"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!"

thoughts + photos = a blog post

You know that commercial for Zyrtec? "Are you muddling through allergy season?" YES, YES I AM! I thought for a few days I was getting bronchitis or strep, and then it hit me. I have allergies. Spring is great and all; but when you literally live in a forest and that forest is begging to turn a lovely shade of puke green with pollen, you then can relate to those allergy commercials.

Today I realized that I really should have taken Mother's Day much more seriously as a kid. Being a mom is no joke and I am pretty sure that what ever I did for my mom for the past 23 years was certainly not enough to thank her for all she did. I guess this is one of those things you learn when you become a mom yourself, along with a lot of other things.

I'm not trying to pat myself on the back (ok, so maybe a little), but I really hit the meal planning out of the park this week. We have had a good meal every night and we haven't had to run to the store once! Hopefully I can do it again next week.

As these pictures depict, every night one the way up to take a bath, Ryan helps Nora climb the stairs. She is getting the hang of it, but I don't think I will have to worry too much about her doing it solo just yet. But she does think it is pretty cool to pull up using my shirt or the end of her changing table. I think she may go straight from crawling to walking.

"I got this dad."

"Um, I have the answer teacher!"

"Do you think we could get some of this installed in my crib?"

Weekend Adventures

Well, we finally ventured out of our little area up here in Kentucky. We all loaded up early Saturday morning and drove the two hour drive to Lexington where there are parks, colleges, shopping, and civilization. :)

We started off with a brisk walk in the UK Arboretum. Ashamedly this is the only real picture I took all weekend. I know, not true to my journalistic nature, but we did really enjoy our weekend. But I know that pictures would go much farther to prove that to you. Now back to the walk. It was a really nice 2 mile loop. That loop will be beautifully blooming in the next month. It was a tad chilly so we bundled up Nora well. When we got finished, she was sweeting and asleep. I guess that is success.

We then followed up the walk with lunch at our all time favorite, Chipotle. Then we checked in early to our hotel and all took a nice nap. Traveling and trying to keep a baby on their schedule is challenging.
Later we explored the shopping scene by going to a neat bookstore, baby boutique, and some other stores. We got dinner at a really good Irish Pub that had legitimate Irish food.

Sunday we found this awesome breakfast and lunch place called Doodles and had a really good breakfast. I had Oatmeal Brulee and Ryan had Biscuits and Gravy and we both shared their signature beignets, which were New Orleans style donuts in powdered sugar. Um, Yes Please!!

A good time was had by all, and it was really nice to just get out and visit places we have never been before.

5 Things You Should Never Say To A SAHM

Telling people you are a SAHM elicits all kinds of responses, some favorable, some not, and some just naive. I have had many people says one or more of these things to me. It doesn't offend me. It actually makes me laugh. I mean if my days were as some envision them to be, well, it would be pretty easy, but also, our house would be a complete disaster.

one// It must be nice not to have to go to work every day.
I don't have to physically drive to work, yes, but rather I live at work. My days at home are just another Saturday.

two// I wish my husband was rich.
So do I! I don't stay at home because we grow money on trees. It takes careful planning and budgeting for me to have this privilege.

three// What do you do all day?
Read to my baby. Clean toilets. Scrub Dishes. Walk the Dog. Do laundry. Play with my baby. Sing to my baby. Help her learn to take naps on her own. Meal Plan. Should I continue?

four// Your baby needs to go to day care to be socialized.
There is no substitute to the care a child's own mother gives. No daycare teacher can ever give my baby the time and love I give her every day. She socializes when we go to the library, the grocery store, church, etc.

five// Your college education is being wasted if you are staying home.
I beg to differ! I use the skills I learned in college on a daily basis: when I file our taxes on my own, when I create a budget to manage my family's money wisely, when I am efficient with my time throughout the day, when I increase my child's vocabulary and language skills by carrying on "conversations" with her.

What ever I miss in the work place, these two make up for ten-fold.

Why don't we all read the labels?

You're in the grocery store, you see a snack that looks appetizing, you turn it around and read the nutrition label right? Or do you?

I think most of us do look at the nutrition labels on our food. At least for the main things we THINK are important: Calories, Fat, and Sugar. But what if I told you there was so much more to reading labels? That food labels aren't the only ones we should be reading.

While I think most of us would say that we are careful about what we eat and what is in it, the majority of us, myself included (until just the other day), have no idea what is in our cosmetics, hygiene, and other bathroom products.

I bought some shampoo a while back and it says "No Parabens, Sulfates, or Gluten." I was curious as to why it would boast such things. I didn't know what those things were or why it would be good for them to be absent from my shampoo. Insert google! Turns out Paraben are used to extend the shelf life of your shampoos, preventing the growth of bacteria in your "volumizing elixir." And while it sounds beneficial it actually has been found in biopsies of breast cancer tumors! But I don't eat it, you say. Right I know you aren't spooning shampoo in like its greek yogurt or anything, BUT your skin absorbs it! And, I am hoping for your family and friends sake that you shower daily. This daily exposure causes these chemicals to build up in your body. Please don't miss understand. I know the whole correlation does not equal causation thing. I took may a statistics course. But what I am saying is WHY? Why don't we know these things? Why do we subject our bodies to this?

What about your toothpaste? Did you know it probably contains plastic? The most popular brands of toothpaste contain polyethylene? Which is PLASTIC! And once again, I hope you are brushing your teeth on a regular basis. Lets say twice a day. That is over 700 times a year! That is a lot of plastic going in and while you don't swallow it intentionally you do swallow a little every time!

These are just two of the many chemicals in our products that we use daily that are harmful to our bodies. If you are like me, you probably feel compelled to do something. Start by reading your labels! Do a little research. There is a website, Skin Deep that will rate your products and tell you what is really in them. And if you want to delve into what is in your household cleaning chemicals then go to the Environmental Working Groups Cleaners database. Warning you may be shocked at what you find. I know I was. I was actually in denial for a little while.

Finding healthy alternatives is possible. It may take a little extra time, but it is worth it. I started shopping from a company called Melaleuca which carries products that do not contain these harsh chemicals and have really liked it.

I am concerned for my family. I believe the saying "put good in, get good out" is true. I wan't to protect Nora from the evils of this world, and while there are much more evil things, I know, I believe I should strive to give her the best. Starting with her body wash and toothpastes (in a few months).

this is not a sponsored post. simply my concerns and thoughts that I want to share with you.

A Happy Birthday Wish

One of our most beloved readers birthday is today, and we thought what better way to wish someone so special a HAPPY BIRTHDAY than with a cute baby, a card, and a camera.

My Grandpa L and Nora's Great Grandpa is celebrating his birthday today. We wish we could be there to enjoy some of grandmas cake with you, but know how much we miss the cake... AND YOU!! :) I have so many fun memories with my grandpa. He has taught me many valuable things. He taught me how to drive in the little black truck all over his farm. He taught me how to level wedding cakes and be very precise. He taught me what hard work is and exactly where our Thanksgiving bird comes from. Thank you for being you, Grandpa. I know Nora loves you so much and I hope that you can teach her all of these things one day!

Love Clara, Nora, and Ryan

P.S. I know you are thinking wow, Nora is the most advanced baby ever! She wrote her own name... I hate to disappoint, but I wrote it to look like she wrote it. HA And it is much harder to take pictures of a baby holding a sign than you would think.

A Typical Day At Our House

I love routine. Who doesn't really? It gives you structure, something to plan by, and peace of mind. For me, knowing that I will be able to grab a shower during the early morning nap and that I can do some cleaning and tidying during the afternoon nap is comforting. Of course not every day does life go perfectly as planned or according to schedule. When I was doing lots of pre-baby reading, I noticed how each author stressed getting your baby on a schedule. With a schedule they know what to expect, and there find comfort in that.  So with that said, here is our daily schedule. It is what works for us. 

7:00 AM  We wake up, do a diaper change, and Nora nurses.

7:30 AM   Head down stairs for me to make a cup of coffee and eat my oatmeal or yogurt and granola. Nora usually plays in her exer-saucer. I turn the today show on for about an hour usually. This is the only time during the day we have the tv on, but it's my guilty pleasure.

9:00 AM   Nora's first nap of the day. She usually nurses again before going down for her nap. In order to keep the mess to a minimum, I clean up the toys and books right after I put her down. I know we will get them back out, but if I take 5 minutes to tidy up three times a day things don't seem to get out of control. Then I will usually blog, do laundry, clean some bathrooms or floors, or shower. 

10:30 AM   Nora wakes up. Quick diaper change and we will read books for about 30 min. Then we do snack time for her which is usually pear and apple puree. Followed up by playtime and lots of laughs.

12:00 PM   Time for another nap. Nora will nurse again and go down for a 2 - 2 1/2 hour nap! I then usually do what I didn't get to do during the first nap, walk the dog, and eat some lunch. 

2:00 PM   Nora gets up and is usually in a great mood. We play, snap some pictures and she will nurse. 

3:00 PM   We will go out to run errands, go walk at the walking track, or go to the library to gets some new books to read. 

4:30 PM   Ryan usually gets home and he takes over while I do laundry or something I couldn't do during the day and start dinner.

5:30 PM   Dinner Time. Sometimes Nora will sit and play in her high chair and we can all eat a normal dinner, but sometimes its the typical new parent: I eat super fast while he holds Nora and switch. Then its dishes and play time. We like to turn on some jams and make this time all about fun.

6:30 PM   BATH TIME! Which in Nora's book is the best part of the day. I am pretty sure she is a fish reincarnated. (just kidding)  She splashes and we laugh. As soon as she comes out of the bath it's lotion, diaper, pjs, and nursing. And this little baby is off to Dream Land by 7:30 PM.

7:30 PM   Finish up the housework, and start washing the diapers (if it's a diaper washing night).

8:00 PM   We usually will talk about our day, watch a TV series, or read.

10:00 PM   Goodnight! Time to rest up for another day.

Whew that makes me tired just typing it. :) 

What is your day like? 

Do you do anything to make life easier on you?

Scenes from Saturday

This beautiful weather could really spoil me. I just wanted to share a glimpse into our Saturday. Every Saturday we make Steel Cut Oats and Coffee for breakfast. They are delicious! I am going to share the recipe this week. Today we have watched the USA vs. Finland Hockey game, gone for a walk on a trail, folded laundry and Nora is working on her 2nd nap and 4th outfit for the day! While I'd love to be able to push Nora in the stroller to a near by coffee shop for breakfast, I enjoy our Saturday mornings just the same. I hope you all are enjoying your Saturday and making the best of every situation.
Enjoy our Saturday in pictures.

How Being a SAHM Changes You...

FOR THE BETTER.
I grew up knowing that I wanted to be a dedicated wife and mother. The kind that met my husband at the door after his day at work. The kind that invested 100% into my children. The kind that knew my kids friends, welcomed them, and even was a second mom to them. The kind that took pride in her accomplishments in the home. The kind that played the supporting (and very important) roles like budgeting, meal planning, cooking, and so forth.

I think this desire was second nature to me, because I saw it lived out on a daily basis. My mom realized the need for her to be at home with my brother and I, and for my dad. She quit her full-time job as a Pediatrician to stay home with us. I never EVER felt that my parents expected me to do exactly as she did. In fact it was never discussed. I believe I wanted the type of life I had for my future family and I saw exactly how important her job was.

Here I am today. I stay at home, and while the term "homemaker" is not exactly a popular word, I view it as a job title with as much power and influence as a CEO. I make the house a home. That is something that takes time, love, and sacrifice. I love my job. I don't just stay at home. I do so much more. I shape the mind of the future. I encourage and re-energize the workforce aka: my husband. It's a wonderful job and one that more women should be proud to do.

Being a SAHM or Homemaker changes you though. It teaches you lessons you didn't know you needed to learn and it takes humility and sacrifice to a new level. It's not easy to be home every day, and especially if your heart isn't in the right place. Sometimes if I am not careful, I could find myself feeling bitter. Feeling like I am too educated for this, that I'd like to be interacting with people of my same age in a work environment, that my husband has no idea what it is like to be at home all day, etc. Those thoughts destroy me and cause me to fail and fail miserably. I have learned that we are called to serve others. There is no greater task we can do, as a Christian. I serve my husband by making our home a refuge from work and stress. I serve him when he has a hot meal and clean sheets. I serve Nora when I spend hours reading and playing with her to mold her to the best young girl she can be. I serve her when I gladly change her diapers. I serve her when I wash and fold all her tiny shirts and pants.

It is truly my pleasure to serve. Oh, trust me, it isn't always easy, but it is always worth it in the end. Being a mother has taught me so much, and being a homemaker has taught me so much more. I am more content than ever. I am more appreciative for the ways God has blessed us as a family. I am learning what makes me happy and what I enjoy doing. I am developing new skills every day, believe it or not. (like photography! watch out folks!)

I want to encourage other women who stay home or want to stay home. It's the most important job you will ever do!

"Happy Birthday Dad"

Nora and I are wishing Ryan a very Happy Birthday!

Its 11:30 and we have made cupcakes, had a photo session for Dad's card and Nora is now napping and I am running around trying to blog, clean, cook, shower, and all the while praying naptime lasts more than an hour today!

This past year was a big year for Ryan, but I know that the best is still yet to come! He is an excellent daddy to Nora and a wonderfully supportive and encouraging husband to me! We are thankful for him every day!

Nora at 5 Months

Nora is now 5 months old. Where is the time going. I knew it would go by fast but wasn't ready for this fast! Nora is growing and changing every day, which is tiring (so she tells me). Nap time is important and you know when it is time. She is on an awesome little schedule, which makes life so much easier. We are doing rice cereal once a day, for practice with the spoon and around 6 months I am planning on introducing new foods. Nursing is going so well, its hard for me to even want to start foods. It's so convenient for me and for Nora.

Nora's Favorite Things:
Bath
From day one, Nora has loved her bath. She is so calm and relaxed and could literally stay in there forever. Splashing with her legs is now the cool thing to do in the tub and she also has figured out what bath toys are! HELLO Rubber Ducky!

Books
Almost every day we read through her entire library of books. We both just lay on the floor looking up at the book and read. It's amazing how long she will listen. Sometimes she will "read" too or touch my mouth to figure out just what I am doing to make all those sounds. Yes I now have The Foot Book and There's a Wocket in my Pocket memorized.

Dancing and Singing
Nora loves for us to turn on music and just dance and sing. When I sing along, she looks at me like I am Carrie Underwood (which I am most certainly NOT! ha).

And one out-take for good measure! This made me laugh!

Nora's Room

When I was pregnant with Nora, I had so many big ideas and plans for what her room would look like. I knew paint colors I wanted to use, decor I had in mind, and how I wanted everything to look. We lived with my parents temporarily when Nora was born, so she was in our room there with us (which I loved!) It had a beachy feel, with light colored walls and tans and yellow accents. Right before Christmas we found out we would be moving up to Kentucky for Ryan's job. It's not permeant and we will probably only be here for a year. We found a small townhouse, which had everything we needed.
All that to say, on moving day I was let down. This wasn't how I had pictured her room. It wasn't as big as I had dreamed. It wasn't an ever-so-popular shade of grey. I wanted bigger and better for my baby girl.
I made it my goal to have her room settled before any other room.
And you know what?
I love it.
I am learning, life isn't going to be how you dreamed it would be....
It's much better because it is what God planned.
I am constantly (in this crazy rail-road-wife journey) reminded that each day is special. Each day I have with Nora. Each day I have with Ryan. We aren't living for more things, bigger things, we are in the now and looking forward to the future. Yes one day Nora's room may be as I dreamed it would be. Who knows it may be better, but what is important is that I am happy with the now. Nora doesn't know what color her room is or how big it is, all she cares about is the love and care she gets. And I know I give her the very best I possibly could.

Well with all that said you probably want to see the pictures. I have 3 pictures to hang but I have to order frames for them. So it isn't finished but I like that it is cozy, and most of all ours!

 

Rocking Horse: Pottery Barn Kids

Glider: Babies R Us

ABC's Art work: Hand Painted by Me

The Artic Blast

The lovely "Artic Blast" or "Snowpocalypse," as some people called it, came just as we moved up to Kentucky. We are from the South, so the snow we got here was more snow than we have seen in years. While we tried to avoid looking like total newbies, we did get out and take some pictures while the snow was coming down. I mean it was Nora's first snow! Exciting times! It was cold. Like 15 degrees, cold. So we didn't stay out long. I am not sure Nora knew what to think about it. While we did absolutely no sledding, snowman building, or anything along those lines, we sure enjoyed the view of 6 inches of snow.