This one is super comfy, has easy access, and it's cute! I have two of them. I would also invest in a few good nightgowns. I never used to wear them-but it's annoying to nurse in the night wearing a t-shirt. Snap nightgowns are really convenient, and I found them more comfortable then zippered nightgowns. I have tried a bunch but I found my favorite are from walmart. I got desperate after searching many places and not being satisfied with the options {I swear I need to open a maternity/mama clothing store!} But they had nice cotton breathable gowns with snaps all the way down for like $9 a piece, and with baby spit up/feedings you'll need a few for throughout the week.

-This nursing shield. This is life-changing in the world of breastfeeding! Lucy had latch issues when my supply came in due to her low blood sugar issues after birth. She had to be fed from a bottle right away, so when my milk came in she had trouble latching {hospital bottles have pretty hard, rigid nipples} We were getting so frustrated until our wonderful lactation consultant brought us one of these babies. She latched on right away and nursed like a champ! Plus, it really helped protect and prevent some soreness. If we hadn't tried the shield I'm not sure where we'd be right now {and that makes me sad because I absolutely love breastfeeding, and would feel sad if someone had to forego it due to latch issues-so hopefully this will help someone out!}

I think that's it. The other thing I would suggest is getting a nice wallet to hold everything you need like this one. It's nice to be able to carry everything in one place and throw it in your diaper bag. Eventually I found that if I'm running somewhere quick I'll just throw a diaper and pacifier in my purse, but when the baby is born it's good to carry everything you might need at the drop of a hat, so this wallet is nice for when you need the whole she-bang diaper bag.

One last thing I would suggest is if you have a friend who is done having babies, ask them to lend some necessities. Things like bibs, socks & shoes you can never have enough of. Also bigger items like strollers & a baby bjorn are nice to borrow too because they are spendy. We are lucky to have access to all of these items from a friend for free and it's made a big difference for our pocketbook. We have barely purchased any necessities for Lucy {we haven't even purchased one box of diapers so far thanks to generous family & friends!} But friends always want to help and this is a good way if they are done with the items. Also don't be afraid to accept offers of help after the baby arrives. You'll treasure an hour away from the house to get some coffee or have a pedicure or just drive to target and listen to music. And never turn down an offer for a meal....it is sooooo helpful!

SO much fun.

We have so much fun planned in the next few weeks. This week we are planning on going to the Science Museum and zoo because we are able to get free tickets (thank you, health insurance!). They have an exhibit at the Science Museum called Discovery, and it's all about the development and different stages of an infant's life- perfect for us! Lucy will also attend her first Twins game on Thursday! We are hoping for a little sun.

Jenni is planning a dinner for me sometime next week and I can't wait to catch up with her. She's so sweet and secretly planned a spa day for my birthday...so the two of us will be relaxing all day at a spa in Afton and then the guys will be joining us for dinner. Sounds like the perfect birthday to me. I am lucky!

We also planned a fun little vacation together. Jay, Lucy and I will be traveling with Jenni and Adam to the Cape this fall. We went to Boston last year, but there just wasn't enough time to make it over to Cape Cod. So we rented a beach cottage and will be spending a week there. We've been looking forward to traveling as couples for a long time. So much fun to look forward to!

Lucy's first Easter.

Jay had Friday off and is off work for the next 10 days (Easter and spring break) so we headed down to Bunny + Papa's for a long weekend. We had a fun day of visiting, thrifting, and dying Easter eggs. Lucy got her first Easter basket and some special gifts from Mimi and Bunny/Papa. Here are some pictures from our weekend.

Our little Easter Bunny!

Diaper time!
She loves daddy time.

Happiness.

I was watching Oprah the other day and her show was on happiness. I was surprised when she polled the audience and the majority of them either didn't know what happiness was, or felt like they rarely could reach it. The main question out of the show was, what is happiness? A feeling? A state of mind?

I believe happiness is a choice. I think it's a path you consistently and consciously choose for yourself. And I've learned {self guided} myself into that belief in the past few years of my life.

Most of the people on the show explained they didn't know how to find it, and some weren't even sure what true happiness was. They were so many people seeking out material things, using money for happiness, or just searching for more, more, more in their life-whether it be tangible or non-tangible. I find that there are so many people like that description in my life that I find it to be true. There is a constant search for something greater in their life, and no matter what they have or what they receive it's never good enough, and deep down they are never truly happy with themselves. They just don't allow themselves happiness {while they may say they are happy, you can always tell otherwise}. I feel so sorry for those people that just cannot get to a state of content with their life. I know for some people it can be a constant battle. Why is it so easy for some and so hard for others?

I feel so blessed that the Lord has instilled a sense of peace in my life, and I am very content. I cherish the ability to be happy, because I know it is a gift. I choose every day to wake up and try to have a positive attitude and bring happiness to my husband and baby girl, and while it's not always easy, it is always rewarding. I feel guilty when I let myself slip into unhappiness, because I've been given so much and I have so much to be grateful for. And when I catch myself becoming indifferent or I begin searching, I remind myself that thankfully, I am not in charge, and there is a much greater plan for our little life {and when I doubt that, I just look down at the precious baby girl sleeping in my husband's arms and all doubts vanish} and that is the most comforting thing of all.