"I admire YOU!"

Women, and specifically mothers, in today's society can feel shamed and looked down upon for almost every life decision they make.

Working mother or stay at home mother.
Nursing mother or bottle feeding mother.
Cloth diapering mother or disposable diapering mother.
Make your own organic baby food mother or buy baby food mother.
Special K or Kashi. (ok not really, but I had to make you laugh.)

People are so quick to judge and say: "I stay at home and we made it work financially. Why can't you?" or "I work 40 hours a week and am a wife and mom. You don't know what it's like to do all that." And so the opinions go. People of all ages and backgrounds offering their valuable opinions on decisions that you have prayed over, talked about, and made in an effort to do what you feel is best for your family.

I feel like I need to apologize when I tell people I stay home. As if I owe them an explanation of a personal decision my husband and I made together. As if they even have the right to judge us on this topic. Yet I feel this way. Embarrassed for not working. Worrying that they are assuming I live some posh life filled with shopping sprees, daily Starbucks, and soap operas.

If only they knew that it's not like that at all. And yes while you are right, I do "have the life all women dream of" (if you want to put it like that) and I am truly thankful for the privilege to be at home with my daughter on a daily basis and to be here for my husband after a 14 hour day at work, I still at times long to be in the work force. Earning a paycheck and utilizing my hard earned college education.

And while I, a stay at home mother, sometimes long for that affirmation and reward a public job brings, I know the opposite is true for a working mother. Longing to leave the workplace and be with their little one. Working 40 hours a week and pulling night duty too. I admire you! You work hard for your family and do what you feel is the best for them.

Before we make these judgements on whether someone is taking the easy road out by staying home, or doesn't understand the internal conflict of wanting to be home when they are stuck at work, we should remember that each situation has its challenges and difficulties. The grass really isn't greener on the other side. It's green where you water it. (Original, I know.) I think we have to believe and understand that women play a lot of roles as wife and mother. And most importantly we have to have an understanding that we make decisions that are best for our families.

I guess I say this to ask that next time you speak to a mother who works or stays at home, the best thing to say is: "I admire you for being the best wife and mom you can possibly be!"

Nora at 9 Months

Happy NINE Months!!

This month was quite the challenge to snap pictures that weren't blurry because you are constantly on the go. You are so active and probably are the happiest you have been. You have always been happy but you've been smiling, giggling, clapping, waving, and talking all the time.

Your newest, biggest accomplishment is CRAWLING! 

On May 27th, just two days after you turned 9 months, you officially crawled.

Now keeping up with you is the big challenge!

You would crawl across the world I think if you could get your hands on a iphone or chord

We are pretty sure you say DaDa, but we haven't yet qualified it as your first word. We are waiting until you way it when he walks in the room.

We also are pretty sure that you say Bye Bye.

You whisper your words which is really funny.

It's fun when you chime in on a conversation we are having in the car. We don't know what you are saying yet but I am sure it is very important.

You like to wave at people in real life and on the tv.

Clapping is always fun and Patty Cake makes you super happy. 

You may be a little attached to Momma, but it just shows how much fun we have every day!

You do great with sleeping in your crib at night still, and wake up 2-3 times a night.

Every day you take a morning nap in your crib and in the afternoon we usually lay down on Mommy's bed to nap. Most days I sneak out to get things done.

Here you are going to town with some crawling!

You are going to the beach for the first time ever next week and I think you are going to have a blast!!

I can't wait to see you crawl on the beach and swim in your float in the pool.

You are still nursing but eating lots more "big people" food. 

Your favorites right now are yogurt, shredded cheese, bread, mom's smoothies, green beans, and mac and cheese.

You also still eat your baby purees.

Oh and you hate bananas!!

You don't eat books quite as much as you used to and you love touch and feel books.

You will run your hand down every page of any book in case it is a touch and feel book.

You give your stuffed animal kisses but wont give us kisses yet. 

I still can't believe how fast this first year is going. 

I love you to the moon and back and am thankful for you everyday!

Always know Mom and Dad would do anything for you! Always!

Mother's Day as a Mom

Last year I was a mom-to-be, but this year I have graduated to the title of MOM! It is a title that comes with so much joy and responsibility, love and worry, energy and exhaustion, beautiful moments and challenging moments. After you give birth, and the nurses retreat and the doctors go home, it's just you and your new family. They leave you with this precious life that doesn't come with an instruction manual, how-to guide, or even a tag with the care instructions. I'm kind of joking and kind of not. In literally a few hours your life goes from 2 to 3 or maybe 3 to 4 or even 2 to 4. It goes from the expected to the I-have-no-idea-what-I'm-doing. It goes from thinking you know love, to feeling the intense love for another little person like you never knew existed.

Over the past 8 months as a mom, I have learned so much. I have made the first of innumerable mistakes. I have shed countless happy, sad, and frustrated tears. I have changed probably like 1000 diapers! I have probably missed days and days of sleep. I know I have forgone numerous showers and can count on two hands the number of times I have actually done my hair. BUT, I wouldn't change a single part of this new life, identity, title, job, calling, and passion.

I am beyond blessed to be Nora's Mom. To feel the love of your own child is matchless.

I think that your first Mother's Day as a mom is even more special, because you realize just how much your mom has done for you through all the years. My mom has kept me grounded and has also grounded me a few times. She has been there for every piano recital (even when I completely mess up and announce to the audience I would be starting over), every dance performance, soccer game, scratched knee, upset stomach, strep throat, migraine headache... She has encouraged me when I have been down and has always reminded me of who I am in Christ. She gave me the best possible education and was there two Mother's Day's ago when I graduated from college.

Some Photos From Our Day:

Ryan woke up and made us some delicious calorie free cinnamon roll bread pudding! 

One thing that comes with the Mom Photographer territory is that its almost always impossible to get that perfect picture of you and your baby, but we sure tried today.  

Some Mother's Day fun...

I also want to wish my Grandma M, Grandma L, Mother-In-Law Shanna, Grandmother-In-Law H, best friend Hailey and all you other Moms out there a Happy Mother's Day. You are all such amazing and inspiring mothers who encourage me daily.

Remember, if you see a Mom (even if it's not mother's day) encourage her and tell her how important her job is. Remind her she is shaping and molding the future. Her job is hard and somedays it feels impossible, and you never know what your words may mean to her.

Nora at 8 Months

I know I say it every month, but time goes by so so fast! I can't even believe that Nora is 8 months old, and that in just 4 too short months we will be celebrating her 1st birthday! Time, Slow Down! Each month bring so much fun and change now. Active and curious are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to describing this past month of growth. I think that by our 9 month update, you will be crawling! And then I will really be in trouble!

You are still wearing your 6 month clothes comfortably, but can fit into some 9 month things. You are starting to wear some of your cute little summer play clothes! I love to see you baby legs that have been hiding all winter long.

You want to be carried facing out and you pack a mean punch with those legs of yours. Everything is so interesting and you want to see it all. Riding in the grocery cart is now super fun and you smile the entire time! (That sure makes my job much easier! Thanks!)

Your favorite things are ribbons, tags, and strings. You will just have a ribbon hanging out of your mouth while you play with other toys. It is quite hilarious. You also really like the touch and feel books. Those are the only ones you don't try to chew on. Turning the pages is fun and you know just where to rub to feel the fuzzy chick, wolly lamb, and furry bears. It's seriously too cute. I may be biased but I think it shows just how smart you are. You also now thing that your hair brushes are chew toys. That makes brushing your hair challenging.

You enjoy riding in the ergo baby while we go on hikes. You have even fallen asleep in it before. The stroller is fun too and you are almost always happy in it.

We are working on liking vegetables but you love sweet potatoes, pears, apples, mangos, butternut squash, your little ginger or vanilla cookies, and occasionally a nibble of bread. We are trying to make progress drinking water from a sippy cup, so that you can drink water when we go to the beach.

Somedays you are pretty clingy and don't like it if I leave your sight. I love how you reach for me though. There is something pretty special about knowing how much you love me. (But just so you know, I love you more!)

Music is still fun and Sox makes you laugh. You are pretty ticklish and love the suspense of "I'm gonna get her!"

Thank you for making these past 8 months so much fun. Life would not be the same with out our Nora or Nor Nor ;)

5 Activites for a 6 to 12 Month Old

As a stay at home mom, I find myself having to get rather creative a times. We have moved beyond the eat, sleep, poop phase of babyhood. Am I sad? Yes, but at the same time it is wonderful to see Nora learning new things everyday. I try not to turn the baby tv shows on unless I'm in a dire need of a shower or am attempting to cook and entertain.

I wan't to do activities with Nora that help her learn and stimulate her. I know at times I am too hard on myself to always be teaching and entertaining. While I know it is good for her to play alone, I struggle with feeling guilty.

So here are 5 of our favorite ways to learn and play.

1// Read! I have been reading to Nora ever since she was a tiny thing, and I wont be stopping... ever... ok maybe when she gets in high school, but still... Sometimes babies just want to eat what ever is in front of them, so I have found the best way to help them listen with out the eating distraction is to both lay on your backs looking up at the book and give her something soft to play with in her hands. Another good way to read to them is while they are in their exersaucer or jumperoo. They can be active but still listen. Our favorite are the Biscuit books, Little Critter books, and Berenstein Bears books. They are only $4 at the bookstore! So you can buy lots!!

2// Make an explore box. Take a cracker box or shoe box and cover it and cut a hole in it. You can decorate it if you'd like. Then put small toys in it and help her learn to pull them out and "find" new ones. Don't judge me based upon the design of our box. I made it with a very curious 7 month old right beside me.

3// Build a tent. This one provided lots of smiles and laughs for us. There is something about the wonder of fort and tent building as a child.

4// Music. Dance to it. Give your baby a concert. They love it and it is great to introduce them to different musics. We like to listen to classical music, Disney movie songs, contemporary christian, and the RockABye Baby CD's.

5// Talk about and describe the toys your baby is playing with. We love those colorful rings, and when she plays with them we talk about the sizes, color and shape. You can put on a puppet show with little stuffed animals, or organize the toys in a line from biggest to smallest. The key is to just talk and every word you say will grow their vocabulary more.

Somedays are hard and sometimes they seem so long, but I try to do these five things at least once throughout the day and that helps me feel like have done something good for my baby that day.

Nora's How to: The Housework Edition

Nora usually plays the role of the cheerleader while I'm vacuuming or loading the dishwasher, but this time she was extremely helpful.

She helped me make the bed! Train the young and early!

I'm sure you are curious as to how to make a bed with a baby. Take it away Nora...

Ok fellow babies! Have your mom get a few toys that are you favorite. Then your mom should put the sheet on in one corner. Then have you mom move you to that corner with all your toys. She will then do the other corners. Then she will put on another sheet. Once she lines up the top, just have her move you and your toys up there to hold it down while she straightens it and tucks it in.  

Super Easy!

All photos are straight out of my camera.

My little Easter Bunny

We were so excited to get our easter outfit from Grandma L. that we had to have a quick little photo shoot in it!! We also are very excited to go home for a few days around Easter! 

5 things I hope to do

one// I hope to one day soon start doing some small photography things on the side. While I have a long ways to go, I feel like every day I am learning something new and getting better and better. Practice make perfect, as the old saying goes. I have said it before but I don't think I will run out of people to practice on. I love photographing babies, so if you want some free photos I will do some for the practice :)

two// I want to homeschool Nora at least through elementary school. I feel like we could do so much and I already have ideas of fun ways to learn so many new things. I enjoyed being home-schooled and as I look back on it I value it even more. I hope that I can teach Nora so many new things and help her read, count, and explore the wide world around her.

three// I would really like to create a beautiful master bedroom for Ryan and I. Everywhere we have lived thus far has had a tiny bedroom and I just haven't felt that decorating it was a valuable use of my money. One day when we are slightly more settled I have so many wonderful ideas that I'd love to bring to life.

four// I hope that one day we can take Nora on some pretty great adventures around the world. We will hit up Disney World, but I'd like to show her what it's like to explore other countries. I want to take her and Ryan on a zip-line through the rainforest in Costa Rica, and to see the howling monkeys and other magnificent wildlife. 

five// I'd really love to write my own cookbook, compiled with my favorite creations and best dishes. I love to cook and create in the kitchen and I think it would be absolutely amazing to have something that I have written published. Cookbooks these days are a dime a dozen but I still think it would be pretty awesome. Maybe I'll write it and sell it for charity. 

Here's to a mini bucket list. One that I hope to check off long before I ever start thinking about kicking the bucket. Oh, and while we are on the subject of the world's cutest baby. I figured it wouldn't be blog worthy if I didn't include some absolutely adorable pictures that I took today.

Nora at 7 months

Sometimes in life, the days seem slow but the months and years seem so fast. Well, this is only amplified when you have a baby. It starts with pregnancy. You find out you are expecting and your first thought is: 9 MONTHS! This will take forever! Then before you know it, you are holding your baby that will be 7 months in just the blink of an eye. The moral of the story? Don't blink. Ok, so that is not exactly possible, but if I could stop time you bet I'd be pressing pause as often as I could.

Dear Nora,
Today you are 7 months. I have a hard time believing that. Last night as I was holding you before bed, I couldn't stop thinking about how truly tiny you were when you were born. You got down to 4lbs 12oz! That is so small! I would hold you against my chest after you would eat and you would be so sleepy. I wouldn't trade those days for anything. Thankfully you still like to snuggle and we are so fortunate that you are still nursing so well. You have grown so much from that tiny baby that slept 90% of the day. Now nap-time is not always that easy.

In the past month you have changed so much. You sat up on your own officially on March 3rd, just a few days after you turned 6 months. Now you would much rather sit than lay down. We flew down to see all your family this month and you did amazing! I wasn't worried, but you sure made it easy for me. We got some funny looks from people with you in the Moby Wrap, the backpack on my back and me pulling the suitcase. While we were in NC, you started to really like it when people clapped, and when we got home you started clapping. Now when I say clap you can clap. It's so sweet to see you clap when you get excited.

You have really started to eat more baby food this month. You tried butternut squash yesterday and loved it! We try to do baby food twice a day and nursing about five times a day. You usually take 2 naps a day. One around 9:30 for about 1 hour and the other around 1:00 for 2-3 hours. You are really good about napping which makes my job much easier!
We do lots of playtime and usually listen to Disney classic or classical music. You love for me to sing to you. I think you have some more teeth coming in, but I can't tell where yet.

I hope that every day you know how much Daddy and I love you. I pray that you will continue to grow and learn new things every day. I pray that we will teach you how to enjoy life and honor God with your actions.

Love, Mommy