Confessions of a First Time Mom #2

Postpartum Body Woes

One of the biggest shocks of having a baby was not the birth part, but the recovery part. I did not feel like I was properly prepared for what happens to my body once the baby is born. Whenever you are pregnant majority of the focus is on how to give birth with a little bit of how to care for the baby mixed in, but only a dash of what your body will go through postpartum. Obviously knowing that information wouldn’t have changed my mind about having my daughter, but I feel like I could have been more mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared.

Getting pregnant was the first time in my life I had actually gained weight. As I have stated on here before, I never dealt with fluctuations in weight as a kid or during adolescence, so watching my body change was definitely an adjustment. But an even bigger adjustment was not going right back to the size I was pre-pregnancy.

I used to be a lil bitty twig. No curves, no extra anything. I wore a lot of the same clothes and shoes from high school until pregnancy. Deep in my mind, I knew that I was going to look a bit different and the shape of my body would be different, but I was not expecting for none of my clothes to fit. That alone made me want to cry… and I have, multiple times. I was stuck wearing pajamas and my husband’s shirts. I felt frumpy and gross. Eventually, my mom bought me a few pairs of shorts in a larger size, so I could go out in the summer heat. That helped for awhile, but I couldn’t wash those three pairs of shorts quick enough for as often as I needed to wear them.

At first I was so against buying clothes that fit my current body, because I am determined not to stay this way. I have approximately 20 pounds that I need to lose to feel healthy and “fit” again. So buying new clothes seemed like defeat, like I was saying that I accept looking like this. That sounds dramatic – I am healthy and I am beautiful – but I am also self-conscious and insecure. I want my confidence back. So earlier this week, I made the decision to buy some cheap clothes that fit my current body. A couple pairs of bottoms, a shirt, and a few dresses. I made this choice, so that I could feel some confidence and positivity when I look in the mirror. It makes a world of difference when you can just wake up, grab some clothes that easily go on, and look at yourself with a smile.

Just this little bit of confidence has encouraged me to start going on walks and buying more healthy food at the grocery store. I am so proud of myself in what I accomplished during birth and I wouldn’t trade my baby girl for anything – not even my pre-pregnancy body – so now I am just accepting that it is okay to take as much time as you need to heal and recover from pregnancy and to not compare your recovery journey to anyone else’s.

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Good Trouble Show Review

Well Callie and Mariana are back, but maybe not quite better than ever…

Plot Summary

Good Trouble picks up where The Fosters left off – approximately 4 years after the kids graduated high school and went their separate ways – Callie is now a law school graduate working as a clerk and Mariana is an MIT graduate working at a tech startup company. Both girls move to Los Angeles to begin their adult lives and together they face new trials and endless drama.

What I Thought

The show is enticing to say the least, but I feel like some of the storylines could have handled with more class. Both girls are quite reckless and very promiscuous. Much of the show centers around steamy love scenes which I feel like takes away from the very serious issues they are trying to bring light to. I hoped they would show the girls as mature young women, but they act like crazy college students.

I do like the issues the show addresses: gender pay inequality, police brutality, and treatment of the transgender. Showcasing the issues brings a bit of depth to the show despite all the unnecessary relationship drama.

Lastly, the show is shot very artistically, which makes it look cool, but the excessive use of jump cuts and dream sequences gets very confusing and takes away from the main storyline. It takes a couple of episodes to get used to and I hope they stop doing it in season two.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Did you watch the original show The Fosters?

Miles to Magnolia // Waco, TX

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I took a trip down to Waco to experience the Magnolia Market. As someone who has never seen the show Fixer Upper and isn’t obsessed with Chip and Joanna Gaines, I didn’t know much about Magnolia or what to expect. My mother-in-love is a potter and wanted to check out their shop to check out their pottery, so we figured what better way to spend a summer day while they were in town than a quick road trip.

The Lawn

I didn’t get good pictures of the lawn, but basically there is a big astro turf green lawn in front of the two huge silos that have bean bag chairs to relax in and big yard games to play. It was very hot and sunny the day I visited, so I didn’t hang out on the lawn.

The Food Trucks

Magnolia boasts a long list of artisan food trucks that carry everything from bbq to baked goods. During my visit, Jeremiah and I both got pizza (shocker!), but his dad branched out and came back to the table with half a watermelon with a straw sticking out of it, so I guess you never know what you’ll find. There is also lots of picnic tables, covered and uncovered, for you to eat or just relax at.

The Garden

The garden was definitely my favorite part. There were lots of beautiful flowers planted everywhere, a little barn, a decent amount of shade, a greenhouse, and a little shop where you can buy seeds and other little things you might need for your garden. The shop is quite crowded, but the garden itself is very walkable with lots of room to take it all in.

The Bakery

We waited in line for about 10 minutes, but on weekends, the line can take up to 30 minutes. They only let so many people in at a time, because it is a very tight space. Beware that there is no indoor seating – you enter the bakery to order, but once you have your food, you are led back outside. My family all got a baked good, but nothing sounded good to me, so I passed.

The Market

The market was the biggest letdown. I expected a LOT more from a market run by interior designers or house flippers or whatever their title is. It was two story, but super crowded and super cramped. The selection was really small and the prices were fairly steep. If you really want to shop around, I suggest hitting up their section at Target.

Magnolia turned out to be nothing like I pictured, but it was a cute little day getaway. I probably wouldn’t ever make the four hour round trip drive again, but if you live in or around Waco, it would definitely be a fun place to grab lunch or just gab with your girlfriends.

May Recap

May, for me, was one of those months that felt like it flew by and went really slow all at the same time. It was our first full month with Hazel and it was honestly a lot of fun. Jeremiah’s parents drove in from Michigan and stayed with us for a week which was such a blessing. We took a couple mini trips, watched quite a few movies, and focused on settling into our new role as parents and into our new house. Oh ya, WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! I have so much to share, but haven’t quite found the time to write everything out, so stay tuned.

Goals

Rebuild My Faith

I feel like this goal will never be fully achieved, because we are always constantly building and rebuilding our faith. From January till April, I felt really connected to God and I felt like my relationship was better than ever, but then after giving birth, I kind of lost touch. Not because of anything negative, but just from being overwhelmed, exhausted, and busy. So, now I am working on taking the time to make sure I am keeping God at the forefront of everything I do, instead of being an afterthought.

Birth Our Baby Naturally

Save More, Budget Better

Wellllll this happened sort of – we were able to save this month, because of all the generosity we experienced this month from friends bringing us meals to family helping us fix up our home. We have let our budgeting go a bit, because of time, but also because our bills our in the process of changing from apartment to house and we are working on sorting that out.

Exercise

I am still in recovery and not technically cleared to exercise, but I have been taking short walks with Hazel and Winnie.

Meal Plan & Cook At Home More

This happened halfway kind for the same reason as saving – a huge thanks to those who brought us food and stocked our kitchen!

Monthly Family Meetings

This is still a huge work in progress.

Read More

Watching tv was really what I spent my time doing this month and reading fell to the wayside, but I did start and read a few pages of Pleasing People and am excited to dive into it more this month.

Buy A House

Love My Husband Better

This is still a huge work in progress as I learn to have a servant’s heart and put my own wants and needs aside.

Write Often

My writing definitely took a backseat last month as a watched tv and took care of Hazel, but I am hoping to catch back up this month.

Monthly Planned Date Night

This is still a huge work in progress.

Books Read

• Pleasing People: How Not To Be An Approval Junkie

Shows Watched

• For The People
• Proven Innocent
• The Village
• Station 19
• New Amsterdam
• Grey’s Anatomy
• The Bold Type
• Beverly Hills 90210
• The Bachelorette

Movies Watched

• Speed
• My Cousin Vinny
• Ever After
• Never Been Kissed
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• Bolt
• National Treasure

Places Traveled

• Waco, TX – post to come
• Denton, TX – post to come

May did a good job at teaching me that it is okay to accept help from others and that it’s okay to let some things go in order to focus more on other things. Learning these two things helped me tremendously in my motherhood journey in how I can better take care of and love on my daughter.

Confessions of a First Time Mom #1

One Month of Motherhood

Y’all, I am still in shock that I have a daughter… who is a month old… which means I have been a mother for a month. Woah! *insert mind blown emoji*

Becoming a mother is nothing like I expected – honestly, I don’t even know what I expected. It’s nothing like I expected in the very best way. Hazel is a fantastic baby, I don’t always think it, but people tell me constantly how perfect she is and how lucky I am. Hearing this about my baby is such a compliment, but it also makes being a first time mom quite intimidating. I have no other children to compare Hazel to, so I get overwhelmed, frustrated, and even sad when she is fussy or hurting or not sleeping and I feel like I shouldn’t, because she is overall such a great baby.

In typical mom fashion, let me tell you a little about my sweet babe. Hazel likes going for car rides – especially when we are going over 40mph, being swaddles up real tight like a burrito, taking long walks in her stroller, tummy time, and taking naps in her swing. She dislikes being naked, being gassy, and being bathed. Last, but not least, Hazel can sleep through the night – approximately 7 to 8 hours, and follow you with her eyes. I am so proud!!

Having Hazel around is a lot of fun. Contrary to what I have heard about babies, Hazel definitely has a personality developing. She gives a little bit of sass and has some fantastic facial expressions! A couple days ago, I attempted to give her her first bath and it was a disaster. I learned that Hazel does not like to be bathed since she screamed bloody murder and turned all red. I just had to laugh to make it through. She even attends girls night with me and enjoys a good episode of The Bachelorette.

I can’t wait until we get a better routine and I become more comfortable in my role, so I can share more with y’all!