Eilee Leighton is SEVEN Months Old

Our sweet rainbow baby is SEVEN MONTHS OLD today. We are closer to her 1st birthday than we are to the day that she was born. It’s the anthem of all moms but I’m dead serious guys, i can’t believe how fast time is going. Social media ‘on this day a year ago’ is killing me. It’s full of pregnancy things that seemed like they happened yesterday. I was 17 weeks pregnant a year ago. Two years ago i was heart broken and mourning our angel babies, fearing that I’d never carry another healthy baby. Look at us now. I’m so blessed. Eilee’s fifth month of life was huge. She had so many mile stones and firsts. Her development was over the top. Her sixth month wasn’t as eventful but we do have some exciting things to share. Eilee is 18.4 lbs and 28 1/2 inches tall. She still just has 2 teeth. She says ‘Mama, Dada, Bubba, and Boob’. She blows spit bubbles and growls very loudly. It makes my parents laugh harder than anything else. They have growl conversations back and forth with each other. She LOVES her siblings. The second that she hears their voices she is all smiles. It’s the best thing ever. They make one another so happy. She claps her hands when you say, ‘YAYYYYY!’ and waves ‘bye-bye’ when she’s not feeling lazy. She is can scoot herself around well but recently started getting on all 4’s and doing the rocking thing that comes just before the real crawl. She also puts her hands on the floor and uses her feet to push her bum all the way in the air with her legs straight like she’s going to do a hand stand. She is a beast in the walker. She chases us around the island and follows the kids everywhere. It melts my mom heart. She had her first ear infection this month and it was actually a double infection, no less. She remained our Smiley Eilee despite not feeling well though. Eilee is still breastfed (no solids/food) but i did introduce a sippy with water in it a few days ago. She wasn’t a fan but that’s okay. I’m in no rush. We are doing baby led weaning and she’s simply not showing all signs of being ready. She doesn’t have a pincher grasp yet (picking food up with her thumb and pointer finger). We will get there on our own time. On Eilee Lou time. She sleeps wonderfully and has an awesome nap time routine. No matter where we are she naps exactly the same which is wonderful. I nurse her then lay her down while she’s awake. She literally doesn’t make a peep. She has her thumb in her mouth and her eyes shut before her back even hits the bed. It’s so convenient and nice. Bed time routine is another story. We bed share and i nurse/cuddle her to sleep every night. It’s our perfect ‘us’ time. She usually plays with my hair (or my shirt if my hair is up) as she nurses. Sometimes she rubs my face too which gets me every time and brings me to tears. I’m so happy that i get to be her mom. She’s a true delight. 

My Current Skin Care Routine

In the last year I’ve noticed aging in my skin so naturally i freaked out and went on the hunt for an updated skin care routine. After trying several things I’ve finally found what works for me at this time so I’m going to share it with you guys. 

**I have very dry skin with aging on my forehead and around my eyes. 

I use Soniclear cleaners with SeneDerm 3 in 1 cleanser ($30.00) and DayTime moisturizer for dry skin ($50.00). SeneDerm has products for all skin types and the Soniclear is a must have for everyone of every age in my opinion. I have the elite/standard sized one ($149.00) and the petite/travel sized one ($89.00). I can’t say enough good things about these products. I’ve noticed a huge difference in my skin. It’s smoother, more even toned, less fine lines and creases, younger looking, and has less texture. I wash my face twice a day with these products and if I’m going to be wearing makeup i use the moisturizer as a base for it all. You can use the Soniclear in the shower and all over your body (I have a face attachment/brush and a body attachment/brush.)

If you’re looking for a new skin care routine definitely check these products out and tell me what you think. 

Baked Chicken: My Way

A few months ago i had an idea to bake chicken like i bake potatoes and it turned out amazing so I’m sharing this quick, easy, and simple recipe with you. 

-5 boneless chicken breast (you can do more or less depending on how many you are feeding)

-1 onion

-salt

-pepper

-1 stick of butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a cake pan 
3. Place chicken in pan
4. Toss chopped onion all over the chicken
5. Slice the butter to throw it around just as you did the onions
6. Salt and pepper it to your taste
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes    

I serve ours with corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and rolls but you can serve it with just about anything. 

**I bake potatoes cubes with this same recipe except instead of chicken it’s potatoes cubed up. 

Snow Day

Picture above from our very first snow in the new house. The Christmas decor made it even more amazing. Pictures below are from today. 

Today is my definition of a perfect day weather wise. It’s snowy and I’ve spent all morning drinking hot chocolate as i watch the snow fall out of our big windows. When we listed our farm for sale almost 2 years ago and knew that we’d be building a home one of the first ‘must haves’ was a big window wall in our living room for me to watch the snow fall out of. That was specifically what i said and was my only reason for wanting a lot of windows. To watch snow. I wanted to have a little slice of an Alaskan cabin right here in Oklahoma. Today is heaven. Beans in the crock pot, a fire burning, drinking warm drinks, snow coming down heavily, cuddled up in pajamas, and Alaska: The Last Frontier marathon playing. My house is one of my favorite places to be. It’s so perfect and homey. It makes me feel peaceful. Everyone who has been here says, ‘It feels like home.’. It’s just that warm and inviting any time but add weather like this to it and I’m shook. It’s truly my little Alaskan paradise right now and I’m totally pretending that I’m there. I enjoy winter as long as there’s snow. Snow is magical to me and takes my breath away. I’d take a snow day over a warm day, 100%. I’m obviously obsessed with it ha. Can it just be snowy and cozy forever?! 

Wherever you are or what ever you’re doing i hope that you’re enjoying the atmosphere as much as i am. Try to find the beautiful in the simple things, like a snowflake ❄️ 

Just Be Held

Right now my family is going through a hard time. It’s been extremely stressful and I feel helpless. I recently heard a song (Just be Held by Casting Crowns) though that dropped me to my knees and made me bawl for a hour. I’m going to share those lyrics with you in hopes that it’ll give you the peace that it’s given me: 

Hold it all together

Everybody needs you strong

But life hits you out of nowhere

And barely leaves you holding on

 

And when you’re tired of fighting

Chained by your control

There’s freedom in surrender

Lay it down and let it go

 

CHORUS: 

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away

You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held

Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place

I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held

Just be held, just be held

 

If your eyes are on the storm

You’ll wonder if I love you still

But if your eyes are on the cross

You’ll know I always have and I always will

 

And not a tear is wasted

In time, you’ll understand

I’m painting beauty with the ashes

Your life is in My hands

 

CHORUS: 

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away

You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held

Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place

I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held

Just be held, just be held

 

Lift your hands, lift your eyes

In the storm is where you’ll find Me

And where you are, I’ll hold your heart

I’ll hold your heart

Come to Me, find your rest

In the arms of the God who wont let go

 

CHORUS: 

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away

You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held

Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place

I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held

Just be held, just be held

Immune Health

Most of you know that my dad is medically fragile. He’s autoimmune deficient and ends up in the hospital for weeks if he catches a simple cold or gets a minor UTI. Like, it could easily kill him. My family does not vaccinate. Slowly my entire family has shifted to not vaccinating (parents and grandparents) because of bad reactions that they’ve personally had. Some Vaccines shed and those vaccinated can become asymptotic carriers of the illnesses that they are vaccinated for which puts their peers at obvious risk. Vaccines also compromise/weaken the body’s natural immune system and do not provide life long immunity (hints why there are so many boosters required). There are a million and one reasons that we don’t vaccinate but I’m not getting into that today. I mentioned it become some people instantly assume that if you don’t vax, ‘you must just want your child to get sick’. That’s ignorant. Get the fuck out of here. Seriously! No one wants their child to get sick! I was a germ freak when i did vaccinate. I was a germ freak before i even had kids. I’m a HUGE believer in good hygiene, hand washing, proper nutrition, etc as forms of germ control and disease spread. Knock on wood, it’s worked for us. We have had very minor illnesses. We aren’t sick much at all actually. Not since we stopped vaccinating and started naturally building our immune systems. I get asked often what our methods of building our immune systems are so I’m going to share those things now. 

-Call us old fashion but dirt exposure and playing outside is a huge part of our lives. We are always getting dirty in the barns, riding four wheelers, fishing, hunting, planting gardens, playing with pets/livestock, ect. 

-Daily multi vitamins and probiotics. Gut health is huge for fighting off bugs. The healthier your guts are, the stronger they are to fight off diseases. For the kids we use Garden of Life probiotics and Plexus multi vitamin. For Brian and I we use Plexus ProBio 5 plus Bariatric Advantage multi vitamin. I’ve tried a variety of products and I’m always on the hunt for something ‘better’ but i have been pleased with these. 

-Daily doses of elderberry syrup. You can buy it at a health food store or online. I’ve recently started making my own elderberry syrup. Elderberry is extremely helpful to immune building as well as to supporting good health in general. 

-Vitamin C protocol. If we do get sick we do an instant round of vitamin c in high doses. You can find details about this protocol online. I swear by this. Eilee, Charlee, and i had bronchitis that ended up being super minor. I truly believe it’s because of the vitamin c. 

-As mentioned hand washing and hygiene places a big part in our life too. Yes, we get down and dirty outside but in public place, before we eat, after we potty, before we cook, basically 50 times a day we hand wash/sanitize obsessively. 

-Lysol and/or bleach toys and surfaces. I also do it to the cars. Door handles are my first focus. Obviously these aren’t organic disinfectant methods. I’m still in the transition of going more natural. I make a lot of my own household products but I doubt I’m ever ALL natural. I struggle with the effectiveness of vinegar vs bleach. I still use small amounts of bleach because it’s the most effective. 

-Run a disinfectant through our air purifier. I get ours from Rainbow. It’s what they use in hospitals. Also not organic but it does the job the best. 

I hope that these tips helped someone and if any of you have any questions please feel free to ask me. 

Mom of Four Struggles: Going Places Alone

This week Charlee came home so excited because she got invited to a birthday party at the skating rink. My first thought was instantly, ‘How the hell am i going to take 4 kids skating by myself? We can’t go!’. 

But the more that i thought about it the more that my heart knew that i had to find a way to do it. It was what is right for Charlee. It meant to much to her to let her down. Brian works when the party was so he wouldn’t be able to go. He did however offer to take Hudson to work with him which might seem like very little help to me but it’s actually a lot of help. Three kids is easier than 4. Breastfeeding a 6 month old full time complicates some situations. I can’t leave her with my mom because she rejects a bottle and i can’t put her down to play when we go public places because she’s so young. Also nursing in front of a big group of kids is always more challenging. With all of the school parties and field trips I’m used to it by now but in those cases i have teachers there. My kids are partially under their care. I can turn my back on the kids for a second to latch Eilee on and turn back around when she’s eating and I’m covered. This was different. This was a group of moms, some of which I’d never met, in a big public place. It was my girls first time skating. I knew that it would be hard to help the bigs skate while i was Baby wearing E. I had many fears and reasons to not go. I almost didn’t. My first reaction was to say ‘no’. Shame on me. 

Don’t be that mom. Don’t do what’s easiest for you when it matters so much to your children for you to take the harder route. It’s not their fault that you had a bunch of kids. I’m happy with my choice to go. It wasn’t easy. It was stressful. I was sweating bullets the whole time. But my girls didn’t know that. My girls had the time of their lives. My girls told me ‘thank you’ atleast 50 times on the way home. My girls made new friends and new memories. I have no regrets and came out of this with this lesson to share. Don’t always do what’s most convenient. It may mean the world to your children if you don’t. We went into this party with 3 girls and left with 4 but I’m officially ‘the worlds best mom’ and that means something to me. 

Rant Time: Breastfeeding Remarks

Welp it happened! For the first time someone made a comment about Eilee being too old to nurse. We were at the OB’s office waiting to be seen and a lady said to me, “Your baby is cute. She looks awfully old to still be eating boob though.”.... 

FIRST OF ALL MATE, she’s only 6 months old! 

Second of all, i know that she’s bigger than most 6 months old but I’m damn proud of that. I’m the source of every single nutritional benefit that she’s received. I DID THAT! By myself. 

Thirdly, so what if she’s 6 YEARS old. It’s none of your business twat face. Mind your own tits. 

Seriously guys, PSA:

It’s NEVER appropriate to make comments to a mother on her choice to breastfeed. You can have an opinion about it. That’s fine. But you have zero right to make remarks to a mom about it. I’ve experienced nursing in public shame. That’s not new for me. But i wasn’t prepared for comments on how old Eilee is. Not at all. Babies should be breast or formula fed until atleast 1 year old. Atleast! The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until the age of 3! Our goal is 2 but I’m open to going until 3. I’d love that actually. Incase you can’t do math that’s 30 months from now! I think that it’s absolutely absurd that anyone has the nerve to talk to others about how long they breastfeed, how many kids that they have, how they dress themselves, what they do for a living, how clean their house is, ect. Please folks for the love of God mind your own business! I’ll nurse in public without a cover as long as a please. I’ll nurse my daughter as long as I please. I’ll tandem nurse her and Baby #5 as long as I please. Honestly, i feel bad for moms who don’t breastfeed. I feel bad for people who have to make bottles or pack around formula, water, and bottles. You judge me for nursing my 6 month old and I’ll laugh at you because i have it easier than you do. 

That is all! 

Happy New Year: 2017 Recap

What. A. Year. 

Seriously though, this has been on of the most eventful years of my life. 

We sold the farm that my husband built from the ground up 15 years ago. 

We paid off all of our debts. 

We bought our dream property. 

We built our dream home. 

We vacationed in Florida and Colorado (twice for Brian).

Charlee Adeline turned 6 and showed her first cow. 

Andlee Kay turned 5 and found her calling as a dancer/cheerleader. 

They both went to kindergarten this year and are thriving. 

Hudson Joe turned 4 and started school. He’s onry as the day is long but never missed a beat when it came to not being with us for the first time. Such a big boy. 

We welcomed our greatly desired and prayed for rainbow baby, Eilee Leighton Louise, into this world and grew to become a family of 6. She’s the happiest and calmest baby ever. 

We celebrated 8 years of marriage and 9 years of being together. This was our best year of marriage yet. We connected on an even deeper level and fell more in love. I can honestly say that i can count the serious fights on one hand. Actually, two fingers. There were two. TWO. Who am i anymore? *insert back pat*

We lost one of the most loving people that i know, my aunt Jerri. 

My brother and sister in law added another precious niece to our family. 

My dad retired after working his entire life and has simply enjoyed life relaxing. Something no one deserves more than him. 

My mom is almost done with college and has made the deans honor roll at that. 

My cousin Taylor and her man Cody moved back close to home after living in North Dakota for the last 5 years. 

My grandpa was diagnosed with cancer and is still in the process of trying to get rid of it. 

Our year was full of many things. Many emotions. Many memories. Many milestones. Many tears. Many laughs. Many accomplishments. Many prayers. 

Brian and i are internally and passionately grateful. I feel like the term ‘blessed’ is a vast understatement. We are in a place of complete contentment. We’ve lived through scares and losses. We’ve seen how short our time here can be. We’ve lived with the regret of things left undone or unsaid. We can honestly say that we live for the moment. We spent more time with loved ones this year than ever before. We cherish people in a way that we didn’t before. We know that we aren’t promised tomorrow so we must live each day as if it’s our last with our family. 

For the year of 2018 i don’t have any resolutions really. I set goals for myself all year long in great detail so I’m not one to do the once a year resolution thing. We obviously plan to spend time with family constantly like we already do. We plan to travel like we do each year anyways. We plan to enjoy time together with our babies and together alone as always. The usual obvious stuff.

But i will share some of my current goals for myself:

-Breastfeed Eilee until her 2nd birthday at least

-Do better about meal planning and budgeting. I want to become an extreme couponer — to some extent. 

-Lose 15 lbs (But honestly with breastfeeding i can’t hard core diet so as long as I’m not gaining weight this goal isn’t a big priority for me. Breastfeeding and chasing 4 kids is my cardio so working out doesn’t make the goal list today, boys.)

-Make more of my own candles and soaps. We are in the process of going organic with a lot of things. We already raise and butcher our own meats, grow our own garden, cloth diaper most of the time, cook at home/avoid processed foods, make some of our own cleaning products, buy fresh foods, use oils and homeopathic treatments to illnesses, ect. I find myself converting more and more with time which is so weird for me. I mean, I’ll always enjoy cruelty free cosmetics, Starbucks, and pizza. I appreciate modern day amenities with the best of them. I just find myself being very cautious of what we put into our bodies. What we breath in. What we eat. What we touch. Ect. 

-Organize inside of my kitchen cabinets (they are the only space in my home that’s cluttered besides the playroom and that shits a lost cause anyways)

-Keep embracing ‘Callee’. I lost myself in the title of mom of four. Yes, being a mom is who i am and what i live for. But I’m not JUST a mom. Among the obvious things like living for family; I’m a fun, young, edgy girl who loves tattoos, makeup, fashion, reading, Harry Potter, loud music, girls nights, shopping, traveling, photography, and my favorite thing to say is ‘fuck twat’. I’m not just a ‘frumpy soccer mom with a bunch of kids’. I can be myself and continue to be an incredible mom. They can go hand in hand. 

I hope that y’all had a wonder and safe New Years Eve. I hope that your past and your future saw/sees immense happiness. I hope that there were lessons learned and spiritual growth. I hope that whether you set goals or not for the year that you get what you’re looking for and hoping for. Goals are always a wonderful thing. Do your best to keep them if you made them.