the mom club

When I was pregnant with Miller, I remember a good friend told me she was excited for me to join “the club.” The club that no one tells you about. I remember looking at her confused until she continued with, “the mom club.”

She proceeded to explain that it is the club where you completely understand what each other are going through as mothers. It is the club that allows you to relate to one another in the joy, the heartbreak, and love your heart feels for your children. The club that gives you the support, the listening ear, and love only a mother could understand.

mama, you are so worth everything that makes you YOU

Since becoming a mother of (now) two, I often think I have a grasp on motherhood . . . but then I often realize I do not have a grasp on ME. I lose sight of what makes me “me.”

We as mothers all deserve to feel like who we know ourselves to be. I didn’t realize until just recently how far away from feeling like “myself” I had been. While breaking down to my husband, I figured out that I miss many things: wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes, being an ICU nurse, taking a shower that allowed me the time to shave my legs, curling my hair, spending time with my best girl friend, going window shopping, reading “fun” books, having my old (young) body (sans stretch marks, extra weight, cellulite, gray hair, etc), and enjoying alone time with my husband. It was in that moment of recognition that I knew I needed to make changes for me to feel like myself. Would these changes allow me to be who I once knew before becoming a mother? No. Nor do I expect that or even want it. The Kylie that I knew pre-kids is not what I want . . . I want to be a wife and mother more than anything else in this world. BUT, I know to properly love and care for them, I have to love and care for myself.

miller shares his 12 favorite books

Miller has been read to on a daily basis since he was still growing within me! Brian would lay his head close to my torso and read the Bible to Miller in hopes he would know Brian’s voice. And since his birth, we all have been obsessed with reading together!

At a couple of months old, we continued with reading the Bible every single night and when Miller got to be old enough to “pick” a book (approximately six months old and by grabbing for one of two books we would hold up), we also read to him throughout the day! Miller’s bedtime books have been my most treasured moments of each day because of the excitement he has when we say, “want to pick out books to read?” Now at almost twenty-two months old, we read usually six – ten books (sometimes it might be the same book six times) per day AND another two – four at bedtime.

DockATot: from deluxe to grand

when planning for our baby registry approximately a year ago, we tried to list only items we knew were necessary. while we had wipes, swaddles, bottles, a carrier, a stroller, and of course a car seat listed, i knew i wanted one “splurge” item. that item was the DockATot.