Homeowner Lessons

While we are extremely excited to be homeowners, we have found our little projects seem to reveal big messes.  When redoing the bathroom, Jared found a soft spot in the wall.  He, of course, investigated and found that there had been a leak at some point which had not been disclosed to us.  Further investigation showed us a huge mess that we will now spend days fixing, which will put us a little behind on the nursery.  

I am sure you expect me to be freaking out, but surprisingly, I am feeling ok.  I feel terrible for Jared as he now has even more on his plate, but lately I have found the joy in not stressing about those things I have no control over and I hope that feeling sticks around!

If you are buying a house or have recently bought a home, my biggest piece of advice is to look out for water and take it seriously.  Water is a wonderful thing, but when it is going into something it shouldn't it can cause big problems.  Search for the problems and fix them immediately!  I am so thankful for a husband who knows how to fix things and will not settle for a temporary fix. 

Thankful Thursday

Some days it's hard to be thankful.  Life can be confusing, overwhelming and unfair.  On those days friends, family and faith provide strength to keep going and that is something to be thankful for.

6 and 7 months

Hopefully I do better with the baby book than I am doing tracking my pregnancy!  Things have been crazy busy and before I knew it the third trimester had arrived.  I am feeling good and, other than a heavy belly, I have no complaints.  As my brother says, "it's a strange process" growing a baby and I am still not sure how I feel about it.  But one thing is for sure, it is cool to feel her move around...even kicking so hard that I can see it from the outside {an even stranger experience}.  

There are a few things that I couldn't live without at this point in my pregnancy including:  my body pillow, coconut oil, my lifefactory water bottle from whole foods, snacks in my purse and last but not least, a husband who {for whatever reason} thinks this belly is beautiful and looks forward to talking to it in hopes of a response from the little inside.

To my mama friends:  What items made the third trimester a little easier for you?

What's your love language?

Gary Chapman is known for one of his great works where he teaches about the 5 different love languages in which individuals experience and express love.  I highly recommend his book The 5 Love Languages:  The Secret to Love that Lasts for couples.

This book discusses each love language in detail and provides readers with the opportunity to take a quiz to determine his or her own love language.  It can make a huge difference in a marriage.  For example if I show love through spending time with my husband, but he feels most loved by me making him dinner there would be a breakdown in communication and I may leave him feeling unloved without even knowing it. The 5 options include:

1. Words of Affirmation
2. Acts of Service
3. Receiving Gifts
4. Quality Time
5. Physical Touch

My top two are physical touch and words of affirmation, which is no surprise to my friends and family {I tend to have very little personal space}.  You can find your own love language here and there is also an option to learn about your child's love language.  

Children need to feel loved so they can feel valuable and learn to love others, but when their love language is not being spoken a child may feel neglected and alone.  If, on the other hand, a parent or caregiver speaks the child's love language, she is more likely to feel confident, successful and valued.

Do you know your primary love language?  What about your child's love language?

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for road trips with my mama, the hope of warmer weather and the promise of lots of yummy food and laughter when I am finally reunited with dear friends!

What are you thankful for this week?

Ring Sling

As my friends and family know, choosing products for my baby has not been an easy or fun task for me.  I do not enjoy clutter and I become overwhelmed when things fill up a space, so the idea of looking through a million strollers, toys, clothes, etc. in search of the perfect items has left me feeling exhausted {pregnant lady problems}.  I try to live by the following quote:

That being said, I know there will be things my baby will NEED and things that make life a lot easier if I have them.  I am so thankful to have experts {especially my mom and sister} surrounding me, to give me helpful advice and to lead me through the entire process.

One of the products I have recently learned that I will NEED in my new adventure of motherhood is a ring sling.  My sister taught me how to use her ring sling and she even allowed me to practice with my niece before my own little arrives.  I was a little nervous at first but found it to be extremely comfortable and efficient.  I am excited to wear my baby and enjoy the benefits of that chest-to-chest contact. 

The ring sling has a long tail that some find annoying, but I think it was great to have something to protect the baby's head from the metal rings and it was also long enough that it could conceal when breast feeding if needed.  

This product can be bought on etsy {again, to many choices}, but there are also several tutorials on pinterest to make your own.  My sister says that if she could only have one carrier, she would choose the ring sling for its simplicity, efficiency and versatility.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for spring break that brings everyone together under one roof, littles who don't mind being passed around and tough guys who can't help but fall in love at first sight.

What are you thankful for today?