4 Months Old

12/12/15

Maverick August

-Weighing 15lbs 3oz

-Eats 4oz every 3hrs (at bedtime 5oz)

-Sleeping anywhere from 5-8 hours at night 

-smiles and laughs all the time!

-Size 1 diapers

-3-6 month clothes

-rolls over

3 Months Old

 11/12/15

Maverick August

-Weighing 14lbs

-Eats 4oz every 3hrs

-Sleeping anywhere from 5-8 hours at night 

-Size 1 diapers

-0-3 month clothes

-smiles and laughs

2 Months Old

10/12/15

Maverick August

-Weighing 12lbs

-Eats 4oz every 3hrs

-Sleeping 4-5 hours at night 

-Loves his mam pacifier

-Size 1 diapers

-0-3 month clothes

-started to coo and smiles a lot

1 Month Old

9/12/15

Maverick August

-Weighing 9lbs 6oz

-Still breast feeding every 3 hours

-Sleeping 3-4 hours at night 

-Loves his mam pacifier

-Size 1 diapers

-Newborn Clothes(some 0-3 Months)

-Has started to smile

life is changing for the better

I haven't blogged for almost two months - here's a little in-site on our last 2 months! 

we have gone from a family of 3 to a family of 4. 

 

i have survived many days alone with not only one child but two! <-- this is huge considering I used to have to send text/videos to Matt having him come home when it was just Mason...

i survived my first trip to walmart with the boys alone.

Matt & I had our first "date" which was a 30minute trip to walmart.

big brother is loving baby Maverick!

Humble yourselves before the Lord

James 4:10 - Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. • Today's Life Verse from Life 96.5 •

Both pregnancies my iron levels have been low, but this pregnancy my levels are really low. I was told at around 30 weeks that if I didn't get my levels up I would need to go to the cancer institute to get infusions done. My emotions got the best of me, I'm pregnant bringing a new life into this world, and I have to go sit next to other people who are having chemo done and are struggling to hold onto life - how is this fair? I couldn't wrap my head around it, I didn't want to do this. I started to research and find what I could do to raise my iron levels.

** Young Living - NingXia Red ** Young Living - Super B ** Young Living MultiGreens ** vitafusion PreNatal ** Nature's Sunshine I-X ** Prescribed Iron Pill ** this was my morning routine of what I would take. It all made me feel better, I wasn't light headed anymore and I had more energy. My iron levels increased but not by much - as my dad said it's probably more the unhealthy food I was putting in my body that was making my iron levels not improve. 

At my 38 week appointment on Tuesday I found out we would have to go along with the infusions, I was emotional before my appointment and even more emotional when I found out that I would need to get the infusions. But I have a very good doctor who only looks out for the best for me so I knew this is what God wants, it's going to keep me and the baby healthy for when the baby arrives. Matt was allowed to come with me so that was great.

Woke up and read the life verse for today and it was so fitting, I just needed to humble myself to the Lord and quit worrying. We walked into the Avera Cancer Institute and everyone was so incredibly friendly. They took me to a private room(totally different than I thought - praise the Lord) and Matt by my side I got through my first day of infusions.

I am so grateful to have an amazing supportive husband and friends who have been praying for me and my pregnancy. 

PS I'm not sure if you caught it or not but yes, 38 weeks pregnant as of yesterday, 2 weeks until baby is here -- ummm....will time slow down before then because I know it won't slow down after baby comes!!!

Digging Deep Into The Word

I am writing this because I was contacted by a member of my old church(Christ Ev. Lutheran Church-WELS) and was told that since my child was not baptized as an infant that if he died before he made the choice to be baptized that we wouldn't be reassured that he would go to Heaven.

As a parent this is heartbreaking that people would think that way. Deep down I think this was God's way of having me dig into his word more, research, and educate not only myself but Matt, who grew up ELCA. Although it hurt me at first and I'm glad I went through this, I have learned a lot more in the last week than what I remember of the 8 years of a private school setting. I'm not saying it wasn't a good school, I just saying I personally didn't get a lot out of it.

I have so many friends that feel the need to baptize their child as an infant because that's what they were taught, but when asking them why they choose to do so they weren't really sure why they were doing it. I hope this benefits them as well!

Baptism should be the choice of the person not of the parents, as it is the person who is being baptized repenting, fully assured that they have already been saved and a believer of the gospel.

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 2:38-39 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Acts 8:12 But when they believed, Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Complete immersion is the understanding we have the word “baptize” and is called a “burial” by Paul in Romans 6:3-4 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. and we know that when a dead person is buried, they do not have just a few handfuls of dirt sprinkled on them, but are completely covered/ baptism symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection - our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ. As in death, one stops breathing and eyes are shut, so in baptism one stops breathing, and the eyes are shut. Then they are “Buried” in the water, and lifted up again in a symbol of resurrection to new life, to open their eyes and breathe again! Being “buried” backwards is a beautiful symbol of submission, as to allow someone to lay you on your back in water is really to put your life in their hands more so than to go forward/(you go forward after you rise again!) This living illustration can be applied daily as we remember our baptism-we know we are dead to sin and live to the Lord Jesus. Jesus is living His life in us. – http://www.gracelifewc.com/uploads/2/6/7/3/26731815/water_baptism_explained.pdf

As far as “you need to be baptized to be saved”

Mark 16:15-16 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have a peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gain access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

All in all I feel like this was all part of God's plan for strengthening me as a person and Christian. I still 100% support the decision Matt and I made as parents and could not be happier at the church we are at.

tips & tricks

I am a huge planner, especially for vacations. I like to plan them at least 3+ months out - planning our daily routines and starting my packing list. This was the first vacation I haven't had a checklist by my side when packing. Yes I started one, but then I said scratch that. This vacation, I had just under a month to get ready for so with a toddler turning 20 months I used pinterest to help me find activities to keep him busy. Mind you his first time flying he did AMAZING! 4 different planes and only cried at take off and landing - BUT - he was 12 months old, he is way more active now! Here are some of the things that I packed in our bag! 

1. board book - this specific board book has different animal textures to keep Mason busy - he absolutely loves this book at home - so I put it in his bag, however there was no need for this book, it never came out of our bag.

2. quiet book -  my plan was to make a 10 page quiet book but when my attempt at cutting felt with a cricut failed miserably the book ended up being 6 pages(velcro shapes to match, counting beads, zippers, a road to drive a car on, and mr. potato head) - this was a big hit for Mason, actually the only toy he played with, it kept him busy for over an hour!

3. new toy - I got him a new coloring set from Target's Dollar Isle, he loves to color so I thought this would be a huge hit, even if he doesn't stay in the lines he loves anything to do with TMNT! - this did not make it out of the bag though.

4. Melrose/Young Living Essential Oil - I was told by my dear friend Katie that his would help with flying, however with our short trip I wasn't able to order it so she let me borrow hers. This works amazing, I put it on myself and Mason so that it would help with our ears, let me tell you - this oil works!!

5. Velcro Popsicle Sticks - This idea I also got from my dear friend Katie, a great-easy activity for Mason to do on the plane that would be quiet. I was had so much fun getting this ready I knew he would love it. - however this as well did not make it out of the bag. He has had fun playing with them since we got home!

6. Lavender/Young Living Essential Oil - This is what we put on every night when we go to bed to help us sleep. The first flight we sat next to a flight attendant going to visit her mom, my thoughts - great, this lady already deals with screaming kids and now she may have to sit next to one. My thoughts were wrong, We had a 630pm flight which didn't leave until 720pm Mason had been up since 7am with only an hour nap so at about 830pm we rubbed some lavender on his feet, he cried a total of 7 minutes while trying to fall asleep- yes I timed it to see how long his crying would last. When we got off the plane that lady next to me said how amazing he did -coming from a flight attendant this would make any mom happy! On the flight home, he cried for a total of 12 minutes again trying to fall asleep. I'd say Mason is like his mom and loves to fly!

7.I-Spy Bag - This was a bag that I already had from years ago. I thought great quiet toy, but again Mason never even saw this toy!

8. Zantac - This is the only prescription that we still "use" - Matt has a huge fear of flying - he gets sick for days/weeks before a trip, has night mares and  just doesn't rest. He only takes this an hr before our flight departs but without this we would not be able to take vacations. We are working on testing some Young Living Essential Oils that will be just as effective but until then we keep this in the cupboard until our next trip.

9. Water Bottles -Not Pictured- Must have, empty your water bottle and put it in your bag to keep you and baby/toddler hydrated - water fountains all over the airport and they give you water on-board the plane!

10. Snacks -Not Pictured- although not all toys were played with, all snacks were gone by the time we got home! our snacks we packed were:
--> GoGo Squeez - applesauce on the go - Mason had never had these, he had applesauce before but he thought these were so awesome! - Big hit!
--> Mott's All Natural Fruit Snacks -  Mason loves fruit snacks and they were small and easy to deal with, no mess!
-->Veggie Straws - Mason also loves these and they were also something easy to pack, store and deal with!

Although I didn't have a plan for each day I knew three things we wanted to do and we were able to cross them all off our "list" - visit to the zoo, visit to the beach(aka.giant sand box) and a visit to a children's museum. Mason loved them all! We also all loved the 50degree weather on their "cold days" and the high 70degree weather on the nice days! 

Hope our 10 tricks and tips that helped us help you in your future travel!

Our weekend coming to a close

As the weekend comes to a close...

First off, THANK YOU! -- We are so blessed from the support and excitement that everyone has shown for us and our second pregnancy.  Most would say the second isn't as exciting as the first, however our second is our last. it that case it is just as exciting.

Our weekend was filled with: a mommy/son date night while daddy worked late(14hr day), 2 days of sleeping in, 2 - good 3hr nap, Saturday spent in PJ's until 5pm, at home movie date night with the hubby, Church followed by the usual trip to Dickey's(kids eat free on Sundays), hubby got to use his grill, made some popcorn and watched football! :) We are very happy with today's results and excited to host our 3rd Annual Super Bowl Party! :) Go Patriots!

2015 new & exciting!

2015 is a new & exciting year for us! 

Mason has some news to share with everyone...

10 weeks pregnant yesterday. We are excited and hopefully he will be too once baby arrives. The last few weeks have been different than the first few weeks pregnant with Mason. I haven't had much of an appetite and nauseous to smells of food I used to love, deep fat fried foods that is. Already craving the things doctors say you shouldn't have(Subway & Jimmy Johns). Going to bed early, sleeping in and getting a nap on the weekend is a routine lately. && yes - we plan to find out what babies gender is.

Psalm 16:7 - I will praise the Lord. He gives me good advice.  Even at night my heart teaches me.