But I'm a Boy Mom. 30 weeks.

Here we are, the big 3-0! This leap always hits me like a ton of bricks, knowing that this child that I've worked to diligently on is set to enter our lives so soon is just as exciting as it is nerve wracking. When I was pregnant with Carter I seemed to worry less about the transition I was about to make because it didn't seem real to me, somehow I couldn't comprehend that I was actually going to have a baby. Now that motherhood is real and true to me I have been able to grasp the idea that I am in fact going to bring another little soul into this world. With this realization I have learned a lot about myself.

A major difference between these pregnancies lies in my head. A bunch of seemingly irrational fears that are silly to everyone but myself, and in reality I know that they probably are silly but none the less they are real. I'm not the only one who has felt this way I know that much, but something about getting it "down on paper" eases my worries. I am not talking about the typical second time mom fears that come hand in hand with this pregnancy, I know that I will love this child just as much as I love my Carter (although it seems impossible), I know that I will have time for both of my children, I know that Carter will thank me some day for the beautiful gift of a sibling and we will all be okay. I'm talking about a fear much deeper than those.

I'm scared to be a "girl mom".

Maybe it's because I just know how to do "boy mom". I've spent the last 18 months of my life perfecting the boy mom inside of me and loving every messy, wild, loud and chaotic minute of it. Maybe it's because change is always a scary concept. Maybe it's because when I look back on my own life I know how hard it was to be a girl. Either way I have spent endless hours awake at night trying hard to think of the type of mother I want to be to a daughter, because either I will pass or I will fail. There is no middle ground.

I want to make her feel beautiful in a world that tries to tell her that she isn't. I want her to feel "good enough" in a sea of self doubt. I want to empower her to do anything she wants to do in a world that makes it difficult for her. I want her to spend her days in confidence and bliss, being a girl mom means that I am in charge of helping this beautiful soul escape every harsh word and situation that is to come her way.. and there will be many. I pray often for the strength to raise a daughter, and even harder for the strength to be a woman worth looking up to.

Irrational, probably. Stressful, extremely. In a few short weeks we will come to find out if all of these worries were worth my time at all or if I will remain the "boy mom" that is well within my comfort zone. But lets be honest, motherhood in itself is a little outside of every one's comfort zone. There's no way to comprehend what this life is like until you find yourself a part of it and no matter the millions of books you may read, you learn best as you go.

So sweet babe, if you are my little lady please help me alongside this long journey you set on to womanhood. I will make many mistakes, I won't always have the right words and we may not always agree but empower me to raise you to be more of a woman than I am. In return, I promise to always be a woman worth looking up to.

10 more weeks Henry or Poppy, you are loved.

-T

Chronicles of the Sleeping Pregnant Woman

Welcome to the chronicles of the sleeping pregnant woman. Sleeping while growing a human, while being large, while unable to get comfortable all while having to pee is an art. A fine art. But no matter the circumstance, sleep must go on! If you have never had a child before, read and study up on the many positions you are bound to find yourself in during your child's nine month stay. If you have had little one's bless your life than laugh along with me and my 30 week pregnant self as we reminisce on the days of pregnant sleep!

OMG I LOVE THIS PILLOW

My first pregnancy I created a small pillow fort every night and each time I woke up I had to get my husband to help me move and remake the fort.. every.. single.. time. So with no hesitation I purchased my first "pregnancy pillow" this time around and I cannot tell you this enough, get one. Every time I crawl into bed I wrap myself up in this pregnancy cloud and within minutes I can fall asleep. I love this pillow. A lot.

NEVER MIND...

No matter how much I love this pillow, every night I also curse it's existence. In one way or another it gets uncomfortable and I get frustrated and push it as far away as humanly possible, and may slur a few tired choice words in it's direction. But not to worry, within an hour I am begging for it's forgiveness and we make up and I realize how stupid I was for thinking so poorly of it.

I USED TO BE A STOMACH SLEEPER

Stomach sleepers unite! And also feel free to cry for a moment, going from being a stomach sleeper to being unable to remotely sleep on your stomach at all is a hard transition. The very best you can do is create this super awkward knee by your face - using your arm as support - trying not to squish the baby position that isn't really comfortable at all. I can typically get away with stomach sleeping until about 15 weeks along before it starts to bother me more than anything. Not to worry, the days of stomach sleeping will come back to you!

BRB GOTTA PEE

There's no escape. As pregnancy progresses you will become more and more familiar with the way your bathroom looks pitch black in the middle of the night. At this point we are up every 2-3 hours and that is pushin' it. By the end of pregnancy with my first I was up every 1-1.5 hours just to pee, and you think you have a whole lot stored up and wind up peeing for maybe a few seconds. I feel like this is our bodies way of preparing us for waking up every few hours to feed that newborn we've been working so hard on!

IT'S WAY TOO HOT

It's always too hot. Mid winter, windows open, fan going and possibly even snow falling and some how you are a heater not only to yourself but your husband who is grossed out sleeping next to your sweaty self. Being pregnant I have always been hotter than I am unpregnant, and I am sure there is science behind why this occurs, but none the less I end up basically naked each night trying desperately to cool myself off!

JUST KIDDING...

And as soon as you thought that you couldn't possibly get ANY hotter.. you wake up frozen and need all of your clothes back on, maybe a pair of socks, some mittens, a winter jacket and all of your blankets. But as soon as you grab all of these items and snuggle back in you start right back on the fast track to overheating. There is no middle ground.. 

SECOND CHILD SYNDROME

If this isn't your first, be prepared to learn how to sleep effectively with a child and a belly all at once. If you have toddlers accept the fact that they don't want to sleep next to you, the have to sleep on top of you and their growing sibling which is a great start to sibling rivalry as your unborn child kicks back in frustration. My best advice? Learn to tune out those nighttime kicks quickly and prepare to sweat even more alongside your toddler!

MY CHILD STEALS MY PILLOW

That wonderful pregnancy blessing of a pillow we talked about.. it doesn't just belong to you. It also belongs to your toddler! More often than not I wake up having switched sides with my son as he reaps the benefits of the pillow all for himself. But what can you do, you love them far too much to say anything and chances are you are way too tired to attempt to wake them up just to get the pillow back. So I will share. 

WHO AM I KIDDING

Sleep is hard during pregnancy. The first trimester your sick, the last trimester you're large and in charge and in between you find yourself with second trimester insomnia. Pshhhhh, we aren't sleeping! But that's okay. Because no amount of sleep is more important to me than my growing family. Pains, discomforts and all I bet you will laugh it all off once your little blessing it here. No matter how many times during my first pregnancy I swore that I would never do this again, here I am! I would do it all over yet again too. So as uncomfortable as we all may be lets laugh it off (and take 20 minute snoozes on the couch during the day to keep us sane). This too shall pass!

-T

Don't Forget about Postpartum

Something that I have learned between my first pregnancy and this one is that postpartum recovery is understated. Many woman are told that our bodies will just bounce right back and we will leave the hospital 20 pounds lighter than when we came in, and sure we are losing a lot of weight if you add it up. 6-9 pounds of a baby, an average of 2 pounds of amniotic fluid, 1.5 pounds of placenta, 2 pounds of a grown uterus that is now shrinking, and about 4 pounds of increased blood volume used to help grow your newborn. But they don't share with you that you often leave more swollen than you were before you had your little one due to postpartum water retainment, of that although you lost all this weight your tummy doesn't snap back like a rubber band.

More so than just physical appearance, many woman aren't properly educated about postpartum bleeding, and how to tell what's normal. Or very serious common issues such as the "baby blues" or postpartum depression, and how it's okay to feel a little down for a while.

But you simply cannot take care of yourself and your body so well during pregnancy and then just halt the moment pregnancy ends. Taking care of yourself should never truly hit the back burner if we are being honest! I can confess that I didn't do hardly a thing to help myself after Carter was born and sadly I saw the negative effects that it has had on my body, but this time we are taking no chances! Here are a few things that we are doing to remember that postpartum is not just about the baby.

1. Your Placenta Helps!

Yep. That kinda gross alien looking thing that sustained your newborns life? That is built to help you! You wonder why animals eat the placenta after birth, it's not because they are uncivilized and lack a the understanding that it is "gross", it's because it is built to help momma too. Now I know the image you have in your head and trust me, I went there too.

Placenta Pills (Image by Urban Earth Baby)

I'm not going to sit on the recovery table and take a fork to my placenta. There are actually many ways that you can get the benefits of what your placenta has to offer without being "gross" at all, but first it's important that we understand what your placenta does for you:

• Increased release of the hormone Oxytocin, which helps the uterus return to normal size and promotes bonding with your newborn.
• Increase in CRH, a stress-reducing hormone
• Decrease in postpartum depression levels
• Restoration of Iron in the blood
• Increase in Milk production

Sounds glorious right? Because it is! How can we get these benefits in our body without being grossed out by what we are consuming? A few ways include placenta encapsulation (being the most popular - dehydrating and grinding the placenta into small vitamin like pills you can take), making placenta chocolate truffles, you can cook with your placenta if you so choose or even making a salve to put on your body. Not too shabby right?

2. Bengkunk Belly Binding
Belly binding now days is associated with the image of a famous woman wearing her waist trainer to help her become unnaturally skinny.. get that our of your head. Postpartum wrapping of any kind is not meant to be unhealthy. Many woman wrap with all sorts of wraps postpartum to try to get back to where they were pre-pregnancy, however many woman don't know just what they are doing for themselves. There's more to it than looks!

Bengkunk Belly Binding (Image by Mother Heart Services)

My favorite being the Bengkung style of belly binding. It is an ancient Malaysian binding method that uses a long piece of cloth (typically muslin) to help the following:

• It helps slim the ribcage, belly and waist (back to normal not to unrealistic standards)
• Pulls the separated abdominal walls back together (diastasis recti)
• Helps prevent postpartum back pain, and encourage the prevention of the "nursing slouch"
• Decreases postpartum bleeding time
• It feels good!

It is done 2-3 days after a vaginal delivery and no sooner than 2 weeks after a cesarean and is best achieved with the help of multiple people.

3. Warming Paste

Alongside belly binding you can double up and use a warming past postpartum to get you feeling good. The point of the warming paste is that it will physically warm up your abdominal area to help with the following:

• Increase blood flow to the area to help aid in muscle recover
• Help with toning
• Aid in tightening of loose skin
• Help rid of water retention that the body holds onto post baby

Image by : Sacred Pregnancy

Ingredients:

- Tumeric

- Ginger

- Cinnamon

- Clove

- Cumin

- Cardamom

- Kaffir lime or dried green lime or fresh lime juice (make sure lime is room temp)

- Warm Sesame Oil

Instructions:

- Grind finely together equal parts of dry ingredients

- Add slightly less than 1 teaspoon of fresh lime juice

- Mix 2 tablespoons of dry mixture with 3-4 tablespoons of warmed sesame oil until you have a thick paste

- Gently clean and exfoliate the area to remove dead skin cells

- Apply the paste to the abdomen and sides of waist. Apply thicker in desired areas. Do NOT apply to a cesarean incision until it is fully healed.

- This paste does stain so place a large, thin, white cloth over the paste and then belly bind!

(recipe found at : http://www.justamomonamission.com/ )

Image by : Sea Grape Soap

4. Herbal Tea

There is an abundance of herbal teas that woman take during pregnancy to help with one area or another (be sure to ask your doctor before consuming anything to be on the safe side), so why not use the benefits of herbal tea postpartum as well? Many herbal teas can help you just "feel good" after birth, they help keep the baby blues away and a happy momma means a happy baby!

Happy healthy Recovery!

- T

28 weeks. 18 Months.

Hello third trimester and hello to my one and a half year old boy! Lots of mixed emotions going into today, as time seems to be going a little too quickly for me. I've never been the mom who always misses when her baby was a baby but today I am reminiscing! I love all the fun stages that Carter goes through in all of their glory (and struggle) and think that he just keeps getting better and better, if that's at all possible! 18 sweet, precious months with you on this earth making your father and I better people. We are so blessed to have you in our lives.

28 weeks marks the third trimester with our second little one, and the amazing time I was having in my second trimester came to an end. Not going to lie, I have been super sad about it. We felt so great these last few months that I figured those third trimester aches and pains would ease up on me slowly but they are here and have made their appearance full force. I don't remember ever having been in this much pain while carrying Carter, having to wear belly support all day and taking breaks on breaks on breaks at the grocery store is already old and we still have a ways to go!

So far we have gained 9 pounds and I couldn't be more proud after having gained a whopping 60 pounds with Carter! At this point in my pregnancy with Carter I had gained nearly 40 pounds.. I have been extremely determined to keep history from repeating itself!

These last few weeks are only going to fly by as we get more and more prepared for your arrival, although I'm sure as much preparing as we do nothing will prepare us fully. No one can expect to know everything when it comes to adding another family member! I rest on the fact that I have "been there and done that" once already in my past but remain open to the knowledge that this baby is already so different from his or her sibling. I can't have expectations as to how our lives will be or who this little one's personality will resemble because they are unique all their own.

28 weeks down. 12 to go. We can do this!

-T

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LouLou Lollipop & Promotion Code Exclusive

Feeling "beautifully you" after having a child is tough. Your body is put through so many changes but your ability to take care of your children, your house and yourself seem to be impossible. After having Carter I put myself to the side and filled all of my time with my son and household duties. Why? Because I felt that taking care of myself was too much effort!

I was never the girl who took hours to get ready for school each morning or for church on Sundays, I didn't put my makeup on flawlessly and follow all the latest trends and I certainly didn't own a beautiful stash of jewelry. I've always envied those woman but it just wasn't "me".

After I had Carter my husband brought up that he could see that I was taking "less care of myself than usual" (i.e. not even making the effort to get dressed everyday) and he was worried that I wasn't loving myself. He was right. Living in a world where everyone but yourself takes over your time isn't healthy, and I knew that needed to change.. but I knew I still wasn't the mom who was going to spend hours on myself each day. I wanted convenience with beauty, and that's just what I got.

LouLou Lollipop specializes in statement teething jewelry that is both functional and unique! This was exactly the cure that I needed. I knew that I couldn't go spend money creating a collection of jewelry that was only to be broken by my kiddos, I was a little too late on that train. But teething jewelry? Jewelry that looks wonderful and allows my son to tug and pull and benefits him in the long run? That was my cure all!

My happy middle ground was now attainable! I was able to find outfits that were flattering and make myself look "put together" by adding these statement pieces without having to worry about my son ruining them. Just like everything else in our home, my jewelry is just better off baby proofed until all of our kids are out of the pulling stage. Jewelry that not only makes myself feel beautifully me but helps my kids through the extremely hard stages of teething, it just doesn't get any better!

Seeing your child teeth is not easy, seeing yourself not being taken care of isn't easy either. Accomplish both with beautiful teething jewelry!

Take 20% off of your purchase over at LouLou Lollipop (click HERE) by using the code DDD20!!

| Pictured : Sunset Coral & Pearl Mint Teething Necklaces | louloulollipop.etsy.com |

Have you Asked the Babies?

Some of the best advice, tips, or stories I have ever been dealt in my life are the ones whose opinions oppose my own. I would be a fool to say that on my own I have made all of the correct decisions. Many times I think what I am doing is right until someone raises the other side, much less desirable in my eyes and often times unwanted. But what kind of mother, or individual would I be without taking the time to listen.. because sometimes that decision could change my world.

Abortion. It's taboo. Some are passionate for one side or the other, others like to pretend it doesn't exist, to each there own. But it is here and it happens and so why should we feel that we are going to be harmed for talking about it?

Guess what? We are human. We all disagree, that isn't going to change any time soon. There will never be a day when we get everyone on the same page about abortion. If you come out and stand your ground on why you believe it should be a choice, you have become a murderer in the eyes of all those who oppose you. So then if you come out and say you disagree with it's fundamentals you suddenly hate women and don't believe they should have any rights to their own bodies. Dramatic? Very. But it's all a part of being human, whether you believe in god or evolution we were given this ability to agree and disagree so quit getting upset at our ability to use it.

One side we've never heard from is those whose life's we are directly effecting, the babies themselves. You may laugh because yes, clearly we cannot hear from them as they are no longer here to defend their side (although I'm sure most of them wouldn't much care for the idea of being terminated, just a guess). But guess what, there are a select few of us who "slipped through" the lines and are here to tell you what we think about it. I am here to share with you about my life. Nothing more, nothing less. All I want you to know is that by the grace of a beautiful woman I am able to live it.

December 6th 1993, I was born by one woman and adopted by another. Both of them are my "mothers" but in very different ways. My biological mother was unmarried and young, my biological father was going away to the military, equally as young and both were clueless. They had a choice to make, one that in the moment seemed to only effect them but little did they know the thousands of people that truly lay behind that decision.

Should I stay or should I go?

My biological mother then made the most self sacrificing, beautiful and hardest decision she has ever had to make and had to come to the realization that she was not fit to be my mother. She had to sit there and realize that she who created me was unfit for me. From that moment forth she set her heart to finding the man and woman that I was meant for, she had to search for parents for her own parentless child. She grew and nourished me, just like anyone else she felt me wiggle and kick and got to experience all aspects of pregnancy while growing closer to the people she chose to raise me.

And the day came. She birthed me and she gave me away.

You think it ends there, but I am here to tell you that is far from the truth. I want you to know what all she gave me.

She gave me the gift of a first day of school, my thirteenth birthday, experiencing the love of a new puppy, the gift of being a big sister one day to my precious brother. I also got the gift of heartbreak, pain and anger during a few hard teenage years. With that I was given the gift of making the dance team and attending prom. I was given the gift of college, and pursuing something that I am passionate about, something that will change others lives some day.

She gave me the gift of my husband. She gave me the gift of my two beautiful children. She gave them life.

There is nothing that I will ever be able to say or do to show her what this means to me. There is nothing more precious in my life than my babies, they occupy every inch of my being with unconditional love and this love is so fierce I don't dare attempt to explain it with words that will never do it justice.

Without her choice, none of this would exist. Would the world be just as beautiful? You betcha. Why? Because the world wouldn't know what they were missing out on. While I may not think that I am "all that" I bet you my parents would say otherwise, I am the child they prayed for. My husband would argue this, because I am the woman he spent his life searching for. I know my children would disagree, because I am their mother.

Why am I writing about this? Because if one person see's this and decides that the life they are growing is worth someone's time, even if it's not their own than I've done myself justice. I feel there is a debt.. some sort of time and effort that I owe to the world in trying to show you that my life did matter. It still does matter.

If I got in a car accident and lost this life tomorrow, people would weep because of all of the things I would be missing out on in my future. But if no one had yet to meet me, they wouldn't shed a tear. Because they don't know what ending my life meant for the world. I am no president, I am not planning on becoming a scientist that will make massive discoveries in the world of cancer but my life mattered just as much then as it does now. We just didn't know it yet.

So to the beautiful woman who chose to give me, and everyone around me this gift, thank you. Although those words will never seem like enough.

To my mother and father who took my life and made it into what it is today, you'll never know just how much this means to me.

To a mother who is lost, I am so sorry. I am sorry you found yourself in this position and I wish you nothing but happiness, I wan't nothing more than for you to smile again. If you choose to change the lives of so so many by giving life, I am in debt to your graciousness and only wish I could show each and every one of you what your choices mean to me. What they mean to this world.

You may disagree, and you're allowed to. Disagreeing with me, telling me that I am wrong for feeling this way won't ever hurt my feelings. Harsh words won't tear me down nor will it shake my strength. This world is beautiful and the only reason you are here to read this is because a woman decided that I was worth your time.

Please share, if you know anyone stuck in a hard spot. Please share if you don't know anyone but would rather hope this reaches the right person. If my life matters, their life does too.

-T

3D Ultrasound Spam!

One of the very exciting parts about receiving ultrasounds later in pregnancy is that you get to see a much more developed version of the little alien you saw at 20 weeks, I am left in disbelief at how much our tiny little thing grew!

Measuring in just one day behind his or her due date and at 2 pounds 1 ounce we were able to swoon over some sweet 3D images. 

I have tried SO hard to imagine this baby's sweet little face and as hard as I try not to, all I have been able to envision is another little Carter.. well turns out I am not far off. The moment they put the image up on the screen both AJ and I started laughing (in the best of ways!). It was in fact the tinier version of our son! How two children can look SO much alike is beyond me, while I am sure they will have their little differences they will without a doubt look like siblings for as long as they live. All the way down to the toes.. our second blessing shares the same large chubby thick feet and toes as his or her older brother does. It absolutely melts my heart!

We were able to keep the gender a surprise and plan on doing so until this little one meets us earth side, being one of the few surprises that we have left in this life I cannot wait to relive that precious moment yet again.

All is good, everyone is healthy and we are blessed.

Those cheeks!!

Same nose as Carter and their Daddy

Ten beautiful toes, measuring 2 inches long! 

These were the majority of the shots, hands hiding all the goods! 

A little cord action in front of little one, and what a BEAUTIFUL cord he/she has

This is the image that sticks in my head, this tiny sleeping little of mine so peaceful right where he/she belongs. These last few weeks I will hold close to this image knowing that someday I'll kiss those precious lips and stare at this exact image for hours when I know I should be sleeping myself.

Four more weeks and we will see you yet again. 

- T

27 Weeks.

Here we are! The last week of our second trimester and I am in disbelief. These last weeks of holding you safely inside of me are coming to an end and time won't slow down, no matter how badly I want it to. Everything is ready and just awaiting your arrival.. which is a surprise considering I didn't have things done for your brother for quite some time.

I figured that I would highlight my most precious moments of our second trimester for you to someday look back on and know just how precious you are to us:

• At 14 weeks your brother started finally calling you "bebe" instead of chicken. Although chicken was quite the adorable nickname!
• At 15 weeks I first felt you move, although I didn't think that was at all possible. Second pregnancies can be wildly different.
• At 16-17 weeks we finally settled on your name(s), sharing with the world that we are excited to bring a sweet Penelope (Poppy) girl or a handsome Henry into this world.
• At 20 weeks we got to see your sweet self again. Although determined to keep your gender a surprise both your dad and I saw your "parts" and thought our surprise was over. Turns out your father is 100% convinced you are a boy while I know that I saw little lady parts. Only time will tell us who you are!
• At 22 weeks I cleaned all of the clothes that you will wear and the soft cloth diapers that will wrap your sweet bum, the smell of the Dreft used on your clothes sends me into la-la land. I secretly go into your room and smell your tiny clothes all day!
• At 25 weeks we were diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. Although this is never what we wanted nor expected your father and I came out on the other end much healthier happier people! We have a whole new idea of what "being healthy" means and have changed our entire diet around with the help of a dietician and feel wonderful.
• Tomorrow at 27 weeks we will see your sweet face once again and until we can kiss your face, kissing those sweet pictures and cherishing your little movements will have to do!

Second Trimester Stats:

• Weight Gain: 5 lbs (entire pregnancy)
• How much baby weighs now: About 2 pounds
• How long is baby now: 14 1/2 inches
• How is mom feeling: AMAZING! I haven't truly felt better in my life (minus having to pee all day and night) I had a much harder time with Carters pregnancy always being exhausted and swollen and so far we are only experiencing minimal aches and pains and have all the energy in the world.

Two down, one to go. We've got this sweet little one!

- T

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Toddler Hacks

If you have ever had a toddler I am sure we can all agree on one thing, monkey see monkey do. That is the life of my 1.5 year old and I am going to embrace his curiosity full force! Why not make your life just a little bit easier if it was an option for you?

No we are not talking child labor. I'm simply stating that there are many things that your toddler wants to help you out with, why? Because you are mom and you are what's up in their eyes. So lets all embrace this copycat stage that they are in for the very short while it lasts before they turn into teenagers who will gag when this game turns into a boring chore.

1. Take Cleanup to Another Level
My toddler is not the only one that makes a mess. In between all of lives moments I find myself spilling cheerios and cups of milk everywhere. The beauty of this stage? My son is often the first one on the scene ready to take on the mess. It takes all of a few seconds for me to grab a rag or the dust pan (in which he often makes the mess worse..) and return back where we make cleaning up a fun game. He want's nothing more than to help me clean it all up, little does he know that this tiny act of toddlerism makes my day that much better.

2. Vacuums are Rad
My child is obsessive over the vacuum. So much so that putting it away turns into a level 5 tantrum that I have to thank god that no one is around to witness. Someone so brilliant (who must've had children..) decided, why not make children's vacuums that actually work? You heard me. Next on my sons shopping list is a working children's vacuum! Now clearly it won't be near the quality of your expensive Dyson but it makes my son one happy little boy all while helping out ever so slightly!

3. Folding Clothes
Yeah.. not this one. They don't help, I am sorry to inform you. Best to keep them away from your folded piles of laundry until they move out.

4. Dirty Clothes
While they won't be any help in folding the piles of laundry you are lost in they will help you gather up any of the dirty clothes your husband left on the floor and slam dunk them into the hamper! My husband has a tendency to come home and walk right out of his work clothes and they wind up somewhere between the front door and our bedroom, it is now my son's favorite thing to follow behind him and put them in the hamper. Now.. this is no excuse for hubbs to keep leaving clothes on the floor.

5. Have a Pet?
About a month ago I found my son in our kitchen after he had been quiet for too long and to my surprise he was going back and forth from the dogs food bin to the bowl and filling it a few pieces at a time. He watches us feed the dog every night and out of curiosity he wanted to try it himself. Now each night (under supervision) Carter will help us feed the dog while I tend to a few other things in the kitchen and I know our dog isn't complaining about it!

6. Youngest Child Aid
Whether you use cloth or disposables, there is always a place where the dirty diapers are meant to be and your toddler is aware of this. If you have a little one chances are that your older child(ren) are itching to help in any way you will let them, and chances are they will run that used nappy to the pail while you wrestle those tiny legs into another diaper!

Toddlers are creatures of habit, they live every day of their young lives observing what is going on around them and soaking in more information than we are able to comprehend. They learn by action so why not involve them in your simple day-to-day and make life a little easier while you're at it? Chances are they are itching to help in the first place!

Embrace the stages my friends!

- T

I have Short Hair, Not "Mom Hair"

I remember spending my entire pregnancy basking in the glory of the new found hair that I was growing, at a record pace. I have always had shorter hair.. you know that awkward length that has no name and lies somewhere between your shoulders and your boobs? It was always just there and it wasn't anything special and shortly after we had our first child it quickly found its way into the standard "please don't pull my hair" mom bun.

I felt lazy. Going from taking the time each day to put into myself to not giving myself the time of day was harsh on the self esteem, which a new mom struggles enough with already. It wasn't long before I made the decision, I was going to chop it. 

I was excited to get rid of the long locks, I figured having less hair would require less time, make my life a little easier and allow me to feel more myself during those long days and nights that so easily blended together. I went in, chopped it off and immediately afterwards I realized the mistake I had made..

"Lost another one to Mom Hair!"

Wait what? No, I don't have mom hair.. I am a mother that has hair, yes, but thank you. Why short hair is the staple of motherhood I will never quite understand but mom hair or not I love it, so if Mom Hair is what I've got goin' on than I'll flaunt it in all of it's short and bouncy splendor. 

Here we are pregnant again with our second and to no one's surprise I chopped the locks yet again, and yet again I have been told what lovely "mom hair" I have going on. 

Let me tell you why this is demeaning..

I cut my hair to find myself again. My new life as a mother has changed my world and everything that I know, including how I take care of myself. I went from the top to the bottom of my own totem pole in a matter of minutes and it has been the greatest gift I have ever been given, but I am more than just "Mom". I am Taylor, I have a name and an existence all my own and cutting my hair was what was going to give that back to me. To go and tell me that the one thing I did in order to give myself a little personal identity labeled me as a mom to the masses did not aid in this process. 

Often times we forget that a mother is in fact a person, not just a walking, breathing, diaper changing robot. Whether she's wearing "mom jeans", only ever rocks a "mom bun", or has exhausted "mom bags" under her eyes she is more than just mom. Finding a sense of self between the moments of motherhood is critical, and while I can guarantee that being a mother is what makes her life worth living, labeling any part of her personal self as "only a mom" can hurt. 

I have short hair, not "mom hair". I wear jeans that fit and are comfy to me.. not every pair of jeans that I put on are "mom jeans", and when my hair is in a bun it's just a bun.

I flaunt my role as a mother though the children I am busy raising, not the materialistic little things that make up my exterior. I'm still Taylor, don't forget that.

-T