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My Favorite Gift (SJ’s Christmas Message)

One of my all time favorite Messy Mom blog posts is The Littlest Christmas Star which I wrote this time last year . If you haven’t read it I would encourage you to check it out.  It’s about SJ’s first Christmas program at her deaf school. Her line last year was to say I love you mommy, daddy, and her brother’s names. She could barely muster out I love you mama. It wasn’t much, but it meant a great deal to me because she tried. She’s come a long way since then. I had heard her practicing saying her lines at home. “I love you mommy, daddy, Zion, Ezra” Sometimes she would even talk about whose turn it was and also recite her classmates lines.

When the day of the Christmas program arrived we headed to the school and I heard her practicing in the backseat, but I also heard her say “I want Minnie Mouse”. I could tell it was part of what she would be saying in the program and not just random chatter because children tend to sound like zombies when they recite lines (to quote Gru from Despicable me 2). I almost cried before it even started because in that moment I realized she was going to say more than just I love you to us! It might not sound like much, but this meant she was able to memorize more, speak a lot more, and most importantly it meant that she has made advancements since last year that her teachers deemed ready to take to the next level! 
Sure enough SJ approaches the microphone and it’s not intelligible to everyone, I get that. To me as her mom though, I understood every. single. word. And for the first time I got to hear her say
“Santa I want a Minnie Mouse for Christmas. I love you mommy, daddy, Zion, and Ezra.” 
She nailed it. All the mothers in the auditorium that know us and know how far SJ has come all looked back at me to see tears flowing down my cheeks. I tried not to cry, which is worse, because that just equates to an ugly contorted face, but whatevs. Some of them were crying too because it was such a beautiful moment. 
For the record she DID get a Minnie Mouse for Christmas.
 Ezie got Mickey too so they love to play together with them. He actually calls him Minnie because he hears that from his sister so often. I don’t know if Mickey’s name has ever been uttered in our household.
The mouse presents continued when we went to Texas and she got a Minnie Mouse outfit 
and a Minnie Mouse Puzzle. 
All of which she has announced to many people. She says “I have Minnie Mouse toy. I have Minnie Mouse coat… pants… puzzle. I have four Minnie Mouse.” 
So that may have been her favorite gift of the year, but mine was just hearing her be able to ask for it. It is a wonderful life. 
By |2015-05-18T04:23:41+00:00January 7, 2015|Hearing Loss, My Life|8 Comments
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Our Family Pilgrimage Part FOUR!?

This is a newsletter that I post annually on Facebook, but I thought it would be nice to share it here too. I never anticipated more than one or two updates once we got settled in after the move, yet here we are. The journey continues. 

We began our Family Pilgramage updates at the beginning of
2012 when we left our home in Texas to see what the Lord had for us in Kentucky.

Part 2 was a recap of the year we welcomed our youngest
child into our family.

 Along with the roller coaster ride that comes with
realizing our two year old daughter SJ was profoundly deaf. It was by far the
most intense life changing year all the way around!

Part 3 was about moving (again), changing schools, working
multiple jobs, and getting a lot of help along the way.

Now I sit here beginning to define our latest chapter and I am feeling like changing the name from Family Pilgrimage Part Four to Four Years of Wondering in the Dessert!
The unemployment, the uncertainty, and the demanding circumstances can be tiring. We had no idea what was ahead of us when we packed up that moving van and left the only place we, as a couple, have called home. A lot of amazing
growth and provision has taken place that is for sure. None the less part of me
wants to throw a whiny baby fit because I feel like I am
ready to live a normal stable life (whatever that means).
Looking back at 2014 I see a lot of headway. Unfortunately, it’s been like watching a pot that takes years to boil. You try to distract
yourself from what the main goal is and find something else to do because you
know what they say, “a watched pot never boils”. 
I see a few bubbles surfacing though.

Jeremy has had a phenomenal year at Cincinnati State. I am
so proud of all that he has accomplished. He’s had to work his tail off, but
he’s been able to maintain a 4.0 grade point average each semester. I made his
lunches and helped him write a couple papers so I’ll take a little credit there.

Z is in first grade. He goes to a great school and he is doing so well there. This school year is much
better than last for me as the mom. Last year he was in half day kindergarten,
SJ went all day at her special preschool, Ezie was napping twice a day, and I was trying
to juggle all of these schedules. It meant many, MANY daily trips up and down
three flights of stairs (we live in the top of our apartment building). That’s
not even including trips for groceries and laundry. I consider that my exercise
routine and try not to feel too sorry for myself.

SJ is almost 5 now and has made incredible progress this year.
Last year she could not count and she didn’t know any letters. She couldn’t ask
or answer too many questions. She didn’t know anyone’s name outside of our
immediate family. She just had a handful of words. Now all of that has changed!
This year she was able to communicate via phone (on speaker mode) for the first
time! She also can tell very simple reports about her day like “I paint
pumpkin” or “I eat pancake”, She knows colors and numbers, and many letters.
She is starting to write some. My favorite breakthrough recently was when She
told me “Implant say Beep. Beep. Beep.” Then she shrugged and said “not
working” What that means is that her cochlear implant’s battery died and when
that happens it beeps internally. No one can hear it other than the person with
the implant. I would have never known that it beeped if she wasn’t able to
articulate it. It was in that moment that I got just tiniest little glimpse
into her world. All this time she has things going on inside that she is thinking,
feeling, and wanting, but she was trapped in silence. Slowly but surely we are seeing her unlock her ability to communicate. I thank the Lord for this progress.
Ezie is 2 years old and for never knowing anything other
than our current circumstances I can only predict that he is going to be the most
flexible, laid back guy ever.

After a two year break because of all that we’ve had going
on I have been getting back into photography. I am also still trying
to make time to write. I’m even considering doing a book one of these days.

As far as this next year, I try not to get my hopes up too
much, but then again what are hopes for right? There are some really exciting,
truly wonderful, fulfilling things on the horizon! Praise the Lord! J should
be able to find a job as a software
engineer this summer. He won’t necessarily have his degree
completed, but enough to have a fully paid practicum. This means we could
hopefully move out of our apartment and into something with a washer and dryer, and a yard for the kids to play in. A place that they can act like
kids without causing the downstairs neighbors dog to have heart palpitations
(true story). What a day of rejoicing that will be!

Maybe that won’t be our
story, but that’s what my dreams look like. 
Three years ago I left Texas with dreams and I am ready to pick them back up again.

 Happy
new year. That’s all I can say. Happy New Year. 

By |2015-05-18T04:23:55+00:00January 5, 2015|My Life, Uncategorized|8 Comments
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Goals 2015

Yesterday I shared my word for the year and today I am going to list some of my goals. The funny thing is, if you go to oneword365.com the purpose is to “Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap that long list of goals you won’t remember three weeks from now anyway. Choose just one word.” Well, I didn’t know about this official website or group when I chose a word. I guess you could say I want to have my cake and eat it too, but I picked one word AND I have a New Year’s Resolution list. Have I mentioned I love New Year’s? It’s true. I love it and that’s all I am writing about this week so here are my goals for 2015. The first half are more dreams than anything and the second half are very practical projects.

1. Monthly Dates
 I say this EVERY YEAR!!! It might sound so easy to other people to have a monthly, or even weekly date with their spouse. I am going to assume that those couples either have money or family nearby (or no children), but for us it seems to be this unattainable projection. We’ve been on a roll lately though, so I feel confident about this year.

2. Cruise
 I hesitate to even type that because it just doesn’t seem realistic right now, but by our 15th anniversary in November that could all change. J was the one that came up with the idea and I have grabbed it by the horns with a kung fu grip. However, if it doesn’t happen this year that doesn’t mean it will never happen and I am okay with that.

3. Move
 Hopefully we will not still be living in an apartment this time next year, but if so see the last sentence of my previous goal.

4. Declutter
I want to work on a different part of the home each month. I have an office area and filing cabinet that desperately need to be sorted out. There are also walls marked on with crayon that need to be scrubbed and other various “deep cleaning” projects that don’t come naturally to me. This is another one that I say every year, but I’m saying it again. I want to be a better house keeper.

5. Photo Archive Updates
I really need to catch up on printing photos and finishing baby books. I am usually really good at this, but last year I didn’t do a single thing!

6. Doctors
This might be a weird one to have on the list, but everyone in our family of 5 is overdue to see the dentist and I need to line up some other routine visits with specialists which I have procrastinated on so that’s why Doctor’s appointments is one of my goals for the year.

I could go on and on. I would love to learn spanish, get SJ in gymnastics, potty train Ezie, take juice off the menu for my children, get a new lens for my camera… However, for the sake of simplicity let’s just leave the list at 6 things. I visited with a  long time friend the other day and I met her husband for the first time. I said “I heard about your plans to start your own practice some day. That’s great” His response was “2019” I raised my brows in astonishment and he added “A plan without a date is just a dream”. Then we talked about S.M.A.R.T goals.

Don’t get me wrong I am unapologetically a dreamer, but every once in a while I do like to get crap done.

So those are my plans for now. Here’s to a fresh start. I hope that it is a blessed year full of breakthrough for all of you as well! Happy 2015.

By |2015-05-18T04:24:08+00:00January 2, 2015|My Life, Uncategorized|6 Comments
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One Word

Has Lord ever given you one key verse, phrase, or word for
the year? Something to focus on as you approach the launching pad for the next
season of life?
I’ll admit that it’s been a while for me, which is why I was
thrilled to feel like even in the midst of my stubbornness and daily distractions I
felt the Lord graciously gave me some direction for 2015.
The concept is big and complicated. It involves shifting my focus. I prayed for one literal
word that would encapsulate this vision that He had given me at this time and I
felt like that word was good.
Not as in an adjective like that’s a good word. I mean the
word for our family for this year is GOOD.
From the first verses in the Bible God is already revealing
that what he does is good.
He creates and sees goodness in it .
 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there
was light. And God saw that the light was good.
-Genesis 1:3
Then he created the earth, plants, fish, animals and
EVERYTHING he made was GOOD! So just like New Year’s day is a launching pad for the year this chapter is the launching pad for the word of God.
How fitting!
I could elaborate on the word good throughout the Bible, but
I will save some revelation for the other 364 days we have left this year. Seriously though, I am truly excited
for the Lord to reveal all that is good as we navigate this next year. I am
also convicted that this will begin with a change in my heart and mind. For the 31 day
challenge I was virtually connected with another blogger, Lauren who writes over at His Grace is sufficient. She did her entire 31 day series on Philippians 4:8

Speaking of good, Lauren’s 31 posts on this verse are really
good and they are all still there to read if you want to check them out. Even
though Philippians 4:8 doesn’t technically have the word good in it, it is all about setting your mind on what is good.
That is what I want to do this year. In the beginning God saw goodness and He
spoke goodness and the same is true today because as we know God is good all
the time!
 I want to see what is good. I want to see it in my life and in
others. Cheesy as it may be even the letters for God are in the word good. I talked to J about how I was feeling led with this word and it resonated with him as well. I’ll take that as a confirmation!

I am confident that 2015 is going to be a very GOOD year for us. Will you believe that with me? 
By |2015-05-18T04:24:15+00:00January 1, 2015|My Life, Uncategorized|12 Comments
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Christmas Card 2014

Every year we do a Christmas card. Even if they seem thrown together or unprofessional don’t let that fool you! I put a ton of thought and effort into every single card. I usually have the card idea planned a year in advance, and if you were to ask me there would be a story behind why I chose that particular theme for each year. Here are the ones that I have done since this blog started in 2008.

2008- Converse Sneakers
2009- Maternity Christmas Present
2010- The Regift  
2011- The Outdoor Couch (scroll down to #4)
2012- Sunglasses
2013- Jingle Bells Batman Smells 

This year I wanted to have a nice family photo because the last time we had one was 3 years ago before Ezie had arrived. I couldn’t simply have a sweet photo printed on photo cards at Costco. It was too predictable. So I decided to go old school and actually make my own photo cards rather than design a digital one. Repurposed is probably the best way to describe them. My mom had a collection of old cards that had never been signed or mailed so I just glued the pictures and scraps of Christmas papers, tape, and stickers on top.
 
Although it was a bit tedious I didn’t mind. I found the whole project to be therapeutic. The thing I hated was signing them. Some of them were even blank on the inside so that was just a huge pain.

The worst part is I HATE my hand writing. I get it from my mom. No offense mom, but one day she wrote me a note giving permission for me to ride home with a friend from school. The school denied my request because they thought it looked like I wrote the note and forged my mom’s signature. They had no reason to doubt my honesty. I was an honor student who was never ever in trouble, but even then I guess they thought there was no way an adult could have written that note. Anyway, all that to say that my handwriting is bad. Not sloppy in a cute way that would make a fun font. Just plain ugly. So, I will never do cards this way again as far as I’m concerned, but it’s over now. Here is how they turned out!

One of my favorites is this one with the Christmas trees because it was a invitation to SJ’s Christmas program at school. I just taped the pretty blue design to a card (I think it was actually a thanksgiving card) and then I glued our photo and snowflakes on top. 

This is another favorite because SJ was helping and she cut these mittens out, but they were from a gift bag and I didn’t really want her to cut up the gift bag. In the end though it looks cute and she has great precision for a 4 year old so I ended up really liking his card. 

This red card stock was the backing for some gift tags so I ended up using it too! 

This polka dot one is funny to me. It’s actually Valentine paper, but add the words Merry Christmas and a little Elf sticker and it looks pretty Christmasy. The funny part is that I didn’t realize the preexisting message on the inside of the card said “What a glorious time to renew our faith and refresh our souls in the Savior’s love.” Which is great, but it doesn’t quite fit with the happy sledding elf I put on the front. 

That’s just a fraction of the 40 cards I made, which didn’t nearly cover my list. I think I covered most of the family and as for everyone else this digital version will have to suffice. 
Merry Christmas everybody! 

By |2015-05-18T04:24:24+00:00December 25, 2014|My Life, Uncategorized|5 Comments
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SJ Latest Vocab Explosion

This was one of my most recent updates about SJ’s progress in her cochlear implant journey, which was posted August 12, 2014.

“I feel like we have been at a stand still over the summer. I always keep a log of new words and phrases that I notice SJ saying and the last time I did an entry was the two months ago. Maybe some of it’s because I have been too busy to notice, or maybe it’s because she was on vacation and out of school so she is just plateauing. Or perhaps this would be a slower time anyway. These burst of vocabulary breakthroughs do tend to happen in waves.”

I tried to stay positive, but when I know SJ has so much catching up to do it is hard to see so little progress. Fortunately we did have another wave of new words come last month. She was suddenly communicating so much I could barely keep up.

One day in September I dropped Z off at Sunday School, but since there are no classes for my youngest children I just take them to have donuts with my mom (their Me’me’). I told my mom that was one time I was a little grateful that SJ couldn’t talk too much because if she told her brother he was missing donut time he’d be upset.

 It wasn’t but a week later that we were going to do our donut tradition and SJ piped up “Donuts with Me’Me’?” I couldn’t believe my ears. She wasn’t copying something I said, she just had the language to say it herself and I was blown away. Although it was also a little comical since I had been trying to keep our donut outing a secret!

Another time shortly after that I was trying to convince her to wear a headband.

She used to wear headbands all the time to keep her Cochlear Implants on until one day she decided she didn’t like them anymore. So now we keep the CI’s on her ears with special tape. It’s technically used for wigs and toupees. Anyway, I prefer the headbands for various reasons so I thought I would see if she would switch back, but she clearly told me

“I don’t like headband. I like tape.”

This is a big breakthrough for her to be able to express her desires so clearly. It certainly alleviates a lot of frustration for both of us.

I have just a few more stories for you, and for me actually because I want to look back this time next year and remember what her sentences were like.

One night SJ brought me a package of Oreos and with a sheepish grin she lifts up a finger and says “One?” Then she says “Not two. Not five.” As she shakes her head. How can I resist? I tell her okay then she immediately asks “One for baby Ezie?” Again I was just amazed at how much she was able to communicate and it certainly is hard to turn down requests when she does!

  These last two milestones were SO exciting for me and I will never forget them. You know how you can’t really see your children grow, but sometimes you see growth? Well, maybe that doesn’t make sense, but that is what these were like.

J is in school a lot so SJ always asks “where daddy?” and I tell her “Daddy is at school” One day she didn’t even ask where daddy was because she knew the routine by now, she simply said “Daddy with teacher?” I turned around wondering if I heard her right. Did you say “Daddy with teacher?” and she said yeah. Again I was stunned, because she had put the pieces together. I never said daddy was with a teacher, but she knew what school was and that there were teachers and that daddy was probably at school.

A similar breakthrough happened when J was calling my name from the other room and I heard SJ say “Mommy?” and he said “Yes, I need mommy. Can you get her for me?” She said “Okay”(which usually sounds like oh-hey) and I heard her little feet pitter patter down the hall. I was excited to see what she would do because this wasn’t the norm at all. I knew for sure she wasn’t going to say Mommy, daddy wants you. but as she approached the doorway she declared with confidence. “Mommy, daddy talking.” I said, Okay! Thank you! and squeezed her so tight she was probably wondering what in the world the big deal was.

There have been lots of little connections happening. Phrases like “I need help pajamas” and “That mommy’s coffee” and “I will hold it”. Her teachers and therapist are much better at explaining exactly what all of the milestones are and the new goals of syntax, phenomes and receptive learning. All I know is that things are clicking in a new and exciting way. She has gone from just learning vocabulary, labeling, and reciting to actually understanding and communicating her thoughts and needs. We still have a long way to go and there are many times we just flat out can’t understand her, but I am happy with the recent progress and it just makes me more excited to see what comes next!

By |2023-06-12T06:26:43+00:00November 19, 2014|Hearing Loss, My Life, Our Hearing Loss Journey|4 Comments
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About My Parenting Journey

I figured since we will be doing this thing for 31 days, and you all will be reading my voice the whole time, I would share a little of background info.  I’ve got all the fun and casual details on my Meet the Messy Mom link, but I would still like to give everyone a little peak at my mom credentials. 
My three kiddos are all lovely and talented of course, but in very different ways.

My oldest son fits the stereotype of a little guy with glasses. He enjoys reading, writing, geography,
and math (where did he come from!?)

 I also have
a daughter who is deaf. She goes to school for the deaf and works very hard,
but she has a long way to go before she is caught up even among her peers with
hearing loss. At four and a half years old she is just learning to talk. It’s
all for good reason obviously, this isn’t about comparison and it is not a
shameful thing whatsoever. I just want to be transparent with you so that you
know that when I talk about Teachable Parenting I have an invested interest in special needs from one end of the
spectrum to the other.

Last but not least, I have a two year old boy who keeps my heart rate pumping and did I
mention he is two, and he is a boy? Yeah, I don’t think I need to elaborate too much on the parenting challenges I face there. 

Even with the differences they all have one thing in common. They are strong
willed.

I am not dissatisfied with
the personality of my children, in fact I wasn’t the one to even label them
strong willed in the beginning, but that’s what I’ve been told that they are at some point or
another. I usually hear it around toddlerhood

 He’s strong willed isn’t he? 
Second runner up to You sure do have your
hands full. 
Followed by Such a busy
little guy.
Or the sympathetic Is it nap time? 

I don’t want to sound bitter. I have said, and stand by my
statements, that parenthood is the best thing that has ever happened to me or my
marriage. It’s been the most amazing 7 years of my life so far.

Let’s pause for a moment on
that number. SEVEN years. You could look at it like I have been training and
studying childrearing daily 24/7 which would mean I should have at the very
least a Master’s Degree right? Then the fact that I have 3 of children that
just makes me even more qualified to be on top of this mom thing. I mean, when
I went in for my prenatal appointments with my last child the Doctor was like
this is your third healthy pregnancy? I nodded yes and he said well then let me
step out of the way, you should probably be telling me how it’s done! You would
be surprised how many people got wide eyed at the announcement of my third like
I had reached a whole new peak of the mountain that only few travelers dare to
venture toward. Seriously.
Now on the other hand three
is not that many children. I have LESS children than most of my friends or my
mom or mother in law. And seven years is not really that long. In mom years I
am 7 years old. Forget the Master’s Degree I am in the first grade of
motherhood. First grade! I have just begun!
In other words I want my
reader’s to know that as I share all the wisdom of these books for this series
it is not to imply that I have achieved this high status as a caregiver and now
I am ready to show everyone how it’s done. I am just your average mom dragging
my daughter out of the play land against her will or realizing my son slept in
his clothes and wore them to school the second day in a row. That last one
happened one time, the other thing happens all the time. Anyway, my hope in
this 31 days endeavor is that maybe we could learn together, laugh together,
and have grace for other moms and ourselves.

 If your new to Messy Mom please introduce yourself. I’d love
to know where you are from, how many children you have and what ages they are, along with their social security numbers and genealogical history. Totally
kidding about that last part, but serious about making this an interactive
community. I can’t wait to dive into the next 26 days with you!
By |2015-05-18T05:06:21+00:00October 5, 2014|Lifestyle, Motherhood, My Life, Uncategorized|5 Comments
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SJ’s 2nd Year of Preschool

I can’t believe this will be SJ’s last year of preschool. I never  necessarily even planned for my children to even go to preschool, but as you know SJ case is a little different. The idea that a year from now she will be starting kindergarten really shocks me! I suppose I am getting ahead of myself. One year at a time. I am so very anxious (in a good way) to see what this year will hold for her.

You may have noticed I have a page on my blog now that is dedicated strictly to SJ’s story and her current progress. I don’t have any recent updates because I feel like we have been at a stand still over the summer. I always keep a log of new words and phrases that I notice SJ saying and the last time I did an entry was the end of June. Maybe some of it’s because I have been too busy to notice, or maybe it’s because she was on vacation and out of school so she is just plateauing. Or perhaps this would be a slower time anyway. These burst of vocabulary breakthroughs do tend to happen in waves. I’ll be glad to have her back in school full time though, and not because I want to be away from her because I don’t. 

It’s just that I can tell a difference in her progress when 
they are purposefully working towards speech compared to the incidental learning that usually happens at home.




She has two new teachers this year. One is for academics the other is speech. I hate change and having school age children has forced me to adapt to new people on a regular basis. Bleh! However, I LOVED her therapist in Louisville, I loved her teacher in the toddler program, and her therapist last year, and I am sure these two lovely ladies that she is currently paired with will be just as nice of a fit. I already have a good feeling about it since SJ received a card addressed to her personally with a hand written note inside. It told SJ to her to let her mom and dad know that she will be in the classroom on a certain day and time and to come by to say hi. In other words, meet the teacher.

Last year’s teacher and this summers therapists. She will forever have a special place in our hearts!

I do have one little prayer request which isn’t really hearing or CI related, but it kind of is. SJ has always had huge tonsils. She snores like a 50 year old man and she has since she was a one year old. Seriously. However, we have had many experienced Doctors and Pediatricians take note of this fact without showing any concern. My mom brings it up a couple times a year because she just wants to make sure SJ is safe and her airway passages are clear. Then SJ’s team of therapists brought it up at our end of their meeting and told me to talk to her ENT about it at our next appointment so last week when I saw her Otolaryngologist I did just that.

He said that her tonsils are a 3+, and that is on a scale that ranges up to 4. So they are in fact big, but without frequent strep throat or sleep apnea (neither of which she deals with) there is no reason to remove them. In fact there is some kind of a cautery tool that they would normally use for surgery that cannot be used on SJ because of her implants. An alternative procedure would affect the coronary bleeding which is an added risk to consider when weighing how valuable this surgery would be to her. Once again it doesn’t mean that they are ruling it out and don’t want to do the surgery, but he is going to reevaluate in a year and see if she has grown into them at all. He said sometimes these things correct themselves with time. I don’t know why there always has to be another hand, but on the other hand he said there are advantages to doing the surgery while the child is still young. It’s easier on them, so we don’t want to put it off if it is inevitable.

Sheesh. Don’t quote me on all the details of that because I wrote down what the Doctor said, but I don’t have the paper in front of me. I just remember him saying to not worry about her for now because there is space in her mouth, so she is fine. It would be my heart’s desire that she would not have to go through another surgery if we can avoid it. I pray that this situation will be cleared up without any medical intervention. In the grand scheme of things it is not an earth shattering concern and I do believe God’s hand has her covered head to toe.

So that’s what is happening with the girlie. She has had a wonderful summer.

 I am sure she is going to be bummed to realize it’s over, but happy to be reunited with her friends. One week to go!

By |2015-05-18T05:08:53+00:00August 12, 2014|Hearing Loss, My Life, Special Needs, Uncategorized|1 Comment
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Breastfeeding in a dress

Breast is best, but can it work in a dress? See what I did there? First of all, about the breast is best, it’s a slogan I’m quoting and it’s scientifically proven, at least for now. Some people can’t breast feed their baby. Some people don’t want to. I don’t care how you feed your baby. This particular post is about breastfeeding, but please don’t be offended if you’re path looks different than mine! I have been the first to admit that the thing I would miss the most if I couldn’t breast feed would be the freebies. Not the nutrition, not the bonding, but the flat out frugality of it. The second favorite is getting to eat all of those bonus calories! How noble of me. I am such a sacrificial lactavist.

I have breastfed for 4 and 1/2 years between my three children over the course of 7 years. I started out like most new moms, kind of awkward and self conscious, but now I am comfortable enough to breastfeed on an airplane with the toddlers head resting on the arm of the male college student sitting next to me. I prefer not to be in that position again, I am just saying I don’t give a rat’s patootie anymore.

I used to think there was no way of breast feeding in a dress because you would have to pull the whole garment up so I would choose my outfits accordingly.

Since then I have learned that I could gear my shopping toward dresses that I could nurse my baby in simply by pulling the neck line down. Whether sporting buttons, a crisscross wrap style, or even strapless most styles these days are very accommodating.

Here are just some of the dresses that I have to choose from.

 

 

 

This is an instagram I posted of the dresses I packed for my trip to New York and I have easily nursed in all three outfits.

Here is one that I cannot wear while breastfeeding! It’s super form fitting and really high up in the front.

Although, one time I witnessed a mom wear a shift dress like this for her babies dedication and then when it was time to nurse she went to the cry room and had someone help her unzip the top of her dress  so that she could feed the newborn. That’s quite a bit of effort, but I guess it shows that it can be done if you are really set on a particular outfit.

The point is, if you are breastfeeding, don’t be afraid to branch out. I recommend layering with nursing tanks and nursing bras. Those are my go to for wearing under everything. It just makes life simpler during this season. My advice to new moms that are just starting out, wear what you feel comfortable in and when in doubt practice at home first to see if you can nurse your baby with ease in a certain ensemble. I promise you I have done this on many occasions before I have determined what to wear. You are better off giving it a go in private before you are at a restaurant and realize the material isn’t as stretchy as you thought all the while trying to console the hungry screaming baby in your arms.

By the way, it is World Breastfeeding Week (or at least it was) so to all the women out there that are feeling exhausted, embarrassed, or the many that are just in love with the whole experience I hope you are encouraged that you are doing a great job. Hooray for the normal, beautiful, natural thing that it is!

By |2015-05-18T05:17:50+00:00August 10, 2014|Babies & Toddlers, Motherhood, Natural Living, Uncategorized|4 Comments
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Our 5th Annual Cow Day

Chic-Fil-A time, cow day, dress-like-a-cow, free food, cow appreciation day- whatever you want to call, it it’s a fun time and something that is starting to become one of my favorite days of the year!

This year I was saddened when I realized Z would be out of town for cow day. I had already planned on painting the kids faces this year and almost considered changing our whole summer schedule around  the event just so that he could be a part of the action. That was unrealistic though. So instead I decided we could still dress up and take pictures like we do every year, but we would do it before cow day at my aunt’s barn.

The weather was gorgeous and the children really ate up the chance for some extra special pretend play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then later they ate up the free food when all but Z went in dressed like cows on July 11.

On the left is my niece for her first cow day wearing the same dress SJ wore 5 years ago on her first cow day (pictured right). It was so sweet! 



Between all the free meals we’ve gotten over the past 5 cow appreciation days, my family has ordered at least $75 worth of free Chic Fil A. That’s a pretty sweet deal. I am cheap, so I usually just get a couple kids meals and share with the kids. I don’t mind because it’s still delicious, but on cow day you better believe I get myself in full garb and I order a chicken sandwich meal with a LEMONADE all for me. YUM.

The whole experience just makes me smile! I’ve decided at this point it’s worth it for me to come up with a permanent costume. Every year I dress in white and tape black spots to myself, but I think next year will be different. Yes I am already planning for next years cow day. I am a true CFA fan. Moo.

 

 

 

By |2015-05-19T20:08:52+00:00July 28, 2014|Creativity, Frugal Living, Uncategorized|1 Comment
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