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Paper Bag Masks

I don’t know about where you live, but it’s been cold and wet here. J brought home some paper bags not that long ago that he thought the kids could make masks out of. It was snowy at the time that we did this activity, but it occurred to me that’s also perfect for rainy indoor fun year round.

You’ve probably seen this craft before, or maybe remember it from your childhood. It’s not the latest thing, but it was new to the kids and they had a blast!

We decorated brown grocery store bags with paint (and some stick on circles that we had on hand) and cut out spaces for the eyes and shoulders. It’s a little bit messy if you decide to use paint, but it really couldn’t be any simpler.

My over achieving seven year old wowed us when he decided to cut the circles I gave him for eyes and turn them into ears for his tiger creation.

 

The other two kids were a little more uh… eccentric with their techniques.

 

 

In fact they were so heavy handed with the paint we ended up blowing drying the bags so that they could wear them that night.

 

Z eventually finished up (both front and back) using a mixed media approach.

When I posted these on Facebook I had someone ask where we found plain paper bags. Of course you can get paper bags anywhere, but they often have print on both sides. In this case we went to Meijer (a midwestern grocery store). I’m sure you can find them other places too though if you are on the look out.

 

You can see the snow on the porch!Next time we do this project I will definitely be more strategic with where I put the eye holes. The poor things were peaking out of one side the whole time.
Z’s turned out so great. He did it all on his own too.

 

The cool thing is it isn’t just one time use. The bags fold up for easy storage and then you can pull them out for endless fun whenever you want!
Hooray for paper bags!
By |2015-05-18T04:09:41+00:00April 24, 2015|Crafts, Creativity|6 Comments
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The Hardest Job on the Planet

I saw this comedian on youtube that was joking about how the statement motherhood is the hardest job on the planet is an exaggeration. He compares motherhood to coal miners dying of the black lung, implying that risking your life for a job would be harder.  I would never describe motherhood as life threatening, but in a few rare cases it actually is. The comedian then dramatically explains how difficult it must be to bend down and put a dvd in the dvd player while you are still in your pajamas. The most ignorant thing he said was how mothers can send their kids to bed ANYTIME THEY WANT so that they can have a drink and watch The Price Is Right.

Would’t that be nice!?

Now I understand how comedy works, and even though I think this guy has no idea what he is talking about I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that everything he said was 100% sarcastic. However, there are people out there that buy into his idea of motherhood as a brainless effortless gig and that is why I want to talk about it.

First off I would agree that there are plenty of more physically and intellectually demanding careers out there. Being a mom isn’t even really a job at all in my opinion. One reason is because unlike a job, motherhood isn’t just an investment of time and skill, it demands attention from ever fiber of your being.

During pregnancy a mother’s body will literally be stretched and strained to it’s maximum potential in order to create and sustain a new human. After her body pushes the baby out of her (something I’d love to see that comedian try to even fathom) then the child will depend on her for not only physical nourishment, but the love and care that has been scientifically proven is necessary for life. There will be times she will be stuck in a car with relentless screaming that could bring a soldier to his knees. She will clean up vomit and feceses more times than you can count. Her nipples will probably be bitten, her sleep will be stolen, and her hair will be pulled. All that and we aren’t even through the first year.

The challenges only increase as the child grows and it’s not a bad thing, but it certainly is NOT easy.

The emotional side of motherhood is far more intricate and complex than any job could ever be. Some people may feel like they are emotionally invested in their jobs, but mothers are attached at the core of who they are. When the child suffers the mother feels the same pain multiplied. The intensity of her passion for her children is pumping through her blood because those children are a part of her and share her DNA.

I could go on and on about all that motherhood entails, but I have already wasted too much time responding to a really stupid youtube video that was recommended on Facebook, and the only thing worse than that is that I also read a couple of the idiotic comments. Apparently there are a lot of oblivious people out there who really do think moms sit around all day playing Candy Crush Saga and snacking on sushi or something.

Just to be clear as I wrap this thing up, some women birth children, but never become mothers. Some women never birth children, but are the strongest mothers of all. It’s a relationship, a lifestyle, a gift, a sacrifice, and a calling, but not necessarily a job.  To say motherhood is job implies that you are paid, or that you can go off duty, or retire. So I don’t think that motherhood is the hardest job on the planet because that statement isn’t powerful enough to describe what being a mom really is.

By |2015-05-17T04:12:25+00:00April 9, 2015|Family, Motherhood|11 Comments
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Messy Mom Movie

What an adventurous day Saturday was!
For those that haven’t been bombarded by all of my announcements online, I’ll fill you in. I am working on relaunching my website and over the weekend I did a professional video shoot for what will be the “Messy Mom Welcome Video”.
The Story Board
The set location was in my brother’s basement. He has a recording/video studio which was staged to look like a living room.
There was whole team of people helping out from art director to stylist and more.

 

 

 

Truth be told it was just friends and family, but having titles makes it feel more legit.
We did take after take. I think it was 6 scenes total. All three of my kids were involved too, so it was exhausting.
Well worth it though.
There is one final scene that we decided reshoot later, but it’s just Ezie. So he and I will be going back to my brother’s studio tomorrow for that.
It’s not easy being a celebrity! Just joking of course, but I have always loved acting and have dreamed of being a part of a live studio audience or an extra in a movie, and this felt pretty close.
The big premiere day is scheduled for May 9th which is this MOTHER’S DAY!!!
I have so many exciting things planned for that week. It’s going to be like a big ol’ carnival here on the blog… or maybe a circus… or worst case scenario a poorly planned frat party. Things are happening though, that much I know for sure and YOU get to be in on it all from ground zero.
I did want to give a little heads up that there is A LOT that goes into moving 7 years of content to a new home. So things are going to start to slow down a little bit here for the next month as I get ready for all of this. I’ll still be around, but I just wanted to mention that I might be posting less frequently for now.
That’s the latest update. I hope everyone had a beautiful Easter Sunday. It looks like the spring weather is finally here! God bless.

 

By |2022-03-15T23:06:49+00:00April 6, 2015|Creativity, My Life|7 Comments
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What Is Going On In This Picture!?

There are a lot of photos on my phone. Most of them never get posted anywhere. Some of them are pretty strange too. Especially if you don’t know the story behind it. That’s why I decided to pick 5 random phone photos and see if you can figure out for yourself just what in the world is going on in these photos. Or maybe I’ll just tell you. I hope you’ll have fun with this as I introduce my first installment of…

ONE 
What is going on in this one is pretty obvious. Batman is sitting in his highchair watching cartoons. This is not an abnormal occurrence in our home.
TWO

 

My parents humungous cat is laying on the dog bed.
THREE

 

 

SJ is wearing my knee high boots with her pajamas and they fit perfectly!

 

FOUR

 

Speaking of pajamas, I came into the living room one day to find that Ezie had started up the Yoga DVD and was doing his morning workout.
Here are some bonus shots I took while spying on him.

 

Hey, sometimes I need to grab the console for balance too. There’s no shame in that.
He’s a little behind Rodney here in the upward dog position.
Lastly, the warrior pose. Namaste.

 

 
 FIVE

What is going on in this picture is “Discreet bladder protection”. I had J pick up some pads from the store and let’s just say you should never send a man to do a woman’s job.

So those are my 5. Show me what you’ve got by posting one of your random phone outtakes on instagram along with the hashtag #whatisgoingoninthispicture. That is not a one of kind hashtag, but  if you tag @messymom I’ll know what it’s about. If you don’t have Instagram feel free to share with me on Facebook, Twitter, or via email. I’ll pick one to post on the blog along with a shout out next month when we do another round of #WhatIsGoingOnInThisPicture?

 

Now go check that photo stream!
By |2015-05-18T04:08:18+00:00March 31, 2015|Uncategorized|11 Comments
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Putting Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra® Diapers to the Test

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Huggies® for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

This post brought to you by Huggies®. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Messy Mom .

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Between my three children I have been changing diapers for almost 8 years now. I have never really kept track of how many, but without a doubt I have changed thousands upon thousands of diapers. So when I had the opportunity to try Huggies® Snug & Dry Ultra Diapers I saidBring it on!

 

 

 

Ezie is a 2 1/2 year old, 27 pound heavy wetter. When it comes to testing the endurance of a diaper he’s the toddler for the job!

 

 

 

 

I was already a fan of Huggies® to begin with. They’re durable, affordable, and from what I can observe they seem comfortable. But it gets better, Huggies® Snug & Dry Ultra Diapers are now available at Walmart at a new LOWER PRICE! Plus they have a new and improved Leak Lock System with quick-absorbing layers for up to 12 hours of protection. 12 HOURS! They’re perfect for nap time, bedtime, road trips, or anytime.

 

 

I’ve dealt with my share of leaky diapers. I remember trying everything to prevent it. For example, when I was a new mom I had a friend teach me the double diaper trick to keep kids dry at night. It entailed wrapping your kid up with one diaper and then putting another one on top of that just before bedtime. I had another friend teach me the no drinks allowed after 6:00 rule to help prevent leaking. Sometimes these tricks worked, sometimes they didn’t.

 

 

 

 

I don’t have to worry about any of that with the Huggies® Snug & Dry Ultra Diapers! They provide protection against wetness all night long.

 

 

The fun Mickey Mouse designs from Disney were a hit and the fit was nice and snug with the flexibility that is needed for an active toddler.

 

 

 

 

In other words the Huggies® Snug & Dry Ultra Diapers stay put even when he doesn’t!

 

 

 

 

Huggies® Snug & Dry Ultra Diapers. The perfect fit for the perfectly huggable baby.

 

 

 

 

 

By |2018-02-01T10:22:08+00:00March 27, 2015|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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2 Years of Speech

 SJ said her first word just barely over two years ago, when she was three years old. She said “up” and pointed to go upstairs. I freaked out. Just a little bit.

From then on I started documenting everything. Okay, maybe not every word she said, but I have notes on my phone that I use to keep track. The name of the list on my phone from that time was “Words SJ Said Without Prompting”

What that means is that she said them spontaneously without anyone coaxing her and cuing her to say a specific word. She was able to parrot a lot of words, but she didn’t necessarily know them. Things really took off in the fall of that year.

The next year, in 2014 she started putting words together

This time last year she said “Mom. I hear phone!” and it was a huge breakthrough.

The words just kept rolling in and she was beginning to really communicate her needs.

Over the summer she was saying sentences and I started a new list called to “Sentences SJ Said”

or “Stuff SJ said at Christmas time”

So she progressed from sounds, to words, to spontaneous language, to multiple words, then sentences and lastly conversations.

That is where we are now. Good grief, I am crying just typing this out. Sometimes it feels like we aren’t getting anywhere, but as I look back I can see how far she’s come.

I used to get really excited when I noticed her say a new word. Now she has so many words I can’t keep track. Instead I find it cute when she doesn’t know a word and I get to teach her one. Like recently when she asked the word for feather or honey. Or yesterday when she called the refrigerator a closet.

It’s so hard to get video of anything. She’ll be chatting up a storm, but the times I actually sit down to record something she is a vault. I do have some snippets of a 15 minute conversation I had with her while she was preparing a snack. Please excuse her wild end of the day hair and the disaster in the background. I don’t call this space messy mom for nothing.

She has a LONG way to go before she is caught up. I’m proud of how far she has come though and I have to focus on that and remember my favorite Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11 to keep things in perspective.

I am going to paraphrase a little here, but you’ll understand why.

For I know the plans I have for SJ declares the Lord, plans to prosper her and not harm her, plans to give her hope and a future.

By |2015-05-18T04:16:14+00:00March 23, 2015|Hearing Loss, Uncategorized|11 Comments
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My Loud Dishwasher

Most of my adult life I have been washing dishes by hand. I know it shocking that there are people in AMERICA in the 21st century that do not have dishwashers, but it’s true!

I won’t go through all of the places we lived and why there was no working dishwasher, but washing dishes in a tub of soapy warm water was my reality for over 10 years, other than a short stretch of time before we sold our house in Texas.

We did a complete kitchen remodel and we went all out for the energy efficient stainless steel dishwasher. My favorite feature was the “top rack only” option for when you only had half a load of dishes.

I remember when we bought that dishwasher. We were at the home improvement store and the salesperson was showing us all the bells and whistles of their best appliances. We got to the dishwasher and he asked me if my cell ringer was on. I gave him a confused and reluctant Yeeees. Then he told me to put my cell phone in the dishwasher! I thought he was crazy, but you know what they say “always trust a salesman”. Not really, but I was going with the flow. Then he shut the door and had J call my cellphone. The salesman grinned and looked at us like we should be just as excited as he was. My husband was nodding and looked impressed. I was still  confused until I was informed that the dishwasher was so sound proof that you couldn’t even hear a phone ring inside it. Which must be a big selling point for some. For me it just meant that if the kids hid my phone in the dishwasher I was never going to find it.

So that was the time that we had a fancy silent dishwasher. The next dishwasher came when we moved into our current apartment.

What’s teeny, tiny, and beige all over?

Our kitchen.

It’s the kind of kitchen you would find in a camper. See that row of white drawers in the foreground? We installed them. The kitchen originally came with a whopping total of 4 drawers, 6 cupboards, and literally two feet of counter space. It would be perfect if you were a single minimalist living in the 1980’s. It’s okay though, because one thing it does have is a dishwasher. It’s clunky, old and it is LOUD. The volume is like having a monster truck rally in our kitchen. And I am totally fine with that!

When I hear that dishwasher spraying and swishing, heating and drying, I am just reminded of all the dishes I am not washing by hand. Sometimes when the rhythm of the noise is just right I swear it is to the tune of the opening chorus from Les Miserables.

If you are not familiar with The Work Song from the French Musical then just imagine the opening song from Frozen. Pretty much the same thing.

My word for 2015 is “good”. I am determined to look for the good in things this year and that’s how I feel about my dishwasher. It’s good. It’s not the best, but it’s good. It is a blessing.

I know this is a really bazaar assignment, but I want you to listen for your blessings today. There are going to be the obvious things like birds chirping or children laughing, but go even deeper.

I remember hanging out with someone and their heater kicked on. You could hear it rumble and she apologized because it was so loud.

No apology needed! We have heat. We can be warm. That’s a blessing.

We all have a loud dishwasher in some form or another. Take that thing that could be considered intrusive noise and watch it become music to your ears.

By |2021-10-25T15:39:44+00:00March 20, 2015|My Life, Simple Living, Uncategorized|14 Comments
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Meeting a Project Runway Fashion Designer

A couple years ago my best friend called me to let me know that there was a deaf designer on Project Runway that signed and had a cochlear implant. I had never watched the show before that or since then, but I religiously followed that entire season rooting for Justin LeBlanc the entire time. At one point he was actually eliminated and it was very emotional. I might have okay, I did shed a tear, but then he was able to get back on the show because you know how those reality shows can go.

 I was thrilled to see a role model on a popular TV show that was deaf like my daughter and I even blogged about how I was a big fan. So when I found out that Justin LeBlanc was coming to my SJ’s school I was ecstatic! I had the opportunity to photograph the event for the school. After LeBlanc was introduced to the kids (grades K-2) they had a Q&A which mostly included 

Can you make shirts?
Can you make a hat?
Can you make shoes? 
Did you make your clothes?
Did you make my clothes? 
Can you make toys?
And lastly, How old are you?

 The answer is yes he can make just about any clothing item, but no he did not make the clothes anyone there was wearing, and he is 28 years old.

 Afterwards LeBlanc helped all them decorate their own hat. It really was the coolest thing! It was like watching the mini version of Project Runway with all of them busily losing themselves in the fabric and materials.


Then came the fashion show! 

 All of the elementary age students walked down the runway in front of their classmates and other special guests. It was adorable to say the least. 

At the end LeBlanc shared a little bit more about his hearing loss and what his passions are.  I was able to get a picture and talk to him briefly when everything ended. In classic fan girl fashion I started sputtering out “It is SO great to meet you. I never even watched Project Runway until you were on it” and his response was “Yeah, me neither.” I have had a lot of PR fans ask about what he was like in real life, not that I hung out with him for a week or anything, but for that afternoon he was so polite, sincere, and always had this smile on his face.

His parents were there too. Whenever there is a deaf celebrity I am always most interested in the parents behind the scenes, because that’s what I relate to and I loved getting to visit with them. 

 I’m sure everyone there took away different things from the experience, but the highlights for me were hearing LeBlanc talk about how Project Runway was kind of like a designer summer camp for him because he had six weeks being completely unplugged. No cell phone. No social networking. No TV. Just hours upon hours spent working on clothes and really getting to focus on his craft, which he had never had that opportunity to do to that extent before. 

On top of all that channel 12 in Cincinnati was there. 

Much to my surprise they decided to interview me (I am the only woman in the video. It’s about the halfway point and they also show a short clip of SJ while I am talking). I’ll admit it was a little bit intimidating and definitely made me self-conscious, it was still a great experience though. The cameraman and anchorwoman were so personable and down-to-earth. You can view the video on their website. 

 Local 12 WKRC-TV Cincinnati – Top Stories

I really can’t say enough good things about the fashion show at Ohio Valley Voices and I do want to give credit to Justin Leblanc designs, Sewn Studios, and TJ Maxx for donating their time and materials. I know that it means so much to these kids and their families.

 I meant what I said in my interview

“It’s really inspiring to have someone that’s deaf that’s shown how successful you can be despite whatever challenges you may face. I think they had a great time”

By |2015-05-18T04:17:58+00:00March 10, 2015|Hearing Loss, My Life, Special Needs, Uncategorized|14 Comments
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Febru-arch

Wow! I had no idea just how packed February was going to be (and I’ll go ahead and tack on the beginning of March since we are over a week into it, and February is such a short month). 

It’s all been good stuff though. Lots of wonderful things took place this past month and I haven’t been able to expound on too much of it here on the blog, so I thought I’d give a little summary of what’s been happening with my family and then I will stretch out some of the details in other posts later. 

For example, I could probably spend all of this week and next talking about everything that went on at the tea party yesterday, 

but I really don’t want to do that to you guys. So we will definitely talk about some of it a little bit this week, but then I’ll be doing more tutorials, tips, and ideas throughout the year. In fact, I love parties so much (and so do my readers according to my stats), that I think I’m going to give a little party advice or do a party feature every month. 

Because somebody’s having a birthday every month, even if it’s not someone in my family! 

For now let me just say that SJ had an amazing 5th birthday. 

First thing that morning I gave her a headband I had purchased for 50 cents at a consignment shop the week before. She wore it at school all day and actually got out early due to the weather. When she went outside to play in the snow I told her she had to take it off to wear a winter hat, but she figured out a way to wear it with the hat! She even put it on with her pajamas and I had to remove it in her sleep. 

The next day everyone had the entire day off for snow and we went sledding. 

 Then the next day she got to be on TV! We both were, and if you follow me on Facebook then you may have seen the clip, otherwise hang tight, because I plan to write all about the big Project Runway event that took place at my daughter’s school and I’ll share about it later this week. 

Top all of that fun stuff off with the ultimate Tea Party on Saturday.

Cuteness overload!!! 

Speaking of cuteness,  I want to do a future post about the Mother Son Date Knight that I went on with Z. 

We had a fantastic time and everyone said he was best dressed kid all evening.

In Ezie news, I plan to give an update about potty training… or lack there of. 

That’s about it, other than that J completed one more month of college. That means 3 months left. THREE MONTHS YOU GUYS! I can’t focus on it or I will inevitably double over in tears of joy from the magnitude of what this means for our family. It’s really hard for me to wrap my brain around the idea that we are that close to the big breakthrough. It feels like being pregnant. That feeling that- 


Wow, our lives are about to change forever. I don’t know exactly what to expect, but I do know that it’s going to be exciting, and awesome, and fulfilling. 

I just can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store. 

So, all in all it’s been a wonderful month and I hope to get to catch up on what everyone else has been up to. I guess it’s too late to say here’s to a new month, but it’s a new week for sure and I’m hoping it’s a good one.

By |2015-05-14T23:15:25+00:00March 9, 2015|Uncategorized|6 Comments
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My Top Ten Tips for Natural Birth

On instagram yesterday I had a question from a follower that is having her first baby.

This question comes from Brooke of stylehomeandhappiness . On a side note you should follow her IG account. She does a lot of pin it spin it, and she always looks so cute!

Anyway Brooke writes:

“How was your experience with an at home water birth? I am due in June and although I will be delivering at a hospital with no option of water birth, I still plan to delver drug-free. Any tips?”

To answer the first question having an at home water birth was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

 However, after having three natural births I’ve covered just about every scenario including one in the hospital and one that was not a water birth. So, even though all women, babies, and births are different I do hope that what helped me through labor and delivery might also help you and anyone else that is interested in labor techniques.

1. Commit

Just like marriage, running a race, or any endeavor that takes endurance you have to be all in. If you think, “Maybe I’ll just wait and see how I feel at the halfway point” then you will quit, because you probably will not feel good. This applies to a lot of scenarios. Some things take determination. If you do get an epidural or have some other form of intervention there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! I can’t stress that enough. However, if you are passionate about wanting to go natural then make that commitment ahead of time. This is critical!

2. Connect

Find other mother’s who had a natural hospital births and listen to their stories and advice. If you don’t know anyone personally check the web. You could spend days reading other women’s experiences on line. I have all three of my birth stories written in detail here on messy mom.

3. Prepare

You have to mentally and somewhat physically prepare yourself for the act of labor. This could mean childbirth classes, books, or online videos. You don’t want to go into childbirth without doing your homework.

4. Create Your Atmosphere

Even though you are going to be in a hospital you can still play music or have special momentos around you.

5. Wait it Out

It’s so hard to know whether or not you are actually in labor. The rule of thumb is wait until contractions are a minute long and three minutes a part. Don’t be surprised though if you never get those text book constant contractions they talk about. My labor was never consistent. You’ll know when it’s time though. The longer you wait the better your chances are of not getting that epidural.

6. Utilize

Make the most of the natural pain management the hospital offers and find out what that is ahead of time. There may be a birthing ball, rice sock, or shower. You can always bring your own stuff too, like a tennis ball or oils for massages. Unfortunately, you usually never know what helps you in the moment, until that moment!

7. Visualize

This one sounds cheesy, but it’s so true. I can’t say enough how much visualization helps me in labor. Practice before hand. This one can get kind of spiritual too, so my disclaimer is that I am a christian and I use prayer and scripture when I’m in labor, but I have also imagined flowers slowly opening up or butter melting until it’s completely liquefied. I’m really visual so using imagery like this helps me  focus.

8. Know the Stages of Labor


If you know what to expect then you can use that knowledge as a road map. Recognizing transition for example helps you know just how close you are to having that baby in your arms. Sometimes that is all the encouragement you need.

9. Have Help

Whether it’s a doula, your spouse, or a trusted friend don’t go into labor alone. Have someone with you that knows your birth plan and will be completely supportive of that.

10. Loosen Your Body

This goes hand in hand with number 4 and 7.


THE BEST ADVICE I HAVE REGARDING NATURAL CHILDBIRTH IS “Loose lips. Loose cervix” 

In the movies you always see women screaming their way through birth, and that’s part of the reality of it, but ideally you want to moan or make the “puh” sound. Screaming, clenching your teeth, straining your neck- all that is tightening up your body and when your body is scared and tight it is is no position to birth. I wrote a post a long time ago about eliminating fear during labor and there is more info there.

I would say this is my #1 tip out of all of them, just to do your best to relax. Make a motor boat sound (or “blow horse lips”) to help you keep those lips loose. That was a tremendous help when I was in labor. Your body will take over and do what it was made to do.

These are some practical tips that worked for me, but no matter what happens you are going to do a great job and I am sure you will be a fantastic mom! 

I hope this list was helpful. Anyone else that wants to chime in with advice please do so! As strange as it is, talking about birth never gets old to me.

By |2015-05-18T04:18:21+00:00March 5, 2015|Pregnancy & Birth, Uncategorized|8 Comments
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