Suck it up?

I have been really struggling with an inner battle lately. This battle is a fight between knowing when I really should rest and let the house just be, or suck it up and be a super homemaker.

I am about 13 weeks pregnant and have a 2 year old and a 10 month old. I have read, heard, and seen so many opinions on what I should be doing as a stay at home mom. So confusing! Some say that I have every right and even deserve to sleep all day, others say that I should get up and getter done.
I understand full well that everyone has off days etc... But where does it stop? When are excuses alright? At what point is it okay to feel guilty for certain things not getting done?

The point I'm at right now in life, is not quite a "happy place" but I am seriously rethinking and changing to make my way towards that accomplished feeling as a wife and mother. I think it is so important to keep improving, learning, striving to be better. There are too many women who have given up and are stuck in a rut where they think it's all good as long as everyone is alive and kicking. I disagree with that. I really believe it is our responsibility to work hard and really care for our home and family.

We are not wimps by default, as society tries to make us out to be. We can be rock stars in our workplace!

I am done with the bare minimal. I want to be maxed out every day, in a good way. In a way that I can look around at my home and sleeping babies, and know that I did well today.

Cheers to hard work and a happy home!

Home Remedies :) and :(

Alright ya'll, let's get honest. Here's a list of everything I tried this week while I've had a nasty cold.

Honey: Always amazing and an awesome throat soother and cough suppressant. I am a total WIMP when it comes to a sore throat, and I down the honey. It works. :)

Coconut oil: I am a firm believer in coconut oil and the many ways it can be used, and I have no doubt it would have made an impact on me, however, I cannot take a spoonful of oil. That slimy texture is a no no no for me. :(

Garlic: I always take a massive spoonful of garlic with my honey. Totally awesome. :)

Horseradish: Talk about opening the flood gates! If you have a sinus anything and are brave, horseradish is the way to go. :/

H2O: This seems obvious, but really. Most people seem to down orange juice, sprite, ginger ale, gatorade, etc...Sugar is not helpful and I don't even want to talk about high fructose corn syrup or the crap in gatorade. If you want to know, research. Drink a gallon of water a day, it will change your life. :)

Salt water bath: I have taken a Celtic salt water bath the last 2 nights and it is wonderful! Celtic salt is full of minerals and it makes my skin feel so soft. It's also a natural detox. :)

Dark chocolate: Suck on a chunk for a cough suppressant. :) :)

Olive Leaf Extract: I bought some this morning, and minutes after I took my TBS I felt better! I'm pretty sure I had a sinus infection, but now the green is almost gone! LOVE it! :)

That's it for my list. Anything else I should try?

Here's a favorite drink of ours when we are suffering from a sore throat.

Freshly juiced apples, lemon juice, and honey mixed together and heated. It feels so good going down.


Cheers to good health my friends!

Coffee "recipe"

So, for a while now I have been asked by several people how I make my coffee. Here's my tip!

I use 1 TBS of fresh coffee grounds per cup of H2O + 2 TBS coffee grounds.

Example: 4 cups of water with 6 TBS coffee.

If you want to change it to be less or stronger I suggest only dropping or adding 1 TBS at a time. That is usually enough to calm it down a little or kick it up a notch!

Happy coffeeing!

The 4th

My brother, sister in law, nephew and unborn nephew are going to be here soon! Happy 4th of July everyone. Be careful and eat plenty of yummy food with no food coloring! ;)

Why I stay awake all night with my babies

Last night was one of many trying nights. My youngest (5 months) has had trouble lately settling down for sleep. It's those nights I ask myself why, why am I doing this, why won't I teach her to self sooth through crying for 30 minutes or even an hour.
Then my reasons start flowing through my head, at 4am, instead of getting angry or frustrated, I try very hard to remember these things,

-She is a baby who belongs with her mother
-She is not ready to be alone
-She cries for a REASON, and it is my job to find out what she needs
-At this age she is, and should be, totally dependent on me

I have never heard anyone say being a mother was easy, so why is everyone trying to cut corners? Why are we so bent on making our own lives easier, when it's resulting in hurting others?

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." Isaiah 49:15

Think about it.

Willow Sophia's Birth Story

My pregnancy came as a surprise to me, as I was breastfeeding my 10 month old son at the time. My husband left in late April to embark on his 9-12 month tour in Afghanistan, after taking me and our son, Liam, to stay with family. 

7 weeks after he left I began feeling very sick and dizzy. for several days I was so convinced it was not morning sickness, even though my cousin told me to take a test. I finally did, and the result was very clear. We were going to have another beautiful baby! I remember shaking so much I could barely hold the test let alone speak. I walked from the bathroom to my parents room, and handed my mom the test. No words, just intense joy. 

I remember my dad's face lighting up as he laid in his hospital issued bed suffering from ALS, it made me want to cry. It was the first pure joy I had seen from him in a long time.

That was one of my all time favorite moments in my life. 

My husband had no access to a phone at the time, nor video chat, so I sent him a facebook message. :)

Fast forward to January. Rob got to come home! I believe he came home 3-4 weeks before Willow was born. It was a very huge blessing, especially since we had no idea if he would make it. I was a really tired momma, after moving all over the place, over 8 months of being pregnant and taking care of our young toddler, I was ready for my other half. 

Willow's due date was January 11 2013, and she was very punctual! That morning at around 10am my labor started strong. We called the midwife, and family and everyone started slowly and quietly coming in to our tiny temporary home. Surrounding me with love and care. Willow was posterior like her brother and so I had another birth with extremely painful back labor. Thankfully, also like her brother, she was born quick. After getting into the birth pool, and pushing for around 20 minutes, my baby girl was born at 2:30pm at 8 lbs 3 ozs. 

My husband got to be there, my beloved dad got to meet her, and I had another truly amazing homebirth.