Perfectly Imperfect Mom: July 2015

This is part 2 in a series about Our Girls. If you would like to read the first part click HERE.

I knew exactly how far along I was with Everly since we were trying to get pregnant. We had actually planned to stop trying but since I ovulated on my Moms birthday I knew it could be good luck to try. So when I was about 6 weeks I went in for my first OBGYN appointment. My OB office does an ultrasound for your first appointment to estimate a due date. When she did the ultrasound I noticed the faint heartbeat. My OB is amazing and looked at how nervous I was. She said "It's ok the heartbeat is just starting to beat." I said "You don't think it's just slow?" She reassured me that she didn't think it was a slow heartbeat and I was on the verge of having another miscarriage. She told me to come back in a couple of weeks but that she was not at all concerned. She knew I had miscarried in the past and this was exactly what we saw then. A slow heart beat. The only difference was I was further along and the sac was irregular. I tried to not freak out but of course it was my go to reaction. I got in the car and called Branden crying. He immediately went to the store with Ace and bought baby girl outfits. He knew this baby was going to make it and apparently we were having a girl. I couldn't help but smile. I got a call from my friend Erin who had been anxiously waiting for me to call her after my appointment. She knew something was up (can we talk about what an amazing friend she is?). I told her that the heartbeat was slow and she could tell I was holding back tears. And here is where she wins, she said "Brenna, that probably just means you're having a girl and she won't be crazy like Ace." After that I couldn't help but laugh and I kept that thought in my head. This baby was just taking his or her time. See with Ace I went to the OB at 5 weeks 5 days and his heart rate was fast! My OB was so excited for me that he said now this is a viable pregnancy! So to not get that reaction this time was difficult. My OB didn't give me any reason at all to be concerned, it was my own issues but it still scared me. I didn't want to go through the heartbreak of a miscarriage again. I didn't want to keep trying for a baby because having PCOS meant long cycles and lower chances of becoming pregnant. This baby was conceived on my Mom's birthday so I had to have faith that was a sign. She was also due in March which is a big deal for my family. My Dad was due on St. Patrick's Day, my Grandpa was born in March, my cousin Mike and nephew are all in March too. My Dad actually told my Mom they had to try for a St. Patrick's day baby and even though I came 10 days earlier it was just something I always wanted too. When we were trying for Ace I didn't even ovulate for 3 months at a time so I had no option to even try for a March baby. So the fact that it worked was like a little miracle. Next up: Finding out about Ashlyn! Thanks for following along with my Blog. Make sure to check out the most recent giveaway I have going on HERE!

July 31, 2015 No comments

July 30, 2015 9 comments

This year I decided I wanted to keep Ace's party easy. He has been talking about having an Avengers party for forever so we knew the theme would be Super Heroes.

Since his birthday is in the Summer we always plan an indoor party because every year (except this year of course) it has rained on his party day. It is also disgustingly hot and humid here so no one enjoys outdoor parties unless they are water related in the Summer.

I finally decided a movie theme would be perfect. Ace has really gotten into going to the movies so we borrowed my friends projector and popcorn maker for an authentic movie night!

Basket: Similar

Branden Mcgyver'd up a screen on the wall where our TV usually sits and we threw a bunch of pillows and blankets on the floor to make it extra cozy. I bought these chairs and my friend passed down her daughter's to my girls so we had extra seating with those as well.

Chalk Sign / Popcorn Maker

I wanted to keep food simple too so I made Buffalo Chicken Dip, ordered pizza and made up a Popcorn bar. I just bought a bunch of candies from the grocery store so the kids could throw them in their bags of popcorn. They loved it!

I ordered cupcakes from the grocery store as well. I asked them to spray two colors on each cupcake; purple and green for the Hulk, red and yellow for Iron Man and of course Red, White and Blue for Captain America. I used puffy stickers I got at Walmart as the toppers. I just taped them to toothpicks. Super easy.

For favors I bought a bunch of Super Hero capes when we were doing Everly's party. They were a huge hit. My girls are more obsessed with these than Ace. They are incredibly cute running around in them.

I also had goodie bags with Avengers ritz, gummies and rice crispy treats.

Overall we had a blast hanging out with friends on a Friday night and loved celebrating this sweet boy! And I had to get this picture of Ace and my cousin Brian. They have an awesome bond. The first one is from Ace's 2nd birthday and obviously the second one is his 4th.

July 30, 2015 1 comments

Today’s post is sponsored by Gerber® Good Start® Gentle, who believe that comfort for baby means happiness for all. Here is my Formula for Happiness™.

Since Ace turned 4 I started looking back on photos of him as a little newborn. That time in our lives was actually really rough. Ace was a difficult newborn. He had colic, didn't sleep at all through the night and cried all.the.time. I felt like I was failing him. Here is what helped me through the toughest times as a Mom to a newborn. 1. Ask for help. Having a newborn who doesn't sleep can play games with your head. I actually went over to my parents house and told my Mom that my baby hated me, ha! She saw how tired I was and took Ace in her arms and let me lay down and get a little break. It felt good to sleep and know he was in good hands. There is no shame in having someone help you with a newborn and most people like cuddling that cute little bundle of joy. Have questions on your? Gerber® Good Start® Gentle is happy to introduce a Certified Sleep Consultant for your little one’s needs. Good sleep–for your baby and your family—is an essential component of your journey. That journey isn’t always perfect, but getting support every step of the way helps. 2. Take time for yourself. As time went on I realized I was allowed to take little breaks here and there for full time Mommy hood. It was good for my state of mind and it made me a better Mom. I wasn't as stressed and that little time away made me appreciate my time with my son. I think the formula for happiness with any Mom, especially new Moms is allowing yourself to get a break. It might not be easy to go out for a date or with the girls but even a bath at the end of the day when your baby finally falls asleep can do wonders for your state of mind. This was my go to with Everly because she was also a hot mess. Ashlyn thankfully was my easy newborn but even with an easy newborn I needed a break here and there. 3. Get out of the house! Something else I found that really helped me get through the newborn stage, especially with Everly was going for a walk in the morning. Even if I was exhausted from her being up all night I would stick her and Ashlyn in their stroller and go for a walk around our neighborhood. It would actually give me energy and start my day off right.
4. Make time for your partner. Newborns take up a lot of our time and energy often leaving our partner out in the cold. It can make you both feel disconnected and any time you can steal away will help you reconnect as a couple. I know date nights or even nights where we can just relax and watch our favorite show together are so important to us. We can just hang out like we did when we were dating and remember what this crazy life is all about. Being a family and enjoying our time together! Gerber® Good Start® Gentle believes that the Formula for Happiness™ can be a lot of things, and moms have different ways of enjoying the journey through motherhood.
Now it's your turn to tell me what your formula for happiness is for new Moms. Use hashtag #formulaforhappiness so I can check out all your awesome tips on Instagram and Twitter!

July 28, 2015 8 comments

Last year I started a little birthday tradition with Ace. Well, two birthday traditions. The first one is a donut "cake" the morning of his birthday. We sing Happy Birthday and have a yummy breakfast. I also do a little interview with him and it's really fun to see how his answers have changed since last year. 1. What is your name? Ace 2. How old are you? Four 3.What is your favorite thing to do? Play round and round on my bikes. 4. What do you want to be when you grow up? Spiderman 5. What is your favorite food? chicken and broccoli 6. Who do you like to spend time with? Kayla and Ti Ti 7. What do you do really well? Play on my iPad. 8. What makes you laugh? When my Daddy…(does some weird monster walk) 9. What is the best time of day? Going to Disney is the best world of the day. 10. What are you afraid of? Nothing when I am 4. Last time when I turned 3 my bedroom. 11. Who is your best friend? Brielle, Ashleen, Gavin, Brody. I just love to do something with my Dad. I love to paint with him. I love to help him paint on my house. I love to play in the garden. Help my Dad grow flowers and I want to play with everything. (We don't have a garden) 12. What do you like to do with your family? Paint a picture. 13. What do you love to learn about? ABC's and learning alphabets 14. Where do you like to go? I like to go to Ti Ti's house and I love to go camping and I love to play at my house. (He's never been camping) 15. What is your favorite book? Tigers one. 16. If you had one wish what would it be? A racing one. 17. What is your favorite color? Pink 18. What is your favorite animals? Cheetah 19. What is your favorite song? The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round 20. What is your favorite snack? Crackers 21. What is your favorite holiday? HALLOWEEN! 22. What did you do on your birthday? We to the Kerris wheel (carousel), went went in the cars, and we just forgot to go on the train. We didn't go on the train.

July 23, 2015 1 comments

It seems like the second women get married the first question they get asked is "When do you want to get pregnant?" or even "Are you all going to try for a baby now?" These are such personal questions yet people act like it is their right to know when you will conceive a little child. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think people mean any harm in asking these questions. I think most people are just so excited that you will start a family and want to know how soon. But here is the real issue with this question, many women suffer from infertility. They also experience miscarriages as well. Both of these experiences are truly heartbreaking and difficult to deal with. The women who go through this can feel like failures since they aren't able to get pregnant or hold onto a pregnancy. It often times can be overwhelming and very emotional. I also struggled to get pregnant since I have PCOS and suffered a miscarriage before getting pregnant with Ace I know the feeling all too well. You often don't want to burden people with the news you are unable to conceive, struggling or had a loss because that look people give is often uncomfortable. So what can we do to help women through this? Or what is appropriate to ask? First, if you know someone is struggling to get pregnant or had a loss don't tell them "It's all in God's plan." or "It wasn't meant to be." this isn't helpful. Also saying "Oh you will get pregnant!" when a person has been told they won't is again not helpful. Just listen. Be a shoulder for them to cry on. Bring your friend some wine or ice cream and a comedy for a girls night. If you do find yourself wanting to ask that age old question of when a new couple will have a baby or get pregnant maybe ask "Do you want children?" instead. If they say yes than be encouraging but don't pressure. And remember not all women become mothers through pregnancy and giving birth. There are many other options out there so be supportive!

July 19, 2015 No comments

I get a lot of questions about my girls. One of the main things people ask about is which baby did we know about first? Did we decide to adopt then magically become pregnant? How did you end up adopting Ashlyn? I decided to do a series of posts on our girls to help people understand the 9 months it took us to become our complete family.

The Beginning This day two years ago I felt a little dizzy and funny. I realized it was the same feeling I had had before and ran upstairs to take a pregnancy test. I took the test and messed around on my phone for a bit. I went back in the bathroom totally expecting a negative test but saw two lines. I actually had that moment where I wanted to find the test package and make sure that was a positive. For some reason that positive test didn't feel real. It was two days before Ace turned 2 and we were going to my friend's house the next morning for a play date. I ran to Carters before going to her house to get Ace a "Big Brother" t-shirt and headed to her house. As I got there she was outside and I said "Erin, come look at this cute shirt I got for Ace for his birthday." She looked at it and totally freaked out. Erin, is my favorite person to tell things to because her reactions are always be and hilarious. The entire day she would look at me and say "I can not believe you are pregnant!" Later that night I put the shirt on Ace's changing table and asked Branden to give Ace a bath and put the PJ's I had set out for him on. I was sitting in our room listening to him go in there and look at the shirt. He was like "What's this mean?!" haha. We waited to tell family in person. I had gone to dinner with my cousins for Branden's birthday and put Ace in the Big Brother shirt and one of my cousins actually thought he had it on for the show Big Brother! It was like the longest time waiting for them to figure it out. We were so excited to be adding a little peanut to our family. Little did we know we would be adding TWO little ones to our family within five months!

July 14, 2015 8 comments

July 09, 2015 34 comments

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