Comin' at ya with another easy diy ornament. This can easily be turned into a fun tradition with your kiddos each year. I love the idea of seeing them grow as gingerbread! I have a gingerbread template up in my shop here or you can find a printable online.
Still here and trying to get all of our travel highlights done before the new year hits. In June, we made our way to Wisconsin for a week as Jeff joined in on annual conference. He was in a lot of meetings and I asked forced my sister-in-law to join me so Noah and I wouldn't be bored at the hotel. It felt spontaneous!
Noah was only 4 months here. I get all the wide smiles when I look back at these photos and see how small he was. Time is truly so short. I found myself wishing away a lot of moments, not because I really wanted it to go faster, but because those times were truly hard for me. If I'm being honest though, I don't think I would have grown as a mom without the vulnerability of me saying, "Gosh, these times are hard." I don't regret saying it and I believe there is no wrong in saying so — just that much more room for the Lord to work in my heart as a growing mom.
Wrapping up my travel highlights series with our trip to Florida! My parents have never been to the beach before so we took them. We rented out the cutest little place in Panama City. It came with a private pool in the back which was so nice because unfortunately we couldn't even enjoy the actual beach. Nonetheless, we still got to see it.
I never used to enjoy the summer, but after living in the north for almost 2 years, I was craving the sun and tan lines!
1. We're adding paint. Last I heard, gray was out, so I guess I'm behind on that. I've been craving a nice white wall, so we are going to go in with Chantlilly Lace by Benjamin Moore. I've always been a plain Jane and simple has always felt best, so we're going with that. From what I've researched, it's a white that will complement both cooler and warmer tones. I'll definitely have to update on that.
2. Getting a whole new bed + making the bed our central focus. Our full size is just not cutting it anymore especially now with Noah. Some mornings, we'll grab him from his crib and bring him in to bed with us, but there's just not enough room. I would want enough space for multiple kiddos to get to jump into bed with us in the future, too, so that's kind of the idea.
We decided on a mattress and a totally new headboard which I think will add a lot of character. I'll update in a later post.
3. Moving my "office" out of the room + making space. Sometimes you just have to do what you can, but my MIL has graciously offered me space so I can move my desk out of the room. I'm so grateful as it'll clear up so much space in here and if Noah needs to nap, I can work on things at my desk without waking him. Again, it'll free up more space to move things around that will make a little more sense.
4. Adding a large mirror. I don't have one in mind yet, but a large mirror will definitely open the room up a little more as well. We only have one small window and it sits in the corner of our room so we rarely get nice lighting.
We made a very quick trip to Minnesota to allow my mother-in-law some time to hang out with her sisters. It turned out to be a nice little get-away for our family as well. We didn't have any plans, really, but it turned out to be kind of relaxing for us, so for memory's sake, I wanted to include this on as one of our travel highlights from the summer.
On postpartum: I heard it would involve a lot of tears and it does, indeed. It's not because of sadness or even because of the blues -- it's just a release of heaviness; that's the best way I could describe this need to cry. It's the most accurate way to currently describe how I've felt from time to time.
On another note, a little real talk about weight after pregnancy. It's not necessarily the number that I care for, but really what I see on the outside. It's always been a struggle for me and all my life, to be frank. It almost feels like it was slowly engrained in my mind somehow that in whatever which way I chose to exercise and workout, it was never be enough and I was never satisfied. I realize this is incredibly unhealthy, but for a long time, that was how I thought and sometimes it still creeps up. However, today I'm realizing that it hasn't ever been about the weight for me although that's what I thought. This has always been a mental game disguised by how big I thought I was. I like to put it this way ... every time I look back on old photos, I think to myself, "wow, I was actually skinnier back then and now I'm not..." -- it has never been about the weight. I don't know if that makes any sense, but I guess what I'm trying to say is, is that it's more about the way I've viewed and treated my body rather than the weight itself.
Anyway, in light of understanding where my head is with weight loss, weight loss after pregnancy has been so tough. Weight loss in general is hard, but as I thought about losing weight, I thought about how I've done much harder things before ... ie. give birth!!! It puts it into perspective for me and has helped me to see the areas I lack in that's prevented me from efficiently losing weight (of course, there is a LOT of grace though). Some of those particular things include lack of consistency, not recognizing habitual patterns, and the inability to follow through. Anyway, these have just been some of my thoughts about weight loss after pregnancy and is a piece of accountability for me here. I commend all the mamas -- the journey isn't easy!
On parenting: I never understood the scenes from a movie that involved parents often ignoring their children because they were so involved in their own lives and work. I must admit - I understand it now - not that I ignore the needs of my son, but it's been sobering to see and realize the reality of my own selfishness when it comes to choosing between the two. I pray that the Lord would work in me to always choose to love my children over other things.
As a new mom and trying to learn the ropes, I realized ... there are no freakin' ropes! Lol. It's scary with your first, but I've leaned on other women who have had multiple children and even in women who haven't and that's been a definite source of comfort. Early on, I used to worry about every little thing, but I've learned to just do what feels natural to me and that's been the most freeing thing everrrrr ... because as I said, there are no ropes.
On marriage after having a baby: It's only gotten better and I don't say that lightly or to paint a perfect picture of my own marriage, believe me. I often compare marriage to a pot of stew. The longer it sits, the better it becomes. Yes, there are small petty arguments in between, but those are tiny in comparison to all of marriage itself. We've only had Noah for a short two months, but I do believe that Jeff and I are better individuals as a result of having Noah and we are thankful for it! God's design for family is perfect and I am so privileged to see it play out in my own life and to be a part of it.
On finally starting that small business: I had a conversation with a few friends a couple weeks ago and something about that conversation made me want to just do it. So I did! It's been a thrilling experience. As a type 9, I hate putting myself out there! Ugh! It's weird and uncomfortable, but this whole thing has been so exciting for me to just do what I like to do and that has also been quite freeing.
I wish you well, friends!
Xoxo, Heaven
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