What we've been up to...

I've been MIA for awhile, so I'm going to start my return to blogging with a little recap as to what has been going on with us.

We traveled to North Dakota last July to see my family.

We celebrated Trevor's birthday in August.

We went to North Dakota again in September and celebrated my birthday.

My mother-in-law came to visit us in October.

We went to Minnesota in November.

We went to Minnesota again in December.

We flew to Minnesota for a night, flew to North Dakota the next day, and spent Christmas with family. Our return trip was the same: fly to Minnesota night one and onto Georgia on day two. On the way home, Trevor realized he needed to see a doctor for his ear issues, so he dropped Hudson and me at home and drove straight to urgent care. This started the vicious cycle of all three of us getting sick... over and over again for the rest of the winter and spring.

Trevor's dad won tickets to the Super Bowl in Houston. No one else was interested or able to go, so Trevor chose to go with his dad. Trevor's parents flew to Atlanta that Friday. Trevor and his dad flew to New Orleans and drove the rest of the way to Houston on Saturday. Trevor's mom stayed with Hudson and me for the weekend while I cooked an entire month's supply of dinners. Trevor and his dad returned on Monday, and his parents left on Tuesday.

The rest of February was a blur because we got the news that Trevor would be going to captain upgrade training in early March. We spent the month getting the house as clean as possible, doing all the laundry, and getting Trevor packed for training all while he studied like crazy and still did his usual flight schedule plus some mandatory, annual first officer training, too!

March began with Trevor having five days off before his two weeks of training in Fort Lauderdale. Because he had an intense training schedule with just one day off in two weeks, not counting his the day before his flight home scheduled for the second day after his last simulator session, he wouldn't be able to come home to see us, nor would we be able to go visit him.

Day one began with a huge headache. I started trying to figure out which of our friends could take Hudson for a few hours so I could go to urgent care and maybe a pharmacy. I eventually hit on the right combo of over the counter drugs and essential oils (I know, I know, but I assure you, I only use a few that work in a way that is logical and make sense scientifically). My mom came to stay with Hudson and me for the middle five days of training. A day after she left, I ended up with another sinus headache and Hudson pooped the tub.

Trevor finally got to come home on day 15, but I ended up texting him before the flight "Check in with me when you land. Fever and chills. May send Hudson to a friend's house." Luckily, it passed, and we had a good day together before I was hit HARD with a stomach bug. I was down for three full days and part of a fourth day. Trevor quarantined me to our bedroom and kept Hudson as far from me as possible.

The week after Trevor's training ended, we were able to see two dear friends who were in town. One was preparing to interview at Delta, the other had moved onto the simulator portion of his training at Delta and will soon be flying for them.

A week later, when Trevor was set to begin his first trip as a captain, he woke up in his hotel room at 3 a.m. with my flu. Fortunately, it passed more quickly for him, and he was able to go to work the next morning and continue his trip. He's currently flying as the captain with instructor pilots flying as his first officers. Trevor will do three trips with these instructor pilots before he is signed off to continue as a normal captain. The sign off is also important because that's when he receives the pay bump that comes with his extra responsibilities!

Hudson is a busy and wild little guy right now. He turns two in just a couple weeks! He started walking last July, which quickly led to running, moving backwards, and walking on his knees. His vocabulary is growing exponentially. In October, I was worried he was a little behind, but by Christmas, his speech was well ahead of where it should be. We now hear more than 200 distinct words from him, and he speaks with simple sentences on occasion. He loves to "read," though he is more interested in looking at pictures than hearing the story! He also loves all things that "go" right now - planes, trains, cars, etc. We watch a lot of Tayo, a Korean cartoon that features a little blue bus just starting his service to the city of Seoul. We also watch Curious George, Sesame Street, Thomas and Friends, Chuggington, and Finding Dory quite often.

Hudson attends a preschool class at our church two mornings a week. He's learning his colors, numbers, and some simple sayings derived from bible verses. Most importantly, he is learning how to play with others and how to deal with Mommy and Daddy leaving him for a little while. We have been so blessed to have this option this school year, and we are actually a little sad that summer is coming! I'm exploring options for the summer months right now.

So, that's what we've been up to lately! I hope to begin posting more often. I've been doing a lot of reading this year, and I want to share my book reviews as well as my crafting adventures this year. I'm also starting to dabble in sewing, so you'll probably get a chance to see my early adventures in that, too!

Refocusing

I realized last night that I have basically neglected this blog forever. It's easy to do when you're not crafting and your blog is primarily supposed to be about crafting. It's easy to do when you have all th busy-ness of pregnancy and a new baby keeping you away from everything else for about two years. And then that baby becomes a toddler and starts sleeping through the night and taking long naps, so you start to catch up on everything that you didn't do from the time you hit your third trimester until you stopped being 100% exhausted every day.

And then 2016 happened. What a miserable year!

A year or two ago, I started a blog post about why I would never give up Facebook for Lent. Now, I'm not so sure I'll still have an account in a year. People are not using it for intelligent or civil discussion. I know I'm guilty of sharing politics on Facebook, but I try to keep it intellectually honest and overwhelmingly civil when I do.

I still have a lot of thoughts I want to share with the world, so I think now might be the time to start to start getting serious with my blogging. And if that means refocusing what this blog is about, so be it. And if it means I need to craft more so I have a reason to blog, so be it.

I'm looking forward to sharing so much more with you in 2017.

Hello 2017

Never have I ever been so excited for a new year + fresh beginnings. 2017 is going to be a big year for me and my family, I just know it! 

Love at first sight

Three years ago today, I witnessed love at first sight.

Let me begin by explaining what this story is not.

It is not the story of how I met my husband - or of how anyone met their spouse.

This is not the story of someone's birth.

This is the story of my husband and his cat.

In early September 2013, I received a Facebook message from a church friend. One of his coworkers asked him to pray about some cats who needed a home. This man's girlfriend worked at a vet clinic, and three wonderful, sweet cats had been there for two months. They were abandoned and would be put down the following Monday if they did not find a home. They were absolutely free. Alex decided he wouldn't just pray, but he would also help them find a home. He sent pictures of the cats with his message. 

We had been looking all summer for a cat or two. However, we just couldn't afford the fees from our local animal control. It would be $75 per cat, and we were on a single income. We were looking for just the right free cats. These cats turned out to be up to date on their shots, spayed and neutered, and declawed (not something I would have chosen, but to make a long story short, it became a blessing when they got in a bad fight about six months after we got them - Crookshanks and I took a midnight trip to the emergency vet after Minerva tore him up with just her back claws!). 

I wanted the one black cat in the photos. Those other two? Nope, nope, nope. That yellow one would leave hair everywhere, and the striped one...just kind of looked evil to me. I forwarded the message to Trevor, who thought the striped one was a dead ringer for one he had as a child, and he eventually got in contact with the vet clinic. The black one had found a home, but the other two had no serious inquiries. He was told that they were actually good friends, and they liked each other a lot. That was on a Friday afternoon, so they told us to come in on Monday to see them. We went out that afternoon and bought two litter boxes, two cat beds, and two carriers. 

When we walked into the vet clinic, they took us to the back room where they had several animals in cages. The second the door opened, we heard an excited whimper. The sound came from a cage at chest level. The vet tech opened the door, and a striped cat jumped into Trevor's arms. 

"She's going home with us," Trevor said, scratching her chin.

I knew in that instant that I had just witnessed love at first sight. 

Though Minerva is sweet and affectionate with me, our relationship is nothing like the one she has with Trevor. She sleeps with him (often on top of him) each night that he is home. She sits on his lap in the evenings when we watch Netflix, and she is never far away from him. She's gotten so upset when he left for work that she would throw up on the floor right by the door to our garage. Minerva is always there to greet Trevor when he walks in the door, even if it's 4 AM. 

You may be wondering about Crookshanks and me. Well, things weren't quite so easy with him...but that's a story for another day. 

Friday 5: Things I've learned about myself since becoming a parent

Here's to a new month, a new season, and a renewed commitment to my blog! I'm easing back into it slowly, so to start, here's a Friday Five:

Five Things I've Learned About Myself Since Becoming a Parent

1. If my basic needs aren't met, I can't be the "happy mom" I want to be.

When I look back at the end of my worst days home alone with Hudson, I can usually see a few common denominators. I didn't get a shower. I didn't get any alone time with my coffee and my bible. I was thirsty all day. I didn't eat enough, or I ate unhealthy food. Sometimes, this happens because I'm already too worn out to worry about getting these things done. Sometimes, it's because Hudson is sick or going through a phase where he needs me more. Either way, making sure I take care of myself makes the biggest difference in my attitude and ability to cope with my toddler.


2. I don't need to wear make up or do my hair for the majority of my trips out of the house.

The pre-parent version of me would at least put on make up before leaving the house for almost any reason, and I never went to work or church without straightening or curling my hair. However, now that I spend a lot of my time getting ready with a toddler at my feet, those heat styling devices are now a burn hazard, and make up seems like a waste of time. I mean, with a kid this cute, is anyone even looking at me, anyway?


3. A lot of my identity was tied up in my work.

When you spend 40 hours a week doing something, it becomes a pretty big part of who you are. I do miss my job, but when I look back at how much it consumed me, I realize I'm in a better place right now. It was sometimes hard to stay positive when I realized I was working with students whose parents did not care at all about their education, and at times thought the school was out of line for punishing their children for things like hitting and slapping!


4. I thrive on routine, but I'm not in a place where I can have one right now.

My husband is home four days, then gone 4-6 days at a time. His returns and departures are inconsistent. He might get home at 2 AM or 10 AM or 6 PM. That makes it tough for us to set consistent bedtimes and wakeups for the adults in the family, let alone a routine for the day. We have a rough routine for Hudson, but for us...Not so much. I'm making peace with the fact that it might be awhile before we can have a normal routine again.


5. I need community.

I always thought I was a loner. I grew up with my sister on a farm far, far from any other children, so I didn't have a lot of good friends until I went to college, and even then, I really only had one close friend (we're still besties today, texting daily). When I started my last job, I connected quickly to a group of wonderful, supportive teachers. We were part of a community group at church, where we loved on one another and prayed for each other. Both of these groups were lost when I had Hudson. I became a stay at home mom, and Hudson couldn't stay up late enough for us to be part of our community group. While I am still in touch with all these people, it just isn't the same as being part of the group.

We've since joined another small group through our church, and I've become a member of our local chapter of Mothers Of PreSchoolers (MOPS). However, both groups have been off for the summer, so I'm really noticing their absence right now! No one was meant to do life alone. I'm so glad I've got these opportunities for community.

Coming soon

I've got big plans for blogging. Check back in September for my big relaunch! 

February recap

February seemed to fly by. We started the month with Hudson's 9 month well baby visit, which was great. We were able to discontinue his medication for acid reflux, and he has basically stopped spitting up entirely!

We tried to do the Whole 30. We lasted around 20 days. I'll share more about the failures and successes we encountered in another post, but I will say, I lost about 5 pounds without even following the rules all that strictly!

We went to Chicago for a few days to visit our friends, the Cernys, for Super Bowl weekend. Their son, David, is about three months younger than Hudson, and their daughter, Courtney, is nearly 4 years old. Hudson had a great time playing with the kids, and it was so good to see our dear friends. Though Dave has been on long Atlanta overnights a few times over the past couple years, it had been over two years since I last got to see Erin and Courtney!

After we came back, Trevor had recurrent training in Fort Lauderdale followed by a two day trip that began on Valentines Day. Right after he returned from that, he got a bad stomach bug that left him in pretty rough shape for four days. He ended up calling out sick for the trip right after his illness because he was still so weak, and he feared a relapse. We ended up using a lot of that extra time off to disinfect the house. Fortunately, Hudson and I didn't get sick!

Hudson turned 10 months old on February 23. His current favorite foods are blueberries, clementines, and grapes. He's walking along the edges of furniture, and trying to talk.

We hired Hudson's first real babysitter this past weekend so we could go on a date day. We went to lunch at Meat 'n Greet followed by an afternoon showing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Hudson did really well with Miss Grace, and we can't wait to have her back again!

On Leap Day, Trevor spent the day in Atlanta renewing his passport. Because his job requires him to carry a passport, he has to go through the expedited passport process and visit the passport office. He got his passport the same day, but he had to come back several hours later. He visited a Lego outlet in Lawerenceville, ate lunch at Ikea, studied for his recurrent simulator session coming up later his week, and visited Trader Joe's while Hudson and I hung out at home.

Friday 5: Must Haves Before Baby Arrives

With Hudson's first birthday just around the corner, I've been reflecting a lot on this past year. For the next few weeks, my Friday Five lists will be focused on what our favorite baby items have been throughout each stage of Hudson's life so far. This week, I'm sharing the things I suggest getting before baby arrives.

1. Amazon Prime/Amazon Family

These two products are essentially the same thing. Family is free with your Prime Membership, so I recommend just getting a Prime membership and opting into Family when the time comes. You get great discounts on things like diapers and wipes, as well as other special offers. The Amazon Prime membership gives you free two day shipping on tons of items, and if you live in a Prime Now service area, you can get some items delivered within two hours! 

2. The Target Red Card

You save 5% on every purchase, whether you choose the credit card or debit card option (we use the debit card). You can combine this with all other discounts, like Cartwheel, registry completion rewards, and manufacturer coupons. You also get random special coupons or offers throughout the year, which is pretty nice. For awhile, we were able to get free sodas or smoothies each day just by showing our Red Cards!

3. A stockpile of all the essentials

Fill the freezer with easy meals to reheat. Fill the pantry with your everyday essentials like cereal, coffee, and snacks. Have a good stash of diapers and wipes built up. Do everything you can to avoid having to go shopping for the first week you're home. We thought we were prepared, but I think Trevor went to Target and/or Publix each day for the first two weeks after we brought Hudson home.

4. Pain management options

I received two different prescriptions for pain relief when I was discharged, but within a few days, I realized I needed relief, but not that much relief. I wish I would have thought ahead and purchased some pain relievers, but I had no clue how much I would hurt, nor how long I would hurt. 

5. Really comfy pajamas or loungewear

You will live in them for days (maybe weeks or months, depending on if/when you go back to work). Make sure they are comfy, fit well, and you wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in them by a delivery man or a neighbor. I am still wearing nursing camisoles with yoga pants or pajama pants almost all the time, usually with a t-shirt or hoodie over the cami. Today, I'm rocking some grey leggings with mint and black monarch butterflies on them, a grey cami, and a mint raglan t-shirt. This outfit is perfect for following Hudson around the house because the leggings stay where they belong, and I can easily cuddle up with him when it's time for a nap. 

What were your must-haves when you first brought home your baby? Let me know in the comments!

Surviving Baby's First Cold

At the end of January, we were struck with our first cold of the season. Though Trevor and I were able to avoid catching it, Hudson fell hard. Of course, it was on the second day of Trevor's six day trip, so I got to handle an angry, sick baby all on my own. It was completely miserable. However, I did figure out a few tricks to make things easier on us. Today, I'm sharing my must haves to help both baby and Mommy survive the first cold.

For baby:

1. Sleep

Do whatever it takes to get the baby to rest - even if you have to hold them through their naps, sleep holding them in a chair at night, or put them in your bed with you. I tried to get Hudson to nap two hours after waking up, and that worked well for us. 

2. Fluids

I offered Hudson a bottle or breast every two hours when he was awake, even if he wasn't acting hungry. These feedings usually resulted in the naps described above. Keeping Hudson hydrated helped him pass mucus, which was really important with this particular virus. Hudson sounded wheezy and sniffly most of the time if I hadn't just cleared out his nose.

When it came to solids, I tried offering him more liquidy favorites I knew he would eat, like pieces of clementines and blueberries. People often forget that food can help with hydration, and the fruits had the added bonus of vitamins and antioxidants to help fight the cold, too.

3. Steam/Mist

I closed the bathroom, left the fan off, and put Hudson in the shower with me each day. By the end, gobs of green snot were streaming out his nose. He was SO much better after that. At bath time, I closed the bath room door and let him breathe in as much moist air as possible. I also ran a humidifier in his room non-stop. I honestly never used the Nose Frieda while Hudson was sick because the steam did such a good job opening up his passageways and getting the mucus to flow on its own. 

4. Hyland's Cold Tiny Tablets

We love the teething tablets for Hudson, so we knew that the cold tablets would probably be amazing, too. Because they dissolve as soon as they hit the tongue, Hudson showed almost immediate signs of relief when he took them.

5. Vick's Babyrub

My friend Erin recommended this, and it helped Hudson oh so much! I rubbed it on his chest and neck at bedtime until he felt better. It's a much more mild version of the VaporRub we're all familiar with. I think it really did help him a lot because he seemed to sleep pretty well when he first went down each night (though he would wake up somewhere between 2 and 4 a.m. each night).

For Mommy:

1. Wine

You'll need to unwind when you finally get that angry kid to sleep. A nice glass of wine definitely helps, and red wine is full of antioxidants, right? ;)

2. Healthy Snacks

It's always good to have something nutritionally-dense on hand that you can eat quickly, but especially so when you've got a sick baby. I basically survived on Lara Bars the week Hudson was sick. They are nut and date based bars, so they are vegan, gluten free, non-GMO, and dairy free. I think Apple Pie and Lemon Bar are my favorites. The Coconut Cream Pie bar almost tastes like an Almond Joy if you roll it in a little unsweetened cacao powder. Not that I've tried that or anything....

3. Amazon Prime Now to deliver medicine and snacks

If you live in the Atlanta metro area or one of the other select cities served by Prime Now, you can order certain necessities for free two hour delivery from Amazon. It's truly a lifesaver. I ordered Hudson's medicine, my Lara bars, and a few other things when he was sick. Three weeks later, Trevor got a stomach bug that was just awful. That day, I ordered saltines, Sprite, Gatorade, Pepto Bismol, and yummy snack for Hudson and me. None of us had to leave the house that weekend. It was so wonderful to not have to worry about anything!

4. Comfy clothes

I lived in my pjs and slippers while Hudson was sick. Cozy was my number one goal. We spent a lot of time napping together either in the rocking chair or my bed, so it didn't make sense to put on anything else.

5. A friend to vent to!

Trevor and my friend Rachel got tons of texts that weekend. I had to complain about it to someone because it was so frustrating to go through the worst of his cold without anyone to help me! But if I hadn't been able to text them, I really think the pressure would have broken me. Raising a kid alone for half a week isn't easy, but it's truly difficult when your kid is sick!

Hopefully, my experience with Hudson's first cold will help you through your kid's first cold. Every kid is different, so use your best judgment, make sure what you choose to use on your child is age appropriate, and consult a doctor when necessary (because I sure as heck don't have a medical degree, so don't take my advice as coming from any sort of expert!).

2016 goal updates | 2.12.2016

This year is going too quickly already! I cannot believe we are almost six weeks into 2016 - and that I'm less than three months away from having a one year old little boy, not a baby. I fully intended to write this update around two weeks ago, but here it is, finally.

1. Read the entire Bible.

I did really well for the first three weeks of the year, but then I started reading the first work of fiction I've read in years...and I got distracted. With Lent beginning this week, I plan to get back on track. I want to catch up on my year-long reading plan, as well as stay caught up on a Lent devotional plan.

2. Declutter and organize our house.

Well, things haven't gotten worse, so I guess that's progress when I compare it to how the first eight months with a baby looked in our house! I'm slowly chipping away at the existing disorganization and putting out the organizational fires before they get too terrible. With luck, I will be satisfied with this house by the end of 2016!

3. Lose the leftover baby belly. 

I started the Whole 30, which is huge. I wanted to go walking with Hudson each day, but the weather has been extraordinarily awful over the past six weeks. Ugh. I am planning to join a gym soon. I'm really excited because I've found two gyms that have both childcare and barre method classes! They both cost a fraction of what I was spending to go to a Pure Barre studio, and they are both significantly closer to my house. I am still trying to decide which one will win my membership, though!

4. Update the blog 3 times a week. 

I've averaged something more like twice a week so far, but I hope that will change as the year goes on. I have about 30 posts that were started but never finished. Right now, I'm working on going back and finishing them up. I'm also trying to blog from my laptop so I can schedule posts in advance.

5. Learn to use my DSLR camera. 

I've made no real progress on this front. None whatsoever. I'm hoping I can start doing more on that front soon. I would love to sneak off to a pretty park for a day this spring and play with my camera without Trevor and Hudson. Then, maybe I can take some awesome first birthday pictures for Hudson!