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.

my recent skin and hair care favorites

Since the age of nineteen I have been taking care of my skin, wanting to keep it as healthy as I can afford! Over the years, I have purchased and tried many products that did not work for me, but I have also found products I now cannot live without. The beauty in the vast amount of available skin care products is that there is a product for every skin type and need . . . but the pain is that it sometimes takes years of searching for that exact product that works for you!

Baby & Mama “Must Have” Items 0-12m

During my first pregnancy, I spent countless hours on my phone researching the “must have’s” for newborns, babies, and mothers. Every single youtube video, blog post, Instagram story, and friend praised different products leaving me overwhelmed. I was “scared” to spend gobs of money on products that would not work for my baby and me. Two years and two kids later, I now know what works for one kid may not work for the next AND that is okay!

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.

every day personal items worth splurging on

As I have learned how true the saying “quality over quantity” is, I have taken my time in investing in GOOD quality every day products I use. I was once that woman that would buy something she liked because it was on sale . . . or maybe I liked it because it was on sale. While that idea still rings true for minor things such as the Target dollar section (I can’t ever seem to get away from that aisle), for most other areas of my spending, I have come to the realization that some items just are “worth the cost.”

While some of the items below may not work out for you, I hope they inspire you to find every day useful items you will LOVE!

happy first birthday miller

When I think back to the past three hundred and sixty five days, the word that comes back to my mind is “joy.” Becoming parents and working as a team to love Miller as the child God has given to us has been everything to our hearts and more. I expected to love my child unconditionally, I expected some days would consist of tears, I expected moments of frustration, and I expected to see qualities in our son I would love and laugh at. What I did not expect when becoming a parent was instantly understanding and getting a glimpse of the kind of love God has for us all as His children. You simply cannot understand it until you become a parent yourself.

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.

favorites of 2017

i feel like the year of 2017 was a year of firsts and favorites. first time home owner. first gray hair (thanks a lot miller). first time actually enjoying a beer. first stretch mark. first time being “the patients spouse” vs being the nurse. first iced breve. first time pumping in the middle of a crowded U2 concert (yes . . . i specifically wore a cardigan so that i didn’t have the leave the concert to pump). first time parent. a majority of these “firsts” have quickly become some of my new favorites . . . besides the gray hair.

One Year of Loving You

One year ago today your father and I got to experience the greatest joy in knowing what it felt like to be parents – something we longed for. It has been one entire year since we first learned you were in this world with us. It was one year ago today we told you “we love you” even though we loved you long before you were created. From hearing your heartbeat for the first time to seeing you grow and kick as the days went by, we loved you and longed to meet you. We prayed for you every single day and never went a moment without thanking God for the blessing of you. You are the greatest gift our God could give us and we promise to love you forever.