When You Don't Just 'Love' Being A Mom

I considered not making this post because let's face it, it's not glorious but I quickly decided that I'm not that type of person. I'm not going to filter out the ugly parts of motherhood. Transparency is so important to me because I never want another mom to look at me and think, 'She's got it all together.' or 'Her life is so perfect.'. I don't have my shit together at all and my life is like a circus. 

Yesterday we had our first run in with head lice. I've known that this day was coming but anyone who knows me knows that the thought of it makes my skin crawl. Because everyone knows that I'm such a weirdo about cleanliness and personal hygiene I've been warned repeatedly by friends and family that when you have kids in public school it's not if but when you'll have a lice issue. I've went as far as to shampoo the kids hair regularly with tea tree oil shampoo because I've read that for whatever reason it prevents lice. Of course the week that I don't use that shampoo because we ran out and I haven't made it to the beauty supply store is the same week that Andlee ends up with lice. 

 Anyways, I had one of my first moments of thinking 'I don't love being a mom right about now' when I was 2 1/2 hours into picking the lice out of my very thick and long headed baby girls hair one by one and I wasn't even half way done with her head. I'll admit that I overly combed and analyzed each freaking stand of hair outside with bright natural sunlight. I'm not kidding, ask my husband! Every. Single. Stand. My whole body itched as I did it and I felt like a prissy little diva. Something about bugs or parasites gives me goose bumps. I'm typically not a prissy person at all. In fact, I'm rough and the total opposite. I'll gut a deer or scale fish anyday. Bugs, another story. Andlee of course was curious about what was going on. She's a soft hearted and over thinks things so I had to really be careful how I explained this. I was upset to learn that one of the teachers told her that lice is bugs in her hair. That may be the blunt truth of it but that is not how you should address it to what could be an insecure child. There are better ways to go about it and teachers of all people should know how sensitive some kids are. 

I simply told Andlee that all of the kids have had or will have it at some point. I told her that it's like tiny dust pieces that gets in your hair and is hard to get out but no big deal at all. She just needs to make sure not to share brushes, hats, pony tails, pillows, blankets, ect with anyone at school. I also told her that Brian and I had it. My mom chimed in and said that she had it too. This made Andlee laugh. I don't even care if it was a lie. I don't care if she repeats that lie. I don't care if I didn't accurately educate her on the fact that 'she has bugs in her hair'. All I care about is that we made light of a common situation that was bothering her. We made her laugh and helped her realize that it was normal. 

The rest of us do not have any signs of lice but of course I treated us for it to make myself feel better and to make Andlee not feel out of place. 

As far as she is concerned we all have lice and you all probably have lice too. You're welcome. 

Lesson #1 on lice is officially combated... For now. 

Our house, cars, and all of their surfaces have been bleached, smothered, scorched, washed, and sprayed with over priced lice killer. Andlee is egg free and we all have cleaner heads than anyone else out there. 

Note to self and to all of you, use tea tree oil shampoo regularly. I'm convinced that it really worked. I mean, what's the odds of her getting it the only week that we didn't use that shampoo? 

Also explain to your kids what lice is in a way that you see fit. Hopefully that's a gentle, nonchalant way that doesn't involve the harsh statement of gross bugs in someone's hair! Even if they never get lice, kindly explaining it to them will help prevent them from picking on someone who does get it or from saying that, that kid has bugs in his or hers hair. I can't imagine if a child had overheard the teacher tell Andlee that and then made fun of her. It would of hurt her and frankly I would have been ready to get someone fired. We as parents can raise our kids to not be mean and we/you as teachers can help prevent situations that opens the door for bullying but that's a blog post for different day, isn't it ha? 

 I'll get into that topic later this week. I truly believe that the adults in children's lives are the largest puzzle piece to how kids treat other kids. 

New House Update: Week One

Our new home sweet home is officially underway. Today they began the framing on it and I'm so excited to see it all come together. Designing this home has been a challenge. I'm picky and never found a floor plan that I loved as a whole nor did I find a floor plan close enough to what I wanted and also had an exterior that we liked. In the end we ended up drawing the floor plan and the exterior from scratch with the small exception of how I wanted the big window wall in the living area to look. I found the perfect window layout and pretty much based the entire exterior around that wall. For me, I've only seen the final product in my head and for Brian (whom has a hard time picturing things without an actual picture) he's solely just put his faith in my taste. To say that we are anxious to see the way that it comes together is a large understatement. 

I'm not going to post a ton of details about what it should look like because frankly, it's too much to explain but I will post updates along the way. I will, however mention some of the basics. 

As far as siding and exterior colors we are undecided. We like the look of log but I feel like that's common in our area. I would love to do a navy/dark slate grey color with cedar trim and light grey rock but Brian is having a hard time seeing that working together. I truly have no clue what we will end up doing. 

As far as floor plan goes, I'm very happy with what we ended up doing. Originally we planned to do a full basement with all of the bedrooms down stairs but we came to the conclusion that as we grow, being down stairs will be hard. Elderly and scaling stairs multiple times a day just for any fit. Also we know that one day our kids will be grown and move out. We would have a huge basement not lived in aside from our bedroom. We will still have a 2 story house but the upstairs will just be a huge loft/play/lounge area. All of the actual living areas will be on one level. The living room, kitchen, and dining room are all open floor plan and huge. I'm nervous about it being too much. Between a ton of square footage and the giant vaulted ceilings and loft area, I think the space may be overwhelming. It's what Brian wanted though. A lot of main living space to have family and friends over. The kids will all have their own rooms although I highly doubt they sleep alone any time soon. They tend to pile up in one bed ha. I'm doing a 'no toys in the bedrooms' rule. Their rooms will solely be for looks and sleeping (napping). Beds and dressers. Tidy and easy to maintain. The loft will be where all of the toys are and the TV. We've already been buying things for the new house design. Charlee picked a unicorn room. We found adorable white unicorn heads with glittery horns at Hobby Lobby. We will paint the heads light pink and leave the glittery part the same. Her walls will be super pale purple and the wall behind her bed will big pale purple and medium purple stripes like our foster boys room in the old house. Andlee wanted to keep her mermaid theme. She has a ton of precious bedroom decor so I was tickled when she said that she didn't want to change her theme. We will be doing light/subtle coral or aqua paint with a scallop wall behind her bed. Hudson can't decide on what he wants. Some days he says that he wants a hunting room and some days he says he wants a cowboy room. Whatever we do, I know it'll be navy walls with a rustic barn wood wall behind his bed. I'm thinking a cowboy theme with deer heads will be the best blend. The nursery will depend on the gender. At this point we will be pushing being moved in by the time the baby is born if he or she comes early so I've decided to just wait and do a gender specific nursery. I pray that the baby waits to come. I want to carry to term for many obvious health reasons and also because we will for sure be moved in by my due date. If it's girl the room will have pale blush walls aside from the wall behind her bed. That wall will be a white distressed pallet wall. I'll do glittery gold and floral accents. Classy and simple yet very girly. If it's a boy I'll do beige walls with a rustic pallet wall behind his bed. The theme will be an Alaskan wilderness theme with buffalo plaid and woodland animals. Our master will be tan with a barn wood wall behind the bed. Burlap and lace accents. Romantic and simple is the over feel that I'm going for. The rest of our house will be a rustic farmhouse theme. Neutral and cozy. No bright colors or anything like that. Tans, browns, Ivory, with some tin/metal accents. I seriously have a note book full of details down to where which wall will have what on it and where the furniture in each room will go. I am so extremely thrilled at the thought of seeing it done. I will do a blog tour of it at that point. 

 

 

 

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 19 & 20

Week 19

-Gained 2 lbs exactly

-Had a boy dream for the first time this whole pregnancy

-Nose bleeds returned

-Only threw up like 4 times the whole week 

-Acid reflux returned

-Lots of Braxton Hicks 

-My hair is still oddly not as curly as it normally is

-Super emotional 

-The kids felt baby move finally (Charlee thought it was creepy, Andlee loved it so much that she begs baby to move all of the time, and Hudson didn't care at all about it ha. He just kind of jumped when it happened and ran off.)

Week 20

-Still at 2 lbs even of weight gain

-No gender dreams

-Less nose bleeds

-Less vomiting 

-No Braxton hicks 

-Hair business is the same

-Less emotional, thank God

-Baby reacts to being poked (I can almost always get him or her to kick me on demand by gently poking my belly a few times. I bet babe is already thinking that I'm a pestering mom ha. This baby absolutely has a feisty personality. The way he or she acts inside of my belly reminds me so much of how Andlee acted. Mark my word that they will both have the same spunky and wild personality. Bold and in your face. Firecracker babies for sure.) 

-I felt the baby's hiccups for the first time (on Valentine's Day)

-We spent this week in Orlando on vacation. It was so much fun. My only issue was increased hip pain from sitting long periods and swollen feet but other than that it was a perfect experience. 

I've been trying to hold off on stock piling even more baby supplies because our extra space is greatly limited in the cabin but it's very hard not to buy what I can since we don't know the sex. I currently have a lot of baby stuff at my parents house and I'm about to take 2 more tubs over there. I'm dying to do nursery prep and see the finished product of not only the baby's room but our entire home. I've had so much down time to plan out overly detailed decor designs for our new house. Ugh, that leads me to a whole new subject/blog post that I'll also be posting today while I have cell phone service. Stay tuned.... 

Tips & Advice on Vacationing in Florida with Kids

We visit Florida yearly, sometimes twice a year, and I get asked a lot about what are some must dos while there. Of course every family is different and some may not enjoy the things that we do but this is my personal advice on vacationing there. 

Beaches:

As far as beaches go Pensacola Beach is by far our favorite. It's very family friendly and a cozy little area. We love it so much that we very seriously considered moving there when we listed our farm for sale. If I could have gotten my parents to move there too we would be living there right now. Not only is it family friendly and cozy but it's beautiful beaches. Peg Leg Pete's and Crabs are a must for dining there. 

Destin also offers the same qualities. I just prefer small town Pensacola. 

Panama City has the prettiest beaches in Florida and is perfect for adults. It's more of a party area. When Brian and I take a mini 'just us' vacation after the kids are all older we will probably go to Panama City and kick out the pole lights hahahaha. Kidding. Maybe.

Disney World & Disney Springs must dos:

-The Festival of Fantasy parade is by far the best one of all. It's once a day and so great. Be sure to find the parade route and get on it 30 minutes prior to the show or else your kids won't be able to see it well. Also I've learned that people are extremely rude and will straight up block a child's view. Be pushy if you have to and stand your ground if your kids are standing along the front row yet someone gets in front of them. 

-Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table, Be Our Guest, The Rainforest Cafe, and The T-Rex Cafe are all musts are far as dining with children goes. Makes reservations well in advance though. The first 2 I mentioned are character dining so they book out quickly and the other 2 are very popular so there is almost always a long wait to get in.

-Disney has the best firework and light shows after dark. Our favorite is the show at Magic Kingdom. It's long and tells the story of all of the princesses. You watch it at the castle. 

-Fast Passes are passes that you use to pass the entire ride line at a certain appointed time. They have changed a ton in the last several years though. You used to be able to get them easily at the part while you were there but now you can now book them up to 30 days in advance once you've purchased your tickets. This means that the best and most popular attractions do not have fast passes available last minute so if you don't get them in advance you're stuck waiting in line for long periods of time. Do not forget to do this asap. 

-The must do rides for children ages 3 plus are The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, The Tower of Terror, Frozen, The Little Mermaid Voyage, and just about anything on Fantasy Land. The Rockin Roller Coaster is a must for older kids and adults. 

-Epcot is the best park for character meet and greets. Each park has characters of course but Epcot has them all in one area and has the best set ups. You visit each country that the character is from and meet them there. 

-If you have daughters be sure to do the Bibbity Boppity Boutique with them. I'm telling you this is the neatest thing. They dress up the girls, do their make up, their nails, their hair, and make them feel like real deal princesses. My girls walked around bowing to everyone they saw afterwards ha. It was precious. They even do a neat little thing for boys which we did with our son so that he didn't feel left out. They gave him a sword and shield then did his hair. They put 'dragon scales' in it. Just like anything else related to Disney be sure to book this in advance or you probably won't get in. 

-Universal Studios is the newest must. The rides are all great and best of all that's where The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is. I could have spent all day in that area. It's incredible. Even my family whom are not HP fans enjoyed it. 

-For more adult geared dining we love Planet Hollywood, The House of Blues, and The Hard Rock Cafe. 

-Book your trip with Disney directly and set up a dining plan. This is the most convenient way to do it in my experience. You pay in advance over time and once you're there you simply scan your magic band (a watch looking wrist band) to eat, get into parks, use your fast pass, get into your room, ect. It's so easy and meals are prepaid. You also get transportation to the parks and Disney Springs which is easier than driving. Parking at the parks runs $30 a day. Disney transits are free if you're staying at a Disney resort. In some cases you literally take a short boat ride from your hotel to the front gate of certain parks. Our stay 2 years ago was at a resort where it was like that. We could see the castle from our balcony. It was amazing. 

-For cheaper stays, book a hotel OFF of the Disney properties but keep in mind you won't have transportation to the parks unless you get a cab, rent a car, or drive your own vehicle. That can add costs but still shouldn't be as expensive as room on resort. Also to save money pack your lunches and have picnics at the parks. 'Fast food' there is stupid expensive and really not that special. You could save a ton of money by packing lunches. Not to mention you could save hours of time not having to wait in line to order your meals. 

-Don't take a purse into the parks. Use back packs instead. They are so much easier to lug around. 

-Wear bug spray and sunscreen.  

-Bring a camera and make sure to charge the battery or bring extra batteries. You'll want to capture your kids experiences there through photography and video. 

-I know this sounds obvious but be sure that your whole party drinks a ton of water and finds shade to rest in throughout the day. It's super easy to get too hot in Florida. We just went in the winter time and still got way too hot. So much so that my mom got very sick from it. Make sure strollers have canopies to shade your kiddos. If you're going to baby wear know that wearing the baby is extra heat for both you and the babe. Take breaks from wearing and bring a stroller as a back up even if you plan to baby wear the whole time. You'd be surprised how hot you guys get. I promise you that you'll both want to air out periodically. 

-Bring a fan. They make some that clip on to strollers which are perfect. 

-Bring a medicine bag. Include typical daily meds of course but also include basics for head ache, bug bite, nausea, allergies, scrapes, ect. My heart burn medication was a life saver this trip. I almost didn't take my medicine bag in because it's added weight in my back pack but I'm so glad that I did. We needed it multiple times. Also throw in some extra pony tail holders. We all wore our hair down not thinking anything of it because it was breezy in the mornings when we headed to the parks but we quickly were desperate to put our hair up. 

-If you can avoid the hottest months, do that. Disney World has no down time really as far as crowds go. It's always going to be a busy place but the weather sure can make or break how bearable the visit is. 

Other stuff that we love to do while in Florida:

-Boat tours to look at alligators and snacks in the wild. Brian and I love these tours. So much fun. 

-Snake Serpentaruim's are very interesting too. They milk poisonous snakes to help create anti venoms. 

-Deep sea fishing is something cool to experience. It can be uneventful so you take a gamble but it's worth it if you have the time to do it. 

-Parasailing is one of my favorite things to do at the beach. I always see wild life and the view is amazing from there. I miss doing it so next summer (if I'm not pregnant again) I will definitely be doing it with Brian while we are in Pensacola with the fam.  

***My last yet biggest tip of all is, have fun and leave the distractions at home! Enjoy your time with your loved ones and cherish the memories that you're making together. 

I hope that I didn't forget anything and I hope that this helps someone out as they plan their Disney World trip. It's truly an incredible place that I think all children should see. If any of you have more tips or advice please feel free to share them in the comments for others to see. Also if you have any questions I'm happy to answer them to the best of my abilities. 

Our Family Vacation to Florida

Today is the last day of our vacation and I have no shame in saying that I'm very sad that it's over. Something about Disney World truly is magical and one of a kind. It's always hard to leave there but this time it was even harder because it will be a few years before we go back. We want to wait until the baby is old enough to enjoy the magic of things before we spend a lot of money on another trip there. We've taken our kids 3 times now and they are 3, 4, and 5 so we've learned through experience what the best age is to take young children. Our visit this time was by far the most rewarding as far as the kids go. They are old enough to ride most of the rides and still young enough to be blown away by all of the magical things such as characters and shows. It was seriously amazing. I teared up repeatedly at seeing their faces light up and seeing how excited they were. I'll never forget it. 

Spending this past week with my family is such a gift. After almost losing my dad I've never looked at life the same. What used to matter doesn't anymore and what should of mattered more was put into perspective. I am a family girl through and through. I have always been that way. My parents are my best friends and my family is the greatest gift that God has ever given me. I really don't think that there is a more family oriented person out there than I am. Having another vacation with them after the huge storm that we all went through recently made this trip the most special one of all. It was PERFECT and that's another reason that I don't want it to end. Life back home is so busy and you don't get to spend all day, every day with family just taking in each others company. I hate that. I have always seen my parents a few times a week and talked to them daily so we do find other ways to be close but of course it's not the same. 

Anyways, back to our trip recap. 

The first day we got there in the afternoon so we checked in to our hotel then we went to a snake serpentaruim where they milked snakes for the venom to create antivenoms. The kids loved it. 

After that we went to Disney Springs. There is a ton of neat stuff there so we shopped around and had dinner at the T-Rex Cafe. We are a Dino obsessed family so this was a blast as always. We ate it up... Literally. 

The second day we went to Universal Studios. I was super pumped about this because The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is there. It was absolutely incredible. I was in my own little heaven there. I did some cute maternity pictures infront of Hogwarts. I can't wait to upload them. We also met Spider-Man there and for Hudson this was a big deal. He is Spidy crazy. It was the cutest thing. Made my whole day. We really loved Universal. Lots of rides and the crowds were mild. We will definitely be going back. After our trip there we had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe then hit up the lazy river at our hotel.

Days 3, 4, 5, & 6 we went to Disney World. We rode rides, met characters and princesses, ate yummy food, took a million pictures, watched parades, watched shows, saw tons of fireworks, ect. We also took the kids to the Bibbitdi Boppiti Boutique where they got their hair, nails, and make up done. It was the sweetest thing. This trip was a blast even for a preggo like myself because Disney World is extremely accommodating to people of all kinds. They had special rides for handicap people and pregnant women that were safe yet still fun for the whole family. Our kids favorite ride was The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It's a roller coaster. They could of rode it all day long they said ha. It was adorable. They are just like their momma. I'm a big time thrill seeker and love to ride rides. I look forward to when they are teens and can ride all of that fun stuff with me like I did with my parents. 

***I didn't take many pictures on my phone because I had my nice camera so these aren't great pictures but I'll upload the good ones soon 😊

I'll do a post this week on my 'must do list' for Orlando and for certain ages for any of you considering a vacation there. I'll also do a house update on our new home. 

 

 

 

 

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Pregnancy Update: Weeks 17 & 18

Honestly these weeks were the most uneventful of the whole pregnancy so far. My symptoms have either subsided, stayed the same, or went completely away. Both weeks were exactly the same. 

Week 17 & Week 18:

-Craving ice, meat, and spicy food

-No breaks outs 

-Noticeably shiny/glowy skin (I have never been told so many times that 'I'm glowing' as I have already in this pregnancy.)

-No weight gain

-No gender dreams

-Moody which isn't normal for me (I think it's the stress of moving that had me so up tight. I'm all better now.)

-Mild vomiting (I am down to throwing up once or twice a day. There's even been a few days where I didn't puke once! Yayyy. Just had nausea those days.)

-Baby's movements are stronger and most frequent at bed time (Still can't feel much movement on the top right side where my placenta is but as he or she grows I should be able to feel it there too.)

Well, that's about it for those two weeks. Week 19 and now 20 were/are definitely more exciting. We had 2 big mile stones those/this week. I'm 20 weeks pregnant. Whatttttt?! It blows my mind how quickly this is going by. I could get extremely depressed if I let myself think about it. I love being pregnant and all of the things that labor, birth, and infancy bring into our lives. I do find relief in the fact that we might have another baby someday but I know that I can't keep having babies forever. My time is coming to an end and I've worked hard to accept that as heartbreaking as it is for me. Even if we get rich and decide to have 5 more kids, I may not be able to have any physically. Each pregnancy in a women's life always has potential to be her last pregnancy. That's the unfortunate truth so I will continue to cherish every single second of this, good and bad. I will hold on to these moments and days will all that I have. I'm so honored to be carrying this baby. 

 

Lying About Not Knowing Your Baby's Gender

I have never understood why people do this. I have caught multiple girls in this lie. It's one thing to say that you know the sex but are keeping it a secret from everyone. I can totally understand doing that for the fun of it and to keep that element of surprise from everyone else. However, it's another thing to pretend like you don't know when you actually do. You may think that I'm crazy and that people don't do this but I'm here to say that I know for a fact that they do because I've seen it. The last time that I caught a 'gender surprise faker' wasn't very long ago. She posted in a cloth diaper group asking to buy girly diapers. I guess she didn't realize that I was in that group because when I asked her if she knew that the baby was a girl she said, "Yes but my husband doesn't know." then she deleted the whole post 2 minutes later. Yet all over her personal Facebook page she swore up and down that no one at all knew the sex. Not even her. Her baby is here now and she still lies about not knowing what the baby was. I just don't get it y'all. She pretended to be so surprised when the baby was a girl. If you swear the baby is a boy or a girl and even go as far to say that you'd bet money on it, odds are that it's because you already know the sex. I totally get that sometimes women have gut feelings, I have had them with every pregnancy, but to be so sure of the sex is just fishy to me. Why lie about something like that? Is attention really that important to you? Jeez. 

We are NOT finding out the sex and I'm super strict about that. I do not want it ruined. We aren't finding out the sex for us and us only. We want that amazing experience at birth. It's just a passionate personal choice of ours. We aren't doing it for show. We aren't doing it to be like someone else. We aren't pretending to do it. We don't care if people thinks that it's stupid or crazy. We don't care if people thinks that it's cool and want to do it too. No one but us matters in this. That moment of finding out the gender AND meeting our baby all at once is a life long dream come true for me. I've told friends and family that for as long as I can remember. I've always known that I'd do it some day. If we end up having another baby we will be waiting to find out the sex with that one too. (Yes, we've recently been discussing having one more after this one is born.) 

Regardless of if you wait to know or don't wait, do it for you and no one else. It doesn't matter what people think. It doesn't matter if you planned to not find out but ended up giving in and finding out anyways. It doesn't matter if not finding out is never an option to you or if it's the only option in your opinion. What matters is that you did it for yourself and were honest about it. Don't ever feel like you need to lie to impress people or prove a point. Odds are that people know that you're lying anyways. 

Tips On Traveling With Children

We vacation often so traveling long distances with children is something that I have quite a bit of experience with. It can be intimidating but I definitely have some tips and tricks that have been a life saver for us. 

1) Snack & Drinks

2) Coloring Books & Crayons 

3) A DVD Player & Plenty of Movies

4) Comfortable Carseats with Plenty of Padding and Proper Harness Placement 

5) Pillow Pets & Light Blankets 

6) Leap Frogs/Kids Tablets with Educational Games (I am typically big on avoiding electronics but for car rides these have been heaven to keep the kids busy)

7) Comfy Clothes to Travel In

8) Wipes for Messes and a Plastic Bag for Trash 

9) Take Short Breaks Every Few Hours so the Kids Can Get Out and Stretch Their Legs

These are the basics of our must haves/must dos. We always consider flying for a faster trip but I'm just not ready to take my kids on a plane yet. Plus we actually enjoy that private time in the car with the kiddos. Some of our favorite memories were made on road trips with the kids. 

If you have any tips that I missed please feel free to share them. 

Life Has Been Insane

A week ago today we closed on our farm. My husband has been a chicken farmer for 12 years and built that farm and home from the ground up. It was basically all that he knew in his adult life and it's supported his family for years. Emotionally the sale was very hard for him for those reasons. For me, it's been my home for 8 years and it's the house that built our family. I know that I have said this before but it's true. That house was where it all started and where all of the 'firsts' happened. Leaving it this past Sunday knowing that we would never walk inside those doors again was hard. Brian and I stood inside of our empty living room for a long time and just quietly held eachother. The loss that we felt was extremely real. Honestly that first night in our new place was rough. We were both sad. Both tired. Both regretful of the choice that days before we 'couldn't wait to be over'. Both uncomfortable. Both just simply feeling not at home. The kids loved the new homestead from the beginning though so that's been a blessing. 

Day #2 at the cabin was busy. We had family, friends, phone companies, satellite companies, the electric company, ect come by. Everyone went on and on about how neat it is. We have a spring that runs into a large pond/small lake and our cabin is built on it so our patio over looks it. Fish and wildlife everywhere. Beautiful views. The peaceful sound of the spring running into the water. It really is one of a kind for our area. 

 

 
We have no cell service here. It's been surprisingly amazing. So simple and peaceful. I can sit outside on the deck before anyone gets up and listen to the spring flow while I read. No distractions. I get service when I take the girls to school so I usually check my social media accounts super fast. I spend around 10 minutes total a day doing that hints why I've not blogged or been online much. It's given me the extra time that I'd usually spend online to settle in, pack away things, go fishing, clean out the car for our vacation, organize the luggage, read, double check reservations, set up appointments for stuff to be done around the house, ect. It's been nice during this busy adjustment period to not have those technology related distractions. However, it's also been inconvenient to not have google ha. We are always needing phone numbers and addresses or to check what a stores hours are. I am a big online shopper so that's probably been the hardest on me. I think of stuff that I need to buy or bills that I need to pay online and I can't do it right then. That being said, we decided to go ahead and get wi fi in the future. I'm sure the Internet service will be spotty here so it may not even work but we will see. In the mean time now that I'm officially all moved in and ready for our trip I will spend this week writing blogs in my down time then posting them whenever I have service. I'll do my best to post regularly. In the past I've written some blogs in advance but sometimes I blog in the moment about what I'm feeling or thinking right then. To me blogging isn't an obligation or a job. It's for fun so I'm not one to do the strict routine thing. We will be gone the 16th-23rd of this month so I probably won't post much that week but I will for sure get you an update on the trip as soon as I get time. We are all so excited. It can't get here fast enough. As you all know life has been stressful and chaotic since October for us. This trip is like a huge reward for all that we've been through. 

As for operation new Lane home we ended up having to move where we intended to build because of flood concerns. This pushed us back a few days on starting the dirt work because the electrical company has to come out and tell us if they can get us electric to where we want to build now as well as what it'll cost. They will be out today to let us know then from there we can either start building at any moment or we must decide on a different spot to build. Perks of having so much land is that we have a lot of beautiful options. 

I hope that everyone has had a great week. 

Hiring a Birth Photographer &/or Videographer

Capturing my birth stories in pictures has always been something that is a huge deal to me. Those are moments that you never forget and want to have to look back on and share with your children. I wish that I had pictures of my moms labor with me (obviously not twat shots but the process of before and after). The genuinely raw moments of bringing a baby into the world is the most magical moment a person could experience. I think it's such a beautiful thing. In fact, birth photography is some of my very favorite images. It's a priceless miracle captured as it's happening. I had a professional photographer at all of my births and I,of course, plan to have one at this birth too. However, I GREATLY regret not having my births on video. I don't know what I was thinking. I knew that this time I would capture those moments on video no matter what. I had searched all over the area for a birth videographer that was 'good enough'. Someone to create a classy mini movie to music of our labor and birth. I've seen so many of these online and I'm absolutely in love with them. It was harder than I expected to find someone though. I had almost given up and decided to record it on my own camera with the help of a tripod and members of my birth team. I have an amazing camera but with having a new baby I honestly didn't want to have to deal with the editing process myself so I continued my search. Finally I came across a video on Pinterest of a beautiful birth story. One thing led to another and it turns out that the creator of that video is someone local to the town that I will be birthing in. Her name is Angelina Lopez. Some would have been taken back by her prices but I was dead set on using her prior to getting her price list so I didn't think twice. I paid the $600 deposit (20% of the total fee) the same day that I found her. I'm so incredibly trilled about this. It's a dream come true for me. We will be recording us as a family of 5 doing rainbow crafts and baking as we wait for baby #4 to arrive, the labor, the birth, the moment we find out the sex, and the moments after birth when everyone meets baby for the first time. 

My advice to expecting moms is that if you're anything like me and want these priceless moments caught on camera, don't forget to consider having someone record the birth. It's my biggest regret. Also if you're very passionate about having your birth professionally recorded, hire a videographer. Most of them let you pay out the fee in payments throughout the pregnancy and not all are expensive. When searching for a photographer or videographer REVIEW THEIR PREVIOUS WORK. This is my number one piece of advice. Their portfolio is key to what kind of quality you will be getting. Also ask for references and turn around guarantees. Make sure that they stay true to the time that they promise in their turn around. Past clients will be able to tell you this. You can even request a legal contract stating that you will recieve blank amount of pictures by blank days past birth. Do your research. Not all photographers style will be your taste. I am very picky about photography so seeing their work confirms for me if we could or couldn't be a match. Have a meeting face to face with your potential photographer before you pay any deposits or settle on that person. Make sure that they are a) a real person, b) professional and reputable, and c) someone that you get along with. After all you will be inimately sharing a very large part of your life with them.

 My births were all different. My first two were a breeze and my last one was hell. All 3 were between 6-13 hours long. They weren't some fairytale brag worthy, record time breaking labors but you know what, they were PERFECT and I'm so thankful to have them to look back on through photography. 

I highly recommend that everyone atleast considers it even if you are a private person. You won't ever regret having those moments on film because you can never share them if you hate them but you could definitely regret not being able to get those moments back through film.