Moments that make your heart melt
posted by Kristen Davis
I had to sit down and write this while it was still fresh. Addison has been in his crib for about an hour not wanting to go to sleep – talking, jumping and a little crying. Well, I am trying to build up my tolerance for letting him wait it out so I started some laundry and so on. I hadn’t heard anything for about 10 minutes so decided to check on him. It was the sweetest thing ever – I opened the door quietly and looked into his crib – he was sitting up with his head hanging down, bottle in his mouth and eyes closed. I saw him kinda teeter as if he were gonna slump over but couldn’t quite make it. I gently nudged him over and he stayed asleep with the bottle still in his mouth. Oh, it was precious. I wish I would have thought to take a picture.
These are the moments that make the hardships in life seem so small and unimportant. If you have a “moment that made your heart melt” story, please share it with us. Have a great day!
Happy Valentine’s Day
posted by Kristen Davis
Ah, love is in the air, candy is being purchased and eaten, kids are going to the babysitters and hopefully all you moms are getting a night out with your sweet Valentine.
My husband has been presenting gifts to me for the past 3 days – Tuesday: several boxes of “conversation hearts” of which I asked if these were good for times of conversing at my discretion – he said oh yes, of course that’s what I meant by them! Wednesday: a beautiful mutli-colored, multi-layered chocolate truffle – um delicious. And today – the big day – a thoughtful hand written card saying just what I needed to hear and a lovely heart shaped box of Lindt chocolates – my favorite chocolate ever! We do have a babysitter tonight but haven’t gotten our plans solidified yet – oh, what to do for a night out. I mean there is always dinner or a movie – but aren’t those so cliche, I want to do something different but now I suppose time is limited. I hope we will be inspired tonight to do something new. But even if it is dinner or movie I know we will enjoy ourselves as we take time away to express our love and appreciation for one another. Life gets so busy that we often forget to tell those we love how great they are – start today on this Valentine’s Day and let it carry over into a regular part of your everyday life.
I hope you enjoy this day dedicated to expressing love. In closing I want to tell you there is a greater love than you may have ever known, his name is Jesus and he loves you just for who you are – with your minor imperfections and all – he loves you today and always.
The Changes With Having a Second Child
By: Hollie
Just when I thought that I had it all figured out, we had our second child.
With our first child, I was comfortable and confident of our daily routine. Peyton would wake up around 6am, I would get her some milk, and we would snuggle on the couch and watch cartoons. Throughout the day we would play, do various activities, go on various outings, and take a mid-day nap together. At night she would have her bath, read books, and be in bed by 8pm. This left the opportunity for my husband and I to spend some time together. Then on January 8th we welcomed our son Carsen into the family, and everything changed. Trying to incorporate another individual’s schedule into the day has been very challenging, especially with Peyton being only 19 months old. I now find myself running in several different directions at once (good thing women can multi-task). Peyton’s schedule remains pretty much the same; Carsen however is up until around 11:30pm. His next feeding wakes him up around 4am, where he then goes back down. The next thing you know Peyton is up by 6am for the day. So as you can imagine it is very tiring, but we are all adjusting. Throughout the day the busyness continues with trying to entertain Peyton and soothe Carsen. You can definitely count on all of us settling in for the mid-day nap (mom included). With having a second child I find it much more challenging to go on outings, having quality time with my husband, and getting projects done beyond the everyday house cleaning. Even though life seems a little more chaotic, I know things will eventually settle down and we’ll get it all together. I can honestly say that I love being a mom and that there is nothing more that I would rather do!
Finding Your Groove
posted by Kristen Davis
In the past month Addison and I have not been able to find our groove. I try to put him down for sleep and what does he do – he goes #2. I think he waits for his head to hit the pillow and then gives it a go – thus causing me to come in and rescue him from the trap which is called his crib. Yes, there are those few times that he falls off to sleep with no bathroom issues but then again there may be a bottle or blanket issue.
We have had somewhat of a pattern the last few weeks – it goes like this: sleep through the night for 3-4 days, wake up at 3 am for 3-4 nights, then wake up at 2 am and again at 5:50 for 2-3 nights. Wow, does this level off anytime soon? I am finding myself having to get to bed much earlier than my schedule really allows just to get a good nights sleep.
I am having a struggle finding my groove with Addison, myself, my husband, my work. Yes, I can shake my groove thing, but finding my groove in life, that’s still up in the air. What are you doing to find your groove? Lets hear from the moms of Monroe on how they set patterns and rhythms in their life. (any area – not just the area of sleep)
A Place to Find a Steal
posted by Kristen Davis
This past week I took a little trip to a store with lots of discounted items – Big Lots. Although as a kid I wasn’t a big fan of the store, now as a parent I am. This store has great deals on baby items including diapers, wipes, food, clothes, utensils, etc. The best deal I have seen by far was a 600 count pack of Huggies wipes for $12. I recently purchased wipes at Meijers -Huggies 384 count for $9.54, so the Big Lots deal was by far better. Anytime we can save a little on baby stuff the better. Happy Shopping Ladies!
Launching Lia Sophia Business
posted by Kristen Davis
I wanted to announce to our Monroe audience that I am joining a work from home business “Lia Sophia”. LS is a company specializing in high-quality jewelry at affordable prices.
I was introduced do this company via my sister Stacy who is a manager in the Southwest Michigan area. Throughout the past year I have watched her receive incredible incentives including jewelery, gift cards as well as a great compensation package (not to mention the Hawaii trip she just qualified for). I have grown to love the jewelery and thought that by joining the company I would meet lots of new women in the area as well as be able to contribute extra income for my family.
Some of you may have heard of the business, maybe a few of you even own an item or two from a party your attended. But to all of you, I would like to make available the opportunity to purchase as well as win free jewelry at my Lia Sophia Launch Party on Thursday Jan. 17th at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in attending or viewing a catalog, please leave a comment and I will reply to you with my address and phone number.
Welcome Baby Carsen
posted by Kristen Davis
I would like to send a big congratulations to my blog partner – Hollie Behnke. Tuesday Januray 8th she gave birth to her second child, son Carsen Michael Behnke. He was 7 lbs. 2 oz. 20 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great – they have settled in at home already. Hollie’s daughter Peyton (18 mos) is hugging the baby and daddy looks oh so proud to have a boy!
An event for the family
posted by Kristen Davis
I was taking a look at upcoming events in the Monroe area and came across the following that I thought was cute:
Dr. Dolittle Musical
Friday, February 15
7:30 p.m.
La-Z-Boy Center, Meyer Theater
Reserved Seating: $5
Dr. Dolittle is a musical for children about a colonel in the Royal British Army whose imagination comes alive as he concocts a marvelous tale about a kind-hearted physician who can talk with animals.
Inspired by Hugh Lofting’s The Story of Doctor Dolittle, the musical conveys the power of storytelling and the need for all creatures to set aside their differences and communicate.
Purchase tickets at Meyer Theater
Lean on Me
posted by Kristen Davis
I recently had some questions regarding feeding so decided to call a friend. This friend has a daughter that is 16 months old and was bottle fed just as my son is now. Within just a few moments my questions were asked and I felt much better just hearing from someone else who has been through the process. At the end of the call, she said “if you have any other questions, just call me” – wow, help is a phone call away.
Sometimes we feel like we are required or rather expected to carry the load of motherhood all on our own. I would beg to differ and say, we need help and there is a strength that comes through reaching out to others that are in need and receiving help from others when we are in need.
In the past week I heard an old song twice that I hadn’t heard in well over a year – “Lean on Me”. The lyrics so poetically say, “lean on me, when your not strong and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on” – cheesy as it may sound, this is a true saying. I encourage you to find a friend to lean on, learn from, cry with – peace comes when we realize that we don’t have to carry the whole load alone.
Holidays Change With Kids
By Hollie
As I look back on the holiday season I can’t help but think of how the holidays have changed since I have had a child. The meaning of Christmas, Jesus’s birth, will always remain of great importance, but the overall attitude and feel towards the holiday takes on a whole new dimension. It is now exciting and exhausting at the same time. Things that I did not focus on before I now find are a necessity with a child. There is definitely more work involved, but it is also more fun! It seems as though when you get older, holidays just are not the same. Now, with a small child and the excitement that they posess, brings back the magic of the holiday season. I now look forward to sharing in the holidays and building traditions and memories with my children. My family and I had a wonderful holiday, and I hope that yours did too!
