Blueberry Face

If M could eat blueberries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner she would! Blueberries are her favorite food (besides french fries, which I NEVER should have let her try because now that is all she wants...I know, I know, bad mom award!) and she has them most mornings for breakfast... Now, McKenna is not exactly a delicate flower, she likes to get in there make it her own, I like to think that she is being "creative". You can guarantee that after a meal there is going to be some sort of fabulous design on her tray, a new type of hair gel infused in her lovely locks, and a special moisturizer massaged, deeply, into her skin...and that is why M gets at least one bath a day!

The title, Blueberry face, I think is pretty self explanatory...but it is something that I had to share with friends and family, because every time I go to take her out of her highchair, without fail, I am cracking up!

VERY proud of her work.

Get me out of here mommy! (notice the hair)

True Art

Do not be alarmed, this is not dirt. THIS is from BLUEBERRIES, and it will be there for a few more days :)

That's all folks :)

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

Yep. There is a special week dedicated to breastfeeding, and I think that is amazing!

Why Breastfeed ? Really, I could go on and on and on about the benefits of breastfeeding. It truly fascinates me, but I will spare you my ranting about why I LOVE it, and instead provide you with a few facts.

Most people do not know, or care about the benefits of breastfeeding infants/toddlers and it is quite alarming to me. Now, I am not saying that breastfeeding is for everyone many people have major problems and cannot continue to breastfeed; so whether you choose to use formula or breastfeed either way you are feeding your child, and that is what matters. What I am saying is that women need to understand the benefits of breastfeeding and not completely write it off because it is, "too hard", or it grosses them out...

Breast milk is an amazing thing. Most people don't know that breastmilk changes to fit your child's specific needs, it is known to reduce allergies, boost the immune system, and provide vitamins that cannot be provided by formula. Not only are their amazing benefits for children, mom gets a lot out of it as well! Breastfeeding moms tend to lose weight faster (burning an extra 500 cal. a day...woop woop!), they are also at lower risk for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer as well; and lets not forget the incredible bond that is formed from holding your child close and nourishing their bodies from your milk solely. OH and it is SO much easier to whip out a boob than get up and make a bottle in the middle of the night :)


I can not tell you how many sideways looks I have gotten for breastfeeding McKenna in public, I have been asked to cover up, or go somewhere else "to do THAT" and guess what!? It doesn't bother me one bit! I know that what I am doing is what is best for my child, and it is most definitely not gross, breasts were made to provide milk for our children, not to be gawked at and sexualized... I have been asked many times when I plan to stop, and my answer is whenever McKenna is ready. I do not have a specific cut off date for her, or a specific age. I believe that when she is ready she will no longer want her "milky milky" :)

So, thank you for listening to me talk about something I am truly passionate about! If you ever have any questions about breastfeeding, I would be more than happy to answer them!

*I am by no means an expert, but I do like to do my research :)
http://www.kellymom.com/
http://www.lllusa.org/
http://www.breastfeeding.com/
http://www.ourmessymessylife.com/2011/07/pros-and-cons-of-my-breastfeeding.html

Yellow

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

No, this is not a dream....try and wipe the drool from your chin! A friend of mine posted on Facebook that she was going to make these delicious little treats and I couldn't help myself, I had to try them out! ( Thanks Haley <3 )

Next time I think I am going to make the brownies a little thicker , there was a lot of cookie dough and not enough brownie
( which isn't necessarily a bad thing)

The raw dough is egg-free, of course. 

Want to satisfy your sweet tooth and have a little piece of heaven right on your plate?  here is the Recipe

Thoughtful Thursday

Well it has been a while since I have updated, it has been one of those months where a lot has been going on and time has flown by! It is amazing how every aspect of your life changes once you become a parent. Your concept of Time, Money, and Love all seem to evolve.

Time becomes so precious, instead of thinking "I can't wait until January, I will finally be 21!" my thoughts go straight to "WOW by the time January gets here McKenna is going to be 18 months old!" As much as I love watching this little girl grow, it makes me tear up to think she will never be this small again. So instead of worrying about everything that needs to get done, and wishing the days would go by faster, I am learning to enjoy every. single. second.

It is sad how much time and energy we put into thinking about Money. There are so many other important things going on in the world and in our lives, yet our whole world revolves around our possessions. Don't get me wrong, I love having nice things, but instead of spending money on new clothes, shoes, and bare minerals makeup, I am constantly thinking about M's future and how we are going to provide for her financially. I am lucky enough to have a husband who works hard to put a roof over our head, food on the table, and clothes on our back; but the thought of "how can we make more" always runs through my head, and for that I am somewhat shameful. Do we have enough in our account for bills? Do we have enough to put money aside in M's savings this month? And lets not forget our own savings... What I keep reminding myself is that I have a beautiful, healthy, and happy family, and that is enough. My point is.....money is not about purchasing things anymore it is about making sure my bills are paid and my family is fed, everything else is just EXTRA.

Love, has become a constant in my life. I never knew I was capable of caring so much for another person until I met my sweet angel. She brings me the most happiness and pure joy I have ever felt, and I am so thankful to be given the opportunity to be her Mama. I wrote a journal entry a long time ago, I was heart broken and venting...but there is a passage that I read every once in a while that makes me smile. I was writing about my two greatest loves, ones I never even knew existed . 

Those great loves, the ones that play an epic role in your life, but bring so much uncertainty, a love so doting even the most amorous heart skips a beat, it is within those moments you find that love is not something you practice, or learn; it is something inherent, a gift you were given, one that wasn't meant for you to know when you would receive it, or who you would bestow it upon. It is something above our aptitude and will, an endowment so sublime it is foolish to negate its beauty and power in our lives.

So, Thank you, McKenna...for changing the way I look at life, and letting me see what is really important <3

Happy Birthday My Sweet Little Girl

Well, the day has come! My sweet little baby is ONE.....ALREADY! I can't believe it has already been one year! She is still my sweet little bebe, who loves her milky, her paci, and lots and lots of snuggles! Although she seems to be getting bigger by the second, no matter how big she gets she will always be my sweet little baby.

Brent and I were talking about the day I went into labor, and I remember that day so vividly, it seems like it was just yesterday! I went to the Dr. for my 36 week appointment on Wednesday, and the doctor and I discussed my options for labor since M hadn't flipped yet...we decided that if she did not flip by my due date ( July 24th) I would have a C-section on the 29th. So for the next few days I baked, cleaned, and organized Kenna's room a bit...by Friday I was exhausted and slept all day. I woke up around 10AM, ate (of course), watched some TV, and went back to sleep until 1PM when I woke up because I had to pee...I went to the bathroom, sat down, and nothing happened...I thought well maybe if I lift up my belly a little bit that will take some pressure off of my bladder....well I lifted up that HUGE belly of mine and GUSHHHH, my water broke. At first I wasn't sure if I just had a really full bladder, but when I stood up and the water kept coming, I knew right then I would get to meet my little baby soon enough! I called Brent at work and told him my water broke, but he thought I was joking....after a few times of telling him, "NO BABE! I AM SERIOUS! YOU NEED TO COME HOME!" He finally believed me and  rushed home. He arrived in a panic, but with a HUGE smile on his face and helped me back my bag. We headed off to the hospital where I had an emergency C-Section and delivered a 7 lb. 2 oz. precious baby girl at 6:24 PM.

So today we celebrated her birth, the day we were blessed with a healthy, beautiful, smart, and adventurous little girl. I speak for both Brent and myself when I say our lives will never be the same, we are both so happy, and PROUD to be the parents of this amazing little human. Happy Birthday McKenna Renee <3 you make my life beautiful.

Apt. 142

First and foremost....Happy Father's Day to my amazing husband and the best father in the world! Kenna and I love you SO much Brent <3

So I figured I should post some photos of our new apartment. We are mostly finished unpacking, and my house is clean...Well, as clean as it is going to get with my little mess-maker running around :) We went from a 670 sq.ft  one bedroom apartment to our new two bedroom 935 sq.ft apartment and we are LOVING the extra space <3

Not to mention we now have our own washer and dryer, and THAT my friends is amazing! I  know the pain of having a baby in one arm, and a laundry basket in the other, walking down a flight of stairs and across a parking lot to pay over $3.00 for one load of laundry....and let me tell you that makes the tedious chore of doing laundry even more mind-numbing! One thing is for sure though, I never thought I would get excited about a washer and dryer....it is the little things in life that make me smile :)

My pride and joy lol