March's Mid-Month Confessions

Elizabeth and I are teaming up today to share our confessions will y'all!

You can check out her post here (and if it's not up yet, it will be later today!)

Here goes:

1-
I've said this before, but outside of writing this blog and understanding the very basics of HTML, I'm not tech-savvy whatsoever. I'm always the last to update my phone, I still listen to CDs, I've never listened to a podcast (and even though my car has bluetooth, I'm not actually sure how to even play a podcast, much less through my car), we still own a VHS player and I kind of miss going to Blockbuster to rent a movie.

So I'm not sure how or why this is happening, but for quite some time now, my phone has been giving me "parked car updates" when MATT'S car arrives at his office every morning. It is the funniest thing and I don't think I've ever even remembered to tell him it's happening, but I feel like such a stalker wife tracking my husband's moves throughout the day. Now I've kind of gotten used to it and actually like knowing he's made it there safely, but it's still so funny to me that MY phone is tracking where his car goes and when it arrives.

2-
Last month, Matt and I went out to dinner about a week before Valentine's Day and had to swing by the store afterward to pick up milk for the morning. While we were there, Hallmark cards were BOGO, so we stood there together in the card aisle and picked out each other's cards, going through a stack of different options saying things like, "Oh this is a good one, check this one out." Hah- such an example of this stage of life- but I couldn't pass up a deal on cards since they're nearly TEN dollars now- what?! Seriously, the card Matt got me was $8.99. Crazy! And side note on that, we've always been big on writing long notes in each other's cards for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, etc. and I've saved every card we've give each other for the last 15+ years. I love having those cards to look back on- especially the ones that are super cheesy from our early dating (okay most of our dating and maybe even early marriage) days. One day our kids will find them and surely cringe. ;)

3-
Two days ago, I was cleaning off Ryan's bottom after a big poopy, and he was standing up to make it easier for me. Natalie crawled over and tried reaching up for his penis and Ryan said, "No, Nonni, there's poopy on there." I scooted Natalie out of the way, finished cleaning Ryan, and as I was about to put his undies back on, he turned his hips toward Natalie, leaned them forward and said, "Okay Nonni, now you can touch it." Dy-ing laughing on the inside, I said, "Oh buddy, that's so kind (KIND?!) of you, but in general, you don't really want other people touching your penis, even your sister.

Oh the things you say out loud as a parent.

4-
I have been in need of new glasses for a LONG time- ever since Ryan accidentally broke my last pair before Natalie was even born. So rather than figuring out a time to go to the eye doctor and spending all of that money on the appointment and the new glasses, I ordered a pair off of an online site, literally paid $14.83 for them, and received them in the mail a week later.

Y'all. They are hilariously huge. Like not cute huge. Just huge. So I was wearing them the other morning when I went to get Ryan in the morning and he said, "Why are you wearing those glasses? I think I want you to take those off." And when I asked why, he said, "They just don't look normal."

Haha, true in fact. Out of the mouths of babes.

5-
I've been taking Barre classes this month for the first time and they are HARD! I also go to the early morning class that starts at 6:00 and am usually one of 5 people in the class, so the instructor is extra attentive. Wah wah. Never before have I been so glad I signed up for the 5 package deal instead of the 10-class option. And never before have I been so thankful that I have to do modifications on some moves for pregnancy. Bless that growing belly of mine for getting me out of some of those holds!


That is all for this month! You can check out my other confession posts here.

Later today we'll be heading to my parents' house to visit for a couple of days while Matt goes on a fun work trip. We haven't stayed at their house in quite a while, so I'm looking forward to it!

Have a great rest of your week!
And  don't forget to check out Elizabeth's post here.

Tomato Basil Soup with V8 + a WINNER!

The weather has been chilly here lately- yes, it's March, but Atlanta gave us a long tease of Spring, so jumping back to winter temperatures just feels wrong.

I could honestly eat soups year-round, especially tomato soup with grilled cheese or panini sandwiches, but there's something about colder temperatures that makes soup taste extra good!

This recipe is so easy and packs 4 cups of V8 juice, so it sneaks in those veggies too!

Hope you enjoy!

recipe adapted from here

Ingredients:

1 sweet onion, diced

1/2 stick butter

2- 14.5-ounce cans Hunt's diced tomatoes with sweet onion (look like this)

4 cups V8 Juice Original

2-4 tablespoons sugar 

1/2tsp salt

1/2T dried basil leaves

1/8tsp black pepper

1 cup dry sherry 

1 1/2 cups heavy cream 

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot. Toss in the onion and cook until translucent, stirring frequently (about 7 minutes over medium-high heat).

Add in the diced tomatoes and sugar (start with 2T and add more later if needed), and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes. Add V8 Juice.

Add salt, basil, pepper and sherry. Simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes to a full day.

Stir in the cream. Warm and serve.

And now for the WINNER of the Sleep Baby Consulting giveaway!

Congratulations, Lauren!

Elizabeth would like to thank everyone who entered by offering a coupon code toward any of her services.

So if you didn't win, but would love to learn more about what Elizabeth and her company has to offer, email her to take advantage of this generous offer!

Have a great week, friends!

Preparing for Baby #3

As we prepare for Baby #3 to arrive in June, I can't help but think about the early stages of parenting an infant.

Before Ryan was born, I read so many books (with so many different suggestions and opinions) about feeding, sleeping, eating and routines.

Pregnant with Ryan, and still over a month to go!

And you know what I discovered about our first sweet little babe? He didn't "fit" into any one formula. He loved to eat, and while he probably COULD have spread out his feeds more (he weighed 8lbs 13oz at birth and was nearly 20 lbs at 6 months) and mostly certainly COULD have slept through the night before 11.5 months, he was a fat and happy baby and I was soaking up every minute of the gift of being his mama, so I just didn't sweat the multiple feeds a day or nighttime visits.

July 28, 2014- Letting in all sink in that this little man was ours

There were so many days and nights when I craved the idea of sleepless nights, nursing babies, and dirty diapers. When you try for so long to bring life into the world and God brings you to a place of peace and even hope for the plans for your non-biological future family, and then you end up pregnant 3 times in less than 3 years, perspective plays a BIG role in all of those little (but seemingly huge at the time) decisions regarding the early stages of parenting.

And now having experienced two very different feeding, sleeping, eating and general "routine" scenarios with Ryan and Natalie, I can't help but wonder who this next baby will be more like, or if she too will have her own personality and preferences.

What Ryan and Natalie did when we asked them to show their excitement over meeting their baby sister in June- those faces pretty much sum up what we see from other people when we tell them we're expecting our third baby already- ha!

If I could sum up what I've learned in the past 2.5 years of being a mom, it would be that parenting is humbling, it is the best hard work I will ever do, and when my heart is to do what is best for my child, it really doesn't matter whether she is breast fed, bottle fed, spreading out her feeds, sleeping through the night, or tracking every single milestone at the time it "should" occur.

Every baby is different, and every parent/child scenario is unique. When Ryan was first born, he took to breast feeding like a champ and my body responded with a great supply and little-to-no pain right from the start. I loved feeding him and had to work hard to wean him at 16.5 months because his sister would be needing the supplies 6 short weeks later. ;) I was afraid that taking the tandem approach could potentially create jealously between him and his new baby sister and felt like the best decision for all of us was to switch Ryan solely to milk and give my body a (very short) time to prepare for Miss Natalie's arrival. I joke though that if we didn't have another one coming, Ryan probably would have nursed until he left for kindergarten- that boy loved to eat!

Because I had such an effortless and enjoyable experience nursing Ryan, I never questioned whether feeding Natalie would be any different.

Miss Natalie Grace Nelsen on her first day of life- February 17, 2016

Because of her eventful (for lack of a better word) entrance into the world, she had to be taken from us before I could nurse her and was not returned to us until 6 hours later. During that time, she was given the necessary formula she needed until she could be brought back to me. I loved getting to feed her for the first time and woke her up every 2-3 hours to help her practice nursing. On our second night in the hospital, she was clearly frustrated and hungry and ready for my milk supply to come in completely (knowing her spunky personality now, this makes me smile- girlfriend does not have time to waste!), so I supplemented with formula to help her sleep contentedly, knowing my milk would come in soon.

Once we were home and my milk supply was in, she nursed great but was MUCH more efficient than Ryan. Whereas Ryan liked to nestle in and eat for at least 45 minutes before getting his diaper changed and swaddle retied, Natalie's middle-of-the-night feeds and diaper changes had me back in bed in less than 20 minutes. And she slept long stretches pretty much right away! She was a no-nonsense eater who loved her sleep- basically a parent's dream, especially when I had Ryan to take care of during the day as well.

Through various scenarios, one of which I think was her love of spreading out her feeds and eating so quickly, and another, her frustration if my milk did not let down RIGHT away during a feed (which naturally caused me to feel stressed- something I never experienced when feeding Ryan), I noticed my milk supply was starting to decrease right about 3.5 months. I immediately started taking lactation supplements, eating lactation bars, and made a large batch of lactation cookies. This lower supply thing was new to me, but I was not about to give up without a fight!

Sweet girl's first beach trip- she ate and napped on the beach like a champ!

For the next 2.5 months, I worked at building my supply back up, but couldn't get it back to place where she could solely breast feed. As much as I loved feeding her and hoped I could get my supply back to where she needed it to be, it was clear that all of my efforts were not going to make more milk appear.

So around 6 months, Natalie started formula and took to it like a champ- cold water, straight from the filter, no warming, no convincing that it was just as good. Girlfriend just wanted her meal and chugged her whole bottle with no problem at all.

As I mentioned earlier, I've learned that parenting is a humbling experience. The best kind of humbling experience. Just when I thought I was rocking one little part of this motherhood thing, God reminded me that each of our babies will be unique. It's my job to rely on him as my source of confidence as a mom, and not to let circumstances define my "successes."

If you are a new mom, planning for your first child, or in the middle of a very different parenting experience with your second or third child, remember that it's not our job to have it all figured out. We have to step back, do in our hearts what we feel is right for each of our children individually, and reach up to Our Source when we feel like we're falling short.

Below are some great resources for you as you navigate the blessings and challenges of parenting infants:

Whether you're breast feeding or bottle feeding, The Honest Company has great products and a heart for helping parents make great feeding choices for their babies. You can check out their feeding resources here.

The Tommee Tippee bottles are great for breast and formula feeding. Matt almost always gave Ryan a pumped bottle each night, and Ryan transitioned smoothly between breast and bottle with this particular brand.

Medela Pump- great for preparing bottles and storing milk! And most insurance companies will reimburse the cost of this pump, so be sure to check with your provider before ordering!

This bra seems silly and unnecessary until you hold the two bottles while you're pumping one time. Hands free pumping is what you want! Because, let's be honest, you'll probably be eating at the same time- breast feeding always makes me SO hungry!

Lastly, the best thing you can do for yourself and your little one is SLEEP! Don't forget to the enter the incredible giveaway that Elizabeth from Sleep Baby Consulting is offering through this Sunday at midnight. One lucky winner will receive $150 of free consulting! You can read more about her services and enter the giveaway here.

Have a great weekend, friends!

Life Lately- It's a GIRL!

In case you missed my post on Instagram, our third little baby is a GIRL!

We asked Ryan and Natalie if they could show their excitement over meeting their baby sister in June, and this is what we got- hah! Their faces pretty much sum up the reactions we get from other people when we tell them we're expecting a third this soon.

Needless to say, we can't wait to meet this sweet baby girl!!

We ate brunch at Mimi's house after church on Sunday. Ryan and Riley are 4 months apart and have been quite the pair lately. They are so cute together and get so excited to see each other. Ryan pronounces Riley's name, "Why-we." Presh.

And this little snapshot somes up their personalities- Riley in the driver's seat with one hand on the wheel posing for the picture (while the car is moving), and Ryan in the passenger's seat with both hands on the top for added safety. Hahah- love these two so much!

I remember feeling this way with Ryan before Natalie was born, but I have been extra aware of the time I have with these two lately. I have been soaking up the days we have where there are no plans with other people and we have nowhere we have to be. I really love this stage with little ones where we can wake up and decide what we want the day to look like. This day was spent at the mall, going to the Disney store, and other fun little spots Ryan likes to visit while we're there.

In the last week, Natalie has started really playing with us on the playgrounds! She used to watch us from the stroller but now she is all in on the action! She likes crawling up all of the steps and sliding down with us. It will be even more fun when she's able to walk her way to the top!

And this big boy in the last week has been seeking out new friends on the playground. Even as we're walking or driving to the park he'll start talking about the big kids or little kids he might meet. And while it makes me so happy that he's growing up and wanting to branch out and play with other kids, the mama- (and pregnant)- side of me feels a little emotional about it! It really is like a flip switched just this week where "just" playing with me and Nonni was not as fun as finding some other friends to run around with. Honestly so sweet and exactly what we want for him, but those growing-up moments are bitter-sweet ones for sure!

This little stinker. :) We typically keep Tally's food and water bowls on the counter, but on this particular morning, I walked into the play room off of the kitchen to put something away, and in the maybe 10 seconds that I was gone, she bee-lined it to the water bowl, dumped out the contents, and had this wide grin on her face when I walked back in. She is a mess!

Post playground one evening- Ryan decided to bring his blanket into the bathroom and rest a minute before getting in the tub- ha!

Hanging around with cousins after church :)

You can barely see Matt in this pic, but this past week was a big one for us! Our first round of furniture was delivered, and we found lamps, pillows, and an outdoor table and chairs to put by the pool at Homegoods! Matt's mom found some things too, so the two of them rented a HD truck and got everything delivered to each of our houses on Sunday. Things are really starting to come together!!

Matt took this picture before he left for work one morning- I was trying to finish up a workout before Natalie woke up while petting Tally and playing ride-the-horsey with Ryan. hahah, oh #momlife. ;)

Ryan and I have a weekly routine when Natalie's goes down for her morning nap where I have coffee, he has "milky" and we watch the Kids Baking Championship. This week was the finale and it was so cute to see how excited Ryan got about who won! He now wants to be on the show one day. Little love.

On our way to meet daddy at the park after work, Ryan found his  "swoosh" hat, put it on and said, "Do you wike my hat?! Do I wook beautiful?!" He's been into saying people look beautiful or handsome lately and sometimes confuses the two. I love this age.

Teaching Ryan how to pump his legs so he can swing like the big kids :)

Date night!! And the nakey boy in the middle wanted to join for a picture before we left :)

If you haven't shared or entered the giveaway for Sleep Baby Consulting, you can check it out here! You have until Sunday at midnight to enter.