Mom Has a Blog!

I am happy to announce that my Mom has launched her blog! This is something she has wanted to do for a while but wanted to do it right if she was going to do it. And she did! It looks great and I am excited to read as she posts and you should to! She will be posting encouraging topics for Mom's about life and all that this journey has brought her. Mom is my hero and I hope to one day be a Mom like her. She is so organized and runs a tight ship around the house, she home schools all the school age kids and is a wonderful Grandma to her 2 grandkids. I hope you keep up with her blog as I know it will encourage you no matter where you are in your journey.

Cleanse Day 17

We are on day 17 of a 21 day cleanse and to be totally honest it doesn't feel like we are on a cleanse anymore because we have gotten used to the diet we have adhering to. The diet that goes with it is all the vegetables and fruit you want, a small portion of brown rice and/or lentils each day and day 11 we added lean protein such as chicken, fish and eggs. I kept the protein in my diet from the beginning because of nursing. We have loved our new way of eating and hope to stay with it once we are officially done. I am no longer craving sweets and haven't really had anything that sounds good that I can't have in the last week or so. Its so nice to get that sweet tooth away and actually enjoy eating the things my body needs. Jeremy has lost 14 pounds and I have lost 9, we can both tell in our clothes that they fit so much better in many places. We haven't had stomach aches, heart burn, indigestion or any other affects from food. We both have energy and have slept great feeling more rested then before. I am again amazed that giving your body what it needs allows it to function at such a higher level and eliminating the things that your body wasn't designed to have takes away those issues so many of us deal with.

It has forced us to be creative with our meals since we aren't eating much meat or beans and both seemed to be staples. So now our main dishes are vegetables cooked all different ways! My friend and her husband who are great friends and both chiropractors have been doing it also and she has blogged some great recipes. My favorites that we have done have been a roasted chicken with vegetables and a lentil soup over brown rice. I have been inspired by a new favorite website, the nourishing gourmet and encourage you to check out her recipes. I have gained a new passion for feeding our bodies fuel for life rather then just eating for the pleasure of the moment. I have always had a passion for health but that has reached a new level while on this cleanse. I plan to continue the eating plan strictly for another couple weeks and then adapt a version of it for every day life. Of course making exceptions here and there to enjoy that pleasure of the moment! =)

I have to brag on my dear husband who has been a trooper on this and done great! Before meeting me Adkins is how he would have lost weight and now her has learned that he can survive 10 days with no meat! He has also been encouraged by the results and though this was in no way his idea he hasn't complained much and has eaten every vegetable I have put in front of him! What a man!!

I plan to post some recipes on here as I try some new ones and hope to inspire each of you on this journey of life!

Bits and pieces of my life.

:: Tomorrow Jeremy and I are starting a purification/cleanse eating routine. I am so pumped to take 3 weeks to give my body the fuel it needs to clean itself up. Our bodies are amazing aren't they? Given the correct food they are capable of so much! We are doing a 21 day cleanse. So many people have asked me about cleansing while nursing because it is thought to not be good. But as my dear friend and chiropractor/midwife put it "people would have no concern in I drank coke or went to McDonald's". This cleanse is totally safe to do while nursing as it is mostly a drastic diet change along with some shakes and supplements. Here is Dr. Cindy's blog who is listing in details the cleanse as she does it if you are interested in learning more.

:: My baby girl is growing and changing so much! What a fun age! We no longer can lay her on the bed cause she will roll all around it and no she hasn't rolled off yet but we hope to avoid that! She can get to anything she really wants by rolling to it! She is such a social baby and loves interaction with people.

:: We have found a schedule that works great for us! She is very flexible with it though which works great for us. She is sleeping great at night, usually up 2 -3 times to eat but is back to sleep in 15 minutes. I am starting to feel a bit more rested these days which is nice!

::Fall has started to show its face and I am loving it! I do miss NY fall though, the changing leaves and cool breeze was amazing! We can now take walks and not fear of a heat stroke!

::I am taking my midwifery licensing exam in February and feel great about the timing, I was planning to do it in Oct this year but just don't feel prepared enough and am in no rush just want to get it done.

That's all for now, the little one is down so I must use this time wisely and I think a shower would be a good call! =)

The Seasons of life is something that has been on my mind often these days. Maybe its because I have a 4 month old baby who is blowing through the newborn season, maybe its because I am entering a season of parenting that I feel so inadequate to enter, maybe its because our lease in our apartment is up soon so we are seeking what the next season will be, maybe its because we want to buckle down this fall and take care of some financial things we have hanging over our head, maybe its because I am studying for my licensing exam to be a midwife and wondering what that season will look like or maybe its just because God wants us to better understand who He is in changing seasons.

I LOVE the season of life God has me in right now. I love being a mother, I love where we are living, I love that my husband has a job that provides for our needs and I love that everyday with a baby holds new and fun things! But I also feel like there are times I grow weary of the seasons changing so fast, just when I feel I am comfortable in the season we are in its time to adjust to a new one. I know that is God's way of keeping up dependant on Him, but somedays its more then I can handle! I am all for adventure but sometimes we need a break! I know I serve a God who is faithful and who never changes and that is where I rest my heart. Seasons and circumstances may always be changing but His faithfulness always remains!

I have been listening to this song alot lately and letting the reality of who God is seek into my soul.

"I am" by Nichole Nordeman

"Pencil marks on a wall, I wasn't always this tall,
You scattered some monsters from beneath my bed, You watched my team win,
You watched my team lose, You watched when my bicycle went down again,

And When I was weak unable to speak, still I could call You by name,
and I said “Elbow healer, Superhero, come if You can,” and You said “I am”

Only 16, life is so mean, what kind of curfew is at ten PM
You saw my mistakes, You watched my heart break
Heard when I swore I’d never love again

When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call You by name,
and I said “Heart-ache Healer, Secret-keeper, be my Best Friend” and You said “I am”

You saw me wear white, by pale candlelight, I said forever to what lies ahead
two kids and a dream, with kids that can scream too much it might seem when it’s two AM

When I am weak, unable to speak, still I will call You by name.
“Oh Shepherd, Savior, Pasture-maker, hold on to my hand,” and You say “I am.”

The winds of change, And circumstance blow in and all around
us so we find a foothold that’s familiar, And bless the moments that we feel You nearer
Life had begun, I was woven and spun,

You let the angels dance around the throne, who can say when,
But they’ll dance again, when I am free and finally headed home

I will be weak, unable to speak, still I will call You by name
“Creator, Maker, Life-sustainer, Comforter, Healer, My Redeemer,
Lord and King, Beginning and the End, I am, yes, I am.”

3 Months Old!

My baby girl is 3 months old today!! Jeremy and I were talking about today how its hard to believe its already been 3 months but at the same time it feels like we have always had her. Its hard to imagine life before our little bundle came! It has been the most amazing 3 months of my life to watch my child grow. I have grown so much in 3 months, nothing like having a baby to put life in perspective. The things I thought important that filled my day no longer seem to matter, and the things I fill my day with now seem so small in the worlds eyes but has become my world. I thank God for giving us the gift of life to steward and shepherd her heart.

Pictures were taken by my talented friend Heather.

She is Home!!

Priscilla is home! After a year in Taiwan teaching english she is back. What an amazing year she had and she has so many memories. I am so glad she was able to go, I think she will look back on this time in her life and be so grateful for the experiences she had. We sure are glad to have her home though!! When she left for her adventure I lived in NY wasn't pregnant yet and my older brother and his wife had a new baby and lived about 2 hours outside of Fort Worth. Now she is home and I live here and have a baby, by brother and his family live minutes away so its been such fun! I think it has taken her some time to settle back into life here, I can only imagine how much of a shift it must be. She has had lots of time to love on Ava and came home just in time to start enjoying her changing daily and being oh so much fun! 

My baby girl laughs now and it is the cutest thing in the entire world! She has lots to say and is full of life!!

Bits and pieces of my life.

:: My sister comes home Friday from a year of teaching English in Taiwan. We could not be more excited to see her! She will finally get to meet Ava too! It has been 2 years since I have lived in the same state as Priscilla so I am thrilled to live by my closest sister again, it will be fun to have her so close and it will take some time for me to get used to remembering she is here!

:: Sleep update, my baby girl is sleeping wonderfully! She goes to sleep when we do and sleeps for around 4 hours then wakes up to eat and then goes right back to sleep and sleeps another 2-3 hours the eats again then sleeps another 2-3 hours normally. I know I am SO blessed! We are making progress with our day schedule and I do feel like we have some routine that I can count on most days. I am not huge on a schedule but I do like having some routine that we can count on and it makes us both so much happier when we have sleep!

:: It is TOO HOT in Texas for me! After living in up state NY for a year I lost my tolerance for the heat I think. I just don't remember it being this hot! I love lots about summer, but 90 degrees would be a good high for me. I am grateful I have a little baby and a good reason to stay inside with my little one!

:: I am making some effort to get this baby weight off, I am so tired of my limited wardrobe and refuse to buy clothes that are my size now. This whole breastfeeding thing has not made my weight "melt" off as I was told often happens. I started walking this week and plan to stay regular with that and add some trips to the gym when baby will allow. I have too many clothes in my closet that I want to wear again and I am not ok with settling for this larger version of me. I hope to spend the next 4 months getting back in shape and my goal is by the time she is 6 months old to be back to my active thinner self.

:: I am starting to pull the books out and study for the Midwifery license exam, I am taking that in October and it is a very in depth hard test from what I have heard so I am a little nervous to take that but so looking forward to having that behind me!

:: Ava is now 9 weeks old and growing so much! She has developed such a sweet little personality and neither of us can imagine life without our baby girl! She brings so much joy to our home!!

::My Mom is getting a blog set-up and when she does if you are a mom, wife or one day hope to be any of those you will want to read her blog! I know I am so excited to keep up with it. Mom has such wisdom to offer and I am thrilled that she will have a new out to share and encourage others with. In my opinion she has LOTS that needs to be heard and I know will encourage all those that read it. I will let you all know once she has her site up and running.