Enjoy this free printable for the holiday season!
With Love,
With Love,
With Love,
Show and Tell Monday : Thanksgiving Traditions!
1.Tell us about your family traditions for Thanksgiving.
We really don't have traditions that don't involve food, ha! Typically we just gather at some one's house, make wonderful yummy food for our first early meal, and we always dig into leftovers later in the night.
2. Tell us about your favorite foods
Thanksgiving is where I get to eat all of my fav foods! My grandma's stuffing, delicious mashed potatoes, green bean casserole with the crispy onions on top, and for dessert we skip the pumpkin pie and make pecan cream pie...holy deliciousness!
3. Show us a picture that reminds you of this holiday
OK, I'm showing you three...
I never eat the stuff, but my momma makes oyster stuffing every Thanksgiving.
Pots of boiling water for boiling potatoes.
Of course, one of the pups acting as if we never feed them getting for food!
4. Tell us, do you wait to decorate for Christmas before or after Thanksgiving?
Usually the day after Thanksgiving or even that night is when we decorate for Christmas. It used to be before I knew anything about Black Friday sales that we'd go get our tree and decorate it that day. Now more often then not that day is spent scoring some good deals of Christmas gifts, and then decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year we opted to decorate a little early since we'll be on a cruise the whole week of Christmas. We have stockings hung and pumpkins switched out for little trees, pine cones, and Christmas smelling goodies, but still no tree...which we may just skip this year.
5. Tell us what you are thankful for this year
This year I have SO much to be thankful for. My wonderful husband who is an amazing support, our amazing little boy we've been blessed with this year, our supportive family, and our health. The list goes on and on....
Blogging along tonight with the lady over at Mommy and Her Meltdowns...
1. What do you wish someone had told you about pregnancy?
Honestly, how great it can be! I'm not trying to look through rose colored glasses here or anything, there are REALLY rough days in pregnancy. I feel like though that everyone focused on the negatives telling me, "You're going to be SO sick!" or "Just wait for those stretch marks." I ended up trying to focus so much on the positives of being pregnant when I was pregnant because of this. Again, I had some rough days, or quite a few. But those aren't what I remember now!
2. What do you wish someone had told you about labor and delivery?
There really wasn't anything anyone didn't tell me, 'cause let's be honest this is something people usually have no problem letting you know all the details about! Usually, it's every one's horror story for delivery. I'm a nurse I know the basics, not all the details because I don't work in anything close to labor and delivery, but I had an idea of how things would go, and we went in with a very open mind...no birth plan at all!
3. What did you feel when you delivered, emotionally and physically?
Emotionally I was exploding, but on the inside. I'm probably one of a handful of women (or at least I feel like it) that didn't cry when our boy was born. I almost have guilt about it, but I didn't cry at our wedding either, but I cry watching Homeward Bound...makes sense, right?! I had a c-section so hubs held our boy first, and while yes it would have been great having him put right on my chest after he was born, there was something so fantastic about looking over and seeing him in his daddy's arms and him looking over at me with the proudest look on his face that can never be replaced. Physically, I felt SO much relief! I was exhausted after over 48 hours of labor in the stinkin' hospital! I was also going nuts because thanks to my sock falling off my foot while I got my spinal I spent the entire 25 ish mins on that table feeling like my sock was half on my foot.
4. How long after delivery did it take for you to feel physically normal again?
I had a fantastic c-section with no complications and a great recovery. I wanted to get out of bed two hours after and wasn't allowed...darn rules! Once we got home I had the wonderful elephant ankles thanks to fluid shift, and soreness from over do-ing it sometimes, but I'd say after a couple weeks I for the most part felt back to normal. I still have some soreness around my incision, and of course my stomach is not back to normal yet, but I figure it took almost 10 months to get that way, give it at least that to get back to where it was or better.
5. What is the best thing about being a new mom?
My bond with my son. There are many nights I just sit staring at him while either dancing or rocking him to sleep that I cry. I cry because I'm so happy he's ours, so happy he's healthy, and so happy that we were blessed with being his parents and get to watch him grow.
6. What is the most unexpected thing about being a new mom?
You totally lose your modesty to a point...especially being a breast feeding momma.
7. Do you miss being pregnant?
Yes. Flat out yes. I had a pretty easy pregnancy, rough days that are expected, but really pretty smooth sailing. I miss knowing my boy was safe inside me, his kicks, and carrying him with me all day. Looking back I pretty much loved being pregnant, though at the time I may not have acted it. That being said, I love love love having him and getting to snuggle him.
8. How many kids do you want? How do you want them spaced and why?
We're thinking four. We're each from a family of four kids and we liked it. When it comes to spacing we'll totally play it by ear. The one thing I know is there was a very large age difference between me and my next siblings due to re-marriage and I do not want that. While I'm very close with my sibs, I wish I had the growing up memories and bond that the hubs has with his siblings all being only a couple years apart.
9. Is it hard seeing how fast they grow and how do you handle it?
It's incredibly hard. I leave him for an eight hour shift at the hospital and come home thinking he's changed in just that amount of time. I handle it by just loving it! It's natural, it's what all kids do, and it's what all parents experience. I soak up my time with him, and started to journal our days here and there to remember it all.
With Love,
As if our boy didn't already take after his daddy lots, we can add a love for model/toy trains to the list! This weekend we visited Kozair's Christmas Village, and I am in love! It's easily going to become a yearly tradition in our family. I grew up visiting the Columbus Zoo lights every year no matter how cold it was to see all the lights, and since we really don't have a zoo close to us, this is the perfect substitute! With over 500,000 lights, the smell of baking chocolate cookies in the air, and Christmas tunes playing it was a perfect evening! Let me explain the cookie smell...they freaking bake fresh chocolate chip cookies all night and you can stop at two different stands and get a few for only $0.50 each and we totally got hot chocolate and hot cider too.
Our boy slept almost the whole way there, and he needed that rest because once we got there he was swooning over the lights, the music, and yes even those wonderful trains!
So, here's to kicking off the Christmas season right!
With love,
Naps on the couch with my boy
Nail polish deals at target for $2.99
Afternoon relaxing
This week I was off all but one day and it was great! Many days spent cuddling with my little man, quick catch up phone calls with my mom, and decorating for Christmas!
1. Planet Wise Wet Bag - You don't have to cloth diaper to use these babies. We LOVE these bags in size small. They're perfect for the diaper bag to hold a couple diapers, dirty clothes, or really anything wet.
2. Happy Munchies - Organic broccoli, kale & cheddar cheese is little man's flavor of choice. Low sodium, packed full of choline, and easy for baby to feed himself makes for one happy momma!
3. Babies 'R' Us Socks - These socks are the ONLY socks that will go a whole day and manage to stay on his feet! I believe they're the bootie style sock with little bubbles around them. They're inexpensive and come in a package of six in either all white, boy theme, or girl theme.
4. Nature's Promise Organic Frozen Veggies - These things you can throw on the stove, or steam in the bag in the microwave. They take just a few mins and are super budget friendly for baby food. At $2-3 a pop, I get typically 10 jars of food from just one bag!
5. Natursutten Pacifier - These are now the only pacifiers that we use, mainly because they are the only ones he will take. Made from natural rubber, the over sized round part rests on his nose when using it (great for BF mommas because it's similar to when they are nursing), and he never took to the orthodontic shape. He's not a huge pacifier user in the first place he is hot and cold with them in general, but when it's game on for a pacifier this is our go to!
With Love,
1. Tell us what you like to do when it's cold outside.
One of my most favorite things to do when it's cold outside is slip on my Uggs (yes I still love them, and I need to get a new pair) or most comfy slippers, curl up on the couch with my little family, and put in a nice winter movie like White Christmas or Holiday Inn. Sip on a nice glass of red wine or hot cocoa and my night is made!
2. Tell us some of your favorite winter recipes.
They're not full recipes, but feel free to ask for them if you'd like! My moms freakin' fantastic chili, I choose to sub the ground beef with ground bison and let it cook all night and day before eating it...yum! Also, Pecan Cream Pie! My stepdad's mom was a baker by trade and she had the most amazing pecan cream pie in the WORLD guys. I mean, rock your socks off, pecan cream pie. It's become our Thanksgiving staple dessert. Quite honestly, anything in my crock-pot!
3. Show a picture of something that makes you think of the cold.
4. Tell us/show us some of your favorite accessories/outfits for the winter.
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| Apt 9 boot from Kohl's |
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| Burberry Pashmina |
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| Caheez Winter Headband |
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| The North Face Parka |
The wonderful lady we are buying our house from introduced me to the Apt 9 boots, currently on sale at Kohl's for $49.99. Love love love the Burberry Pashmina (doubles as a nursing cover!). Found this fantastic headband over at Caheez for only $20. A splurge, I have the Eddie Bauer version, a great down parka. It gets chilly in these here parts!
5. Tell us if you had the option snow or no snow, what would you pick?
No snow. At least this year. Josh isn't old enough to enjoy it, and I'm not looking forward to bundling him up and trying to keep him warm here. Not to mention have to carry him on slippery streets/sidewalks/steps when I have a hard enough time keeping my balance. Plus, as an RN I don't get snow days with him! Next year I'll be all about it!
With Love,
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