Psalm 94:8-13 My Prayer

I have found that in these last couple of months my prayers are often quick and desperate. "Lord, please let Evie sleep!!"  "Father, help me not lose my cool."  "forgive me, forgive me , please forgive me."

These are the prayers that pass through my mind and lips like a broken record. With two small kids I barely have the time or brain capacity to create coherent thoughts. If it sounds like I'm exaggerating, trust me, I am not. I had to rescue a hot wheels car from a poopy toilet in the middle of writing this. 

 So, in these weeks of desperation I have turned to the Psalms. I need prayers and it seems that the words I need are there. Today, Psalm 94 gave me inspiration for this prayer. 

O LORD- 

You created me - my ears that hear the crying, demands, and laughing of little ones. I know You hear me.

You gave me eyes that see the tantrums, messes, and smiles of my babies. I know You see me. 

You made discipline- and are training me to discipline those in my care with unending love, mercy and justice, just as You do. 

You know how fleeting my life is, yet You choose to teach me Your ways. 

I am blessed because of Your discipline, because of your Word. 

You see my bad days and provide rest. 

Thank You Father. Amen. 

When the days are too much turn to the Lord, when the days are just right, praise Him! 

Love, Emily

Top 10 Gifts New Moms Want (but don't know it yet)

Have a mom in your life that you want to shower with love? Well, this is a list of the things that I have found to make motherhood just a little bit easier. This is a list of goodies just for mom that she doesn't even know she needs yet! 

1. Slip on slippers- 

Photo credit: www.OldNavy.com

This may seem a little strange, but with my first baby I had boot slippers that were awesome and warm but required two hands to put on and that's just not realistic at 3am in the dark when you're holding a crying infant. This time around I bought myself some cute (and stylish as slippers can be) moccasin slippers from Old Navy. It's been a game-changer for those middle of the night feedings. Now, I have had two winter babies so slippers were an essential, so be mindful of the time of year that the mom you're gifting is going to give birth. If She's having summer babies you will probably opt to give her house shoes that are not as warm. 

2. Postpartum Care Kit- 

Before my second baby was born I created several "stations" around the house that contained items i knew I was going to need. The first kit was a postpartum kit that I kept in the bathroom. Having a baby does a number on your body and trying to take care of baby is hard enough, but add on top of that caring for yourself, it can be overwhelming. This kit contains all of the things that I used after having my babies, most of which I didn't know I would need until it was absolutely necessary. This kit will save Dad a trip to the store!
- Comfy and cute Pajamas: My wonderful sister-in-law brought me a cute track suit and tank tops to the hospital after I gave birth to my first. It was such a thoughtful gift!
-Bathroom essential : Dermoplast (trust me, this stuff is amazing), maxi pads, tucks, and stool softener
-Hair Ties
-Body Wash & Loofah
-Water Bottle
- Robe: This is great for the hospital! I bought a dark colored cotton robe before Judah was born and wore it at the hospital with both babies. It is perfect for staying warm and also convenient for nursing.
-Encouraging Cards: To personalize this gift, write mom some sweet words of encouragement on notecards.

3. Nursing kit

Nursing a newborn is no easy task. It's physically and emotionally draining, so a nursing kit is a perfect gift for mom.
-Nursing tank tops: I love the ones at Target (and it is best to go up a size, since the "girls" will be bigger).
-Water Bottle: Be sure to buy a water bottle that you can drink out of with one hand, not one that the lid has to be unscrewed. This will help mom get the water that she needs and save her the trouble setting baby down to open it (and keep the toddler from spilling it all over the floor).
- Nursing pads
-Nursing Cover
-Snacks: I keep a drawer of snacks beside my chair in the nursery (hidden from the toddler). When you're nursing you need extra calories so this stockpile will come in handy! Try to keep the snacks high in protein and low in sugar.
-Lanolin & Cold Packs
-Burp Cloths
-Encouraging Cards

4. Freezer meals

Photo Credit: moneysavingmom.com

Freezer meals are a great gift for mom! She still needs to feed herself and her family, along with the new baby! My favorite freezer meal is Greek Chicken Bake. My mom made it for me before Evie was born and I've eaten it a ton! It is essentially chicken breast baked in olive oil and Greek seasoning and then individual breasts are placed in freezer bags. It's perfect to put over salad or just eat alone. I am so tired most days that I want to just eat whatever junk in the fridge first, so having an already cooked meal makes life so much easier! (Make sure to follow freezer meal safety guidelines and to clearly mark the outside of the meal with what is inside and how to prepare it.)

5. Wet bags 

Photo Credit: www.applecheeks.com

Mom life is messy and chaotic! Anything you can give mom to help organize some of that disaster will be much appreciated! Wetbags are perfect for containing the mess! These bags are made with PUL (polyurethane laminate), it is a water repelling fabric that can be easily wiped clean or thrown in the washer and dryer. My favorite cloth diaper brand, Applecheeks, makes the absolute cutest wetbags and they come in three different sizes (mini zips[pictured], size 1 sac, and size 2 sac). You can order these bags from most natural parenting stores that sell Applecheeks. I keep my bathroom kit inside a wetbag and my entire diaper bag is organized using these!

6. Target gift card 

Who doesn't love a trip to Target?! I like to take little mommy-cations at Target (sans toddler). It's wonderful to just walk around with a cup of coffee and breath. 

7. Restaurant gift card 

Mom and dad are going to need to go on dates after baby, and what better way to show them some love, but paying for their meal?! Josh and I recently went on our first post-baby date and it was so much easier going, knowing that our meal was paid for!

8. Netflix subscription 

Those middle of the night nursing sessions are so much easier when you have something to look forward to! I have loved watching my favorite shows on Netflix in the middle of the night, it makes me not feel so alone and takes my mind off the lack of sleep. A gift card is a great way to shower mom with love and maybe even a list of your favorite shows. 

9. Massage gift card

My sweet husband got me gift card for a massage at Christmas and it made me cry (in a good way). Moms spend so much time wrestling toddlers, carrying laundry baskets, and holding baby that it takes a serious toll on their body. Treat mom to a massage, it will seriously rock her world.

10. Photography gift card 

Babies are stinking cute and who doesn't want beautiful pictures of their little ones?! A gift card for a photography session is such a wonderful gift for a new mom. If you are handy with a camera you could also offer to do a newborn session yourself! I took this picture of Evie with my phone and I know it would have been a lot better quality with a nice camera!  

I hope this list inspires you to give the mom in your life something thoughtful and useful. And remember, the best gift you can give is that of support and encouragement. We will take that over gift cards any day! 

Love to you and the moms in your life, 

Emily

Two under Two

I have now been a mother of two babies under the age of two for six weeks. Whew, I wasn't sure I was going to make it this long. The days have been short and the nights have been long. I have had some bad mommy moments that I'm glad are behind me. I regret the times that I've lost my temper with Judah. It's a whole different world now. Before, I was only worried that Judah was going to hurt himself, and now I'm terrified that he's going to hurt Evie. My worst moment over the last six weeks happened the first night I was alone with Judah and Evelyn. My mom had returned home and my husband was at work. Evelyn was napping in the swing and Judah and I had been playing. I started to clean up and opened the coat closet to put up some coats. All of the sudden, I hear, "catch Evie!". My stomach dropped into my shoes when I heard the wailing of my infant and looked around the corner to see a giant dog toy sitting on her lap. I don't even remember what I said to Judah, I think it was just incoherent muttering. I was so upset/confused/concerned/ticked. I cried and Evie cried and Judah cried. I felt like a failure. She was fine and hopefully, Judah is not scarred for life by his crazy mother.
   Despite the "kong incident", as we refer to it, life with two littles is pretty great. Evie is a fairly calm baby and thankfully does not require the amount of attention that Judah does.
Because, I know lots of moms struggle when their second is born, I want to share what has gotten us through this learning period.
1. Don't be afraid to ask for help-

Super Nana to the rescue

  I was scared to death at the idea of trying to keep two small children alive, so scared that I had no shame when I asked my mom to stay for an extra week. The same goes for postpartum depression and nursing issues. You are not an island , nor are you the first person to have a baby. Seriously, there are counselors and lactation consultants for a reason. Don't be afraid to ask for help, it doesn't mean you're weak or incapable, it means you are human. Bonus on this one, you will more than likely receive help and get to take a shower or nap or whatever it is that you need and you get to practice humility!

2. Make Freezer Meals-

 Before Evelyn joined our family, my mom and I made about 10 different meals and divided them up and froze them. My favorite is the Baked Greek Chicken, because we froze it in individual bags. So, whenever I need a quick lunch or dinner I pull out some chicken and heat it up and we throw it over salads or eat with sweet potatoes. I also joined a freezer meal group at my church. This group is amazing, not only do I leave with 4 completely delicious freezer meals, but I get to enjoy the company of other ladies. I highly suggest joining or starting one of these groups.

3.Mommy friends to the Rescue-

I have been super blessed to have an awesome community of mommy friends. Most of my mom friends are from church but I have also sought out other friends in person and online. I've made friends with some ladies in a cloth diapering group on Facebook (Peace. Love. Applecheeks) and it  has been so nice to have community wherever I am- even during 3am feeding. So, join a mom group in your area and seek out other moms from your church. You won't agree on everything but you're moms and share the love that you have for your children. I will warn you- if you don't have community, you will quite possibly drown. And we all know that husbands are amazing, but they don't necessarily understand the "crazy" the way that another mom will. 

 4. Be Kind to your Husband- 

Even if your hubby doesn't totally get the "momstyle" that is now your life, he is your husband. I've seen and heard a whole lot of husband bashing from tired and stressed out moms. It makes me sad and worried for those families. Your husband is part of the reason you get to be a mom! And if you stay home with your kids it can be easy to take out your stress on your hubs when he gets home ( I'm speaking from experience). I've found though, that my husband loves being a dad. I forget that and try to play parent  all by myself, when in fact, there are two of us. I challenge you just like I am challenging myself to trust your husband and be kind to him. He is your teammate and really in the end, it's not your mommy friends or your parents or other voices of influence that are there with you in the trenches or dugout (whatever bedtime is like at your house). He's your person and he is also the father of your children. Take time to thank him and show him the love and respect that you also want to be shown.

5.Take Time for Yourself- 

this is a big one and is seriously overlooked. Sometimes taking time to yourself looks like getting to take a shower without wondering if the toddler is drawing on the baby with sharpies and sometimes it means going to Target by yourself and drinking a Venti Chai Tea Latte (dreamers gonna dream!). My favorite time to myself activities include: going to the gym, taking a shower, going to check the mail, running errands, watching an episode of something after everyone goes to bed, sewing, writing letters and Bible Journaling. Getting time to yourself only happens during naptime or if you have a someone to take the kiddos off your hands for a bit. So, take the time when you can and let it refresh you. Don't feel guilty when you get time to yourself- you will be better because of it and so will your kids. 

6. Wear all the Babies-

Babywearing has saved me this go around. I wore Judah in my wrap and Ergo carrier quite a bit, but it has been a complete game-changer with a 2nd baby. Putting Evie in my ring sling is about the only way I get Judah down for a nap most days. There are about a million different carriers and it can get confusing to navigate the Babywearing waters, so if you have any questions, please send me a message- I would love to help! 

7. Cherish This Time- 

I know this sounds cliché and a little lofty, but this time with your babies is only going to last a short while, so enjoy it. Take in all the baby snuggles and toddler cuddles. Take the good with the bad. Yes, toddlers are jerks sometimes, but so are adults so you've got to cut them some slack. 

All of these things along with some serious prayer have helped me make this transition to a mother of two. 

I know there are probably some things that I'm leaving out. What helped you make this transition? I'd love to hear your tips! 

Until next time, 

Emily