Beautiful Moments

Days are hectic. From morning to night, there are so many things in between that go by without the blink of an eye. Our nursing time is often one of those. I usually have my phone, scrolling through Instagram or Facebook.

Looking back at the old photos yesterday, I realized that I am taking these moments for granted. There are so many mothers who would do anything to have this bond with their child, to share this sweet and innocent time with them. 

Every night I nurse, and then rock Daniel to sleep. Without a fail, it is what soothes him and gets him to bed. It's not only comforting to him, but to me as well. It is our way of winding down together. As I look at Daniel, I realize how much time is actually passing, how much time I take for granted.

He is so big now, the size of my whole upper body, and past my hips. But at night, when he is nursing in the rocking chair, I still see my newborn baby. (Insert crying hormonal momma here..AKA..Me right now). He is so innocent and pure, and I always wonder how I got so lucky with him. God has blessed me with such an amazing gift, an amazing bond with my son that is unbreakable. He needs me, but I actually need him more.

Breastfeeding is a beautiful thing. Most pass it by as sexual, time consuming, hard, not worth it, etc..etc. That's all wrong. It is worth it to push past the growth spurts, the long nights where you don't get a break because you're the only one feeding baby, milk supply issues.. It's worth it to have that bond with your child, (yes, formula feeding moms can bond with their babies too) but this bond is different. It's strong, reliable, never failing. I am so glad I pushed past everything that was becoming an obstacle, because he is worth it.

Don't take the simplest moments for granted. It's easy to because we get so wrapped up with whats going on during the day. But stop, sit down and appreciate the beautiful moments happening, as some people wish they could do the same.

What is "perfect"?

* Per - fect

having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be. *

Why do people use this term so freely? Nothing is perfect. Let's face it, there is always something to be achieved. No body has the perfect life, because life is hard. I hear so many people tell me "I want your life, it's perfect." It's hard to hold back my tounge when I hear that. 

My life is NOT perfect, and I would never play it out to be that way. We struggle just like any other human being. Being a young mom & wife is stressful. There are so many things behind closed doors that I do not show to the world. Perception is killer. One can not possibly know everything about someone from what is posted on social media, therefor assumptions become made, and expectations start to happen. 

So many young girls want this "perfect" life. Marriage, family, a home, money... But at what price? Are you willing to throw your happiness away in order to have all this so young until it consumes you, and nothing is left but loneliness?

I love my husband, and I love my son. I have struggled with this whole thing happening so quick. Expenses add up, and it becomes overwhelming. I value happiness much more than jumping into something because I want a "perfect" life. Alex and I got married after almost four years of being together. We became best friends, and then spouses. I love our family, and I cherish it more than anything. I am truly happy, because we had time to work out our differences, and built a marriage on a solid foundation. That is the most important. 

If you're reading this, and you are one who wants to jump into everything at once... I ask you to wait. Build that foundation and grow from it. Get your mind out of fairy land, and step into reality. Stop assuming that every couple has a perfect life because that's what you see.. Things are much different than what they seem. 

About us!

Hey everyone! If you are a new reader than this post is made for you! It is just a quick intro of who we are. 

I am Kelsey. A wife to Alex, and mama to Daniel. I married Alex in 2012, and you can find our wedding post here. On April 1st, 2013 is when our bundle of joy entered the world!  

Since then, I have been adapting to being a Stay-At-Home-Mom and all of the other duties of a wife & mom! I would not have my life any other way.

In March of 2014, I began my journey with Young living Essential Oils. For those of you that are not familiar with EO's, head on over to my website where you can learn extensive info about them, aside from what I share. I use these daily in our lives to heal,protect, and nourish our bodies and minds. They have given us and many others such great relief, that I feel so blessed to share them with you. I have posts (usually) every week about them, so be sure to keep an eye out! 

This blog is my way of sharing my views, tips & tricks, and just updating everyone about our lives!

We hope you enjoy reading, and if there are ever any questions you may have, feel free to find the links on my sidebar and get in contact with me. I would love to hear from you =)

Controversial Parenting

This tag has been going around the Youtube community for quite some time now. I have read a couple of blogs, and decided to feature it on mine as well. These are some hot button topics, and I will share my honest opinion about them, as well as provide links for those who wish to educate themselves on the topics that I stand strongly for. I hope you find it interesting, and I'd like to hear what everyone else has to say.

Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice
* I am Pro-Life. I understand that there are circumstances where it was not the woman's choice to get pregnant (such as rape) however, I firmly believe that there are other options such as adoption. Everyone has the right to live, and I think it is unfair to take that away from an unborn baby.

Baby-wearing
* Love it! I have been wearing Daniel since he was a newborn. I had to search through many carriers to become comfortable with my two favorite. I also love my stroller. Sometimes my back hurts, or Daniel wants to wiggle around and play, a stroller is perfect for that. Whatever momma is comfortable with is what works for me.

Circumcision
* Daniel is NOT circumcised. This is the most debated topic among moms. I am strongly against circumcision of a newborn for NON-MEDICAL reasons. For any one to consent to their child's  painful genital cutting for cosmetic purposes-to look like their father, or because they think it's "cleaner" is absurd to me. If daddy has his ears pierced, will you pierce your son's also? No... As for the cleaner reason, is it that hard to teach your son to wash himself properly? All of these MYTHS have been debunked over and over again. Female genital cutting has been made illegal, and I am happy to know that male genital cutting is WELL on it's way to becoming illegal as well. Leave your perfect boy WHOLE, he was born with it for MANY reasons. It is your job as a mom to research these things before your child is born, so here are some links.
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/functions-of-foreskin-purposes-of.html
http://www.intactamerica.org/
http://www.savingsons.org/
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/are-you-fully-informed.html

Adoption
* I think adoption is a beautiful thing. I know from a friends experience that it is heartbreaking & long at times, but also so selfless and joyful. I would love to adopt a baby. There are so many children longing for a loving home, and to be able to give that to a child couldn't bring me more happiness.

Baby Piercing
* I am against piercing babies. I feel that it should be the child's right what happens to their body. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 7 I believe, and I made that choice. Same will apply if I have a daughter. Yes, it's cute.. It'll be cute when she's older too :)

Breast feeding vs. Formula
* Daniel is breastfed. I believe there is a time and place for formula. I know moms personally who would kill to exclusively breastfeed, but it is not happening for them. If formula works for you, great. As long as your baby is fed & thriving, that should be all that matters. I do however believe every mother should try to breastfeed, not just pass it off. It is the healthiest thing for your little baby, and yourself as well. I had issues in the beginning, and these links helped me push past them.
http://kellymom.com/category/bf/
https://www.facebook.com/Wemakemilk
http://www.bestforbabes.org/

Spanking
* I do not believe in spanking. I feel that there are other approaches of disciplining that are more beneficial to teaching your child right from wrong.

Home vs. Public vs. Private vs. Charter Schooling
* Thats a tounge twister! I love the idea of homeschooling, as long as there are plenty of other opportunities for the child to socialize. My husband and I were both in public schools (I was in private for a little while) and I feel that as long as they are good schools, then why not. If you have the money for private school, good for you! Whatever floats your boat is my view on this topic.


Vaccines
* Daniel IS vaccinated. I have been looking into other pediatricians that will do a delayed & staggered schedule, because I really hate the idea of him getting pricked so many times at once. My husband and I were vaccinated growing up, and I believe that they are created for many reasons. I know this is also a very hot subject, and I am still doing reading about vaccines. If you are a non-vax parent, I would love to hear your views.

Medicating
* I believe that there is a time and place for medicine. After all of the natural remedies have been exhausted and nothing is helping, medication is a wonderful alternative. I have only had to give Daniel Tylenol a handful of times after finding great natural remedies. If you have any questions about such things, please let me know and I would be happy to help.

Cloth vs. Disposable diapering
* I use disposable diapers with Daniel. I love the idea of cloth, and will most likely go that route with my next child. For disposables, we really love The Honest Company diapers. They're cute, and great on his sensitive tushie.

Cry- It- Out Method
* Heck no. I do not believe this is the right way to get your child to sleep. There are many ways to put a baby to sleep, and leaving he or she in a dark room alone to cry is NOT the way to do that. Daniel has been sleeping through the night all alone since 2 months old with out having to CIO. Does this mean that you can't leave the room for a minute to collect yourself? NO. I know there are times where you get super frustrated and need to calm down.
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/09/no-cry-sleep-solution-gentle-ways-to.html
http://kellymom.com/parenting/nighttime/sleep/
http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2013/05/31/x-tips-for-teaching-your-baby-to-sleep/#.UwIqoUJdX6Q


I hope this can shed some light for other mommas out there. All the links provided have helped me tremendously to make the right decisions.

Be Mine

Love is in the air!

Happy late Valentines Day. We celebrated by going to lunch, taking a nap, and later I made a yummy dinner & dessert for the hubs and myself. Daniel had a big baked potato!

This holiday to me isn't about being extravagant in gifts, because that is just materialistic. I love to just spend quality time together, and that's what makes me happy.

I got some cute pictures of Daniel in the morning. It took TWO cookies to get a smile out of that stinker.

For dinner, I whipped up two nice Filets, loaded baked potatoes, and asparagus.. However, the asparagus did not cooperate with me, so that was left out. It was not missed!

As for dessert, our favorite is chocolate strawberries. While Daniel was napping, I melted the chocolate and got down to business. I like using Semi-Sweet chocolate, because as the name says, it's just semi sweet ;) As they were still hot I sprinkled some red sprinkles on them.... Ta Da!! 

We hoped you enjoyed your romantic day as much as we did. 

Lots of love

xoxo

A new hobby.

A while ago, I downloaded this awesome app on my Iphone, called Rhonna Designs. I instantly fell in love, and began creating little things here and there for my keepsakes.

Needless to say, I am obsessed now, and am learning new things about the app every day! I have always had a creative side, and love thinking up new ideas. I thought making invites would be a fun hobby to do while being a SAHM. Yes, I know there are SO many small shops that make and sell them, and even print too, however I would like to think that I have a nice spin on some things that hopefully some people would appreciate!

I have decided to create a portfolio of my designs, and then post on here to see what you all think first. If I get enough positive feedback, I will be making an Etsy shop and hopefully get things kicking! 

I will only be doing digital files, that the customer can print on their own paper of choosing. This way, it stays fun for me so I am not slaving over my annoying printer all the time!

Keep an eye out for the upcoming preview, and if anyone has ideas they want to shoot at me so I can add to my post, let me know and I will be glad to accommodate you! 

10 Months; Letter for Daniel

Holy Moly! TEN months have gone by since I have had this little munchkin in my life. I never thought I would be where I am today at this time, but I could not have pictured a more perfect life for us. God has shown me SO much beauty in life through having Daniel, and I could never be more thankful.

He is a growing weed, doing something new and exciting each day. Such as: Standing alone, walking more, says NaNa, Mhm (every time he has something he likes!), Mo (for more), following my EVERY move!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is on replay in our household. Every time that it comes on, he immediately switches his full attention to it, and will watch for as long as it's on! I'm thinking Mickey birthday for his Second party! =)

Speaking of parties, his 1st Birthday Party is in FULL swing! I am on an ordering frenzy making sure I have everything & more for this! Im having more fun planning this than my wedding.. hah! It's going to be a pretty big party, having around 20 kids, and the adults. I am looking forward to all the fun! And, if anyone has fun ideas for the kids to play, PLEASE share your wisdom, it's much appreciated!

On that note, the other night as I was looking at Daniel in his sweet slumber, I got the urge to write him a letter. I found this idea on Pinterest..writing a letter each year, and giving to him on his 18th birthday. I know it is two months away from him being the big ONE, but it was in this moment that I knew would be perfect to write his first letter. 

Daniel,

You are almost a one year old, and growing so beautifully. To this day, I look at you every morning and am still in awe that you are mine. I remember wanting you so badly, and to feel your love each day. However, I never could have imagined what being your mother would entail. Your love is so strong and so sweet, that even when I am in the worst of moods, one glimpse of you makes it all better. You love to test my temper, but right as I am getting to my limit, you flash your toothy grin and I cant help but smile myself. I love watching you learn new words and gestures. It’s funny because every time you learn something new, you associate it with everything. I assume it’s your way of remembering. The way you light up when daddy gets home from work makes my heart burst with happiness, even though you get really hyper and never want to settle down. I love when you wake up in the morning, eyes all squinty, hair a mess, and you start to mumble your words. You are always so happy to start the day, and no one will take that away from you. When you are sad, I promise to always comfort you. And when you are scared, I will be there to take the fear away. I love the way you crawl over to me, wherever I am (even in the bathroom), and start laughing because you’ve found me. I secretly love when you are clingy and don’t let me get anything done, because I would much rather cuddle with you than fold laundry. When you fall and can immediately start laughing, it reminds me that pain is only temporary, a lesson I hope you have instilled in you growing up. You have taught me so many lessons in these short 12 months, more than I have learned in my 21 years. I am constantly second guessing my parenting, but when you are smiling in your sweet sleep, those worries fade away. Seeing the way your daddy loves you, leaves me with such peace. You will both share an inseparable bond, one that I enjoy watching strengthen each day. In the middle of the night, when you cry and I dread going to get you, my heart melts as you wrap your arms around me and drift back to sleep. As your mother, I will always protect you; along with let you learn some lessons the hard way. I will be there when you fail, and I will help you get back to the top. You are so insightful and wise, the way I see you think about something or when you are looking upon someone. I pray that you will be faithful to God, as he has created you and watched over you since you were an unborn baby. "My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life." 

No matter how old you may be, you will always be my baby.

Love,

Momma