Mothers Advice

So I have a 13 month old who doesn't like her bed...I know that most babies don't sleep well or like their beds or want to be confined especially when they learn that hey have legs that can move and get them around at rapid speed into any new mischevious dealing at arms reach....but what about when you are weaning a child and they won't sleep. Kehnly won't even lay next to me without wanting to nurse. She wakes after a few hours of sleep wanting to nurse...or be held (but only while I am standing up b/c the second i sit down or lay down.. guess what? Yep, you guessed it...nurse!)

WWJD... I keep wondering if God made babies to want to be held, why do we fight it? Why do we try to put them down and force independance on them... how many grown men and women do you know still sleep in their parents laps? Eventually they start sleeping through the night, so why do we rush it now? I know what the dr.s say and I know what the books say (BELIEVE ME, if there is a book about it i have read it) so I am asking some moms out their what THEY have done or are doing or know of others doing to help with this seperation anxiety.

I just really want to honor the Lord with everything in my life and that means especially my family, and I want to do what's best for Kehnley. It's not always about being comfortable, or meeting your own needs, it's about the child. We all have heard the saying that once you have a child their needs come before your own, but this, as a Christ follower, is not a new way of living we are supposed to put EVERYONE'S needs above our own!

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: "...
Philipians 2

This is my prayer, that I might be molded to the likeness of Christ.

Wordless Wednesday

Well almost wordless... so here are bach pics from Ansley's weekend O fun... and also just to let all those who are dying for Destin pics, I have made an oath to not post them until I have made my photo album first. I am really falling behind on the albums and I need to do that before I can post them. They are amazing so get excited!

Busy as a BEE!!!

Birthdays and bachelorets....that's been a big part of our July. My dad had a birthday and a week later JBlow did too. Then it was off to Ans' bach party in Austin. Which turned into a crazy adventure for Kandace and I , haha.

Actually I typically get into predicaments, or "adventures" as I like to call them...but this time Kandace got a taste for the first time! (We will get to that later)

Here are a few pics for the birthday boys!

Kehnley had fun playing with her Granny and Grand daddy (her favorite new thing is to knock over stuff!)

All these fun moments with friends and family make me feel so blessed, I know that there are people in the world who are suffering and who are consumed with so many worries and stresses and I know there are people who are lonely and wishing they had family and friends near by and people involved in their lives....I truly am blessed.

Plus, it's my personality to be with people I LOVE IT! I really do.. it doesn't have to be anything special, but I am so happy with others. It's not like I am dependant on others to entertain me or I can't survive alone... I have no problem with that at all, it's just that if I could CHOOSE to be with friends or fam or by myself.... i will choose to be with them, hands down!

News:

*Our house will be ready early! In like a few weeks, we are praying for the 9th of August, please pray for that... it's our only weekend in Houston in the next month

*Bry's new job... he's been moved to outsides sales and it's a huge blessing because it's what he's always wanted to do, it has a lot of new responsibilities and unknowns, pray God will direct him in upcoming decisions and give him peace.

*My job is going to full time this next year, I am excited to be with the kids and I love my school but I have anxiety about being away from Kehnley for he whole day and I have bad memories of my last full time teaching job, pray God give me peace and comfort and remove all fear satan is trying to distract me with.

*I have been praying for some time now for a good friend here in Houston, and I feel like God is really opening doors...I went to the mall last week to just walk and talk with Allison, we are accountability partners and try to meet every week (even though as new moms we find it hard to find time lately), but more than that. It was so awesome to have a friend that is in the same season of life, she is married with a new baby and we have the same passion for the Lord and growing to know Him more and more. It was such an answer to prayer to find a friend like her.

*Lilly needs surgery we can't afford, (the dr. actually said 1800 dollars a leg with a strait face)her knees are bad and I am sure all the running we have done hasn't helped... but we need something alternative to help her out, she good most of the time but it going to get worse.... but seriously who spends that kind of money on a dog surgery!!

Poor Lilly

So here are the exciting pics of our flat tire... luckily after me and Kandace man handled the jack and spend all our energy just trying to get that out of the car some nice Louisiana boys came...Here is a shout out to LA thanks for raising some guys with manners! (an old man passed us and said "looks like you guys have that under control" just before these guys came...we did NOT have it under control!)



Stay tuned more bach pics coming soon!

Oh say can you see......

So for the 4th this year we had a back yard bbq with the fam. Very low key, very relaxing. It was the first weekend for Bry to be home the whole weekend in a LONG time! Kehnley enjoyed swimming and we fired up the grill... I even made a 4th of July Trifile in honor of all our friends, Megan especially :) No worries there was no jam or beef sauted with peas....What do you think meg?

Kehnley had so much fun in the pool hanging out with some of her favorite men!!

Daddy and Papa

This is her on her splash pad we got for her on her birthday... she loves it! (even if she doesn't look like it here haha)

Look at that Elvis Lip

She actually had so much fun she didn't even make it through dinner one of the nights!

We actually are leaving for vacation to Destin for a whole week! We can't wait... summer keeps rolling on! I wonder how Kehnley will like she sand and beach? But first stop...Ansley's bach party is this up coming weekend. I can't wait to see all my girls!!

Hebrews 12:1

It's official... Bry and I signed up this weekend for the half marathon on January 18th. There is no turning back now! 13.1 miles to go :) What a great way to spend our 3rd anniversary! We've been training for a few weeks now and as time goes on we get more and more excited about it. I have trained before, but it's so fun getting to do it together. What makes it even more exciting is that we get to run for a cause! Bry is running for Alzheimer's in memory of his Grandpa Blowey who he loved very much and passed away a few years back. I am running for Multiple Sclerosis for a friend of ours Erin and my Aunt Beth who currently suffer from this illness. There is a growing awareness of MS but there is still much to be done in research for new treatments and cures to BOTH these illnesses. They are so dear to our hearts and it's just one small thing we can do to support and love on people in our lives and in the lives of those around us who are affected by Alzheimer's and MS. We will be sending out an email in the fall about how you can support us in fundraising for each of these.

In the meantime, Kehnley is getting to experience a lot of bumpy roads to the finish line as we take her in her stroller while we train :) She loves it though, she hangs over the edge to see us as we run...

On another note we have two exciting events we are waiting on and anticipating this summer...

The wedding of these to special ladies and their lucky beaus....

Ansley and Terry

Amy and Landry

Wordless Wednesday: One Year!!

Tu Tu Cute

From start to finish this first Birthday was so much fun! Picking out the cupcakes, decorating...and getting to play with Kehnley the whole day... pay close attention to the kiss attach from Lyndz and Keri at the end! Kehnley was a good sport, but not a fan :)

"Pretty in Pink" was the flavor...she wasn't so pretty when it was over!

Kehnley had her very first birthday and there was a crowd. We had some friends and family over and we opened presents and ate cupcakes. Kehnley was a good sport for all the pics and cards and presents. It went by so fast we didn't even have time to swim until later that night. mom made her a birthday banner for us to hang, I was so impressed I loved it!! it's something she will be able to keep for ever.

On her birthday we did have a few firsts...

Bry & Kehnley and me, she's eating something a little more tasty than dog food:)

FIRST time to eat dog food, she had a bite of lilly's food when I was setting up for the party and appeared to like it, she was smiling with bits running down the chin and smelled like lilly's breath! ew...

FIRST temper tantrum thrown when she thought that I was taking the grocery cart away, when all I was trying to do was cut off the plastic netting for better use!

FIRST time to ever experience the birthday song sung not only once but 4 times! By me when she woke up in the morning, by Papa when he saw her, then twice at the party because dad missed it on camera lol, so we made everyone do it again. (it was the kind of effect of the fake bouquet toss at a wedding)

*kehnley's favorite gift was the grocery cart from aunt Nicole

*kehnley's favorite snack was all the envelopes from the cards

*kehnley's newest favorite thing to throw are the wooden blocks Nate bought her

It's hard to believe that at 11:43 only 12 short months prior I had seen her for the first time and thought "she doesn't look like us!" Then after the swelling went down and the cone formed a nice round shape instead, and she opened those baby blues... I could see how so many women before me would claim to forget all the pain of labor, uncomfortable nights of pregnancy, all the meals lost to nausea, and the fear of all the things that "could" go wrong and mean every word once they embraced the miracle laying in their arms.

"There's only one thing more wide eyes and helpless than a new born baby, and that's a new mom." - Anonymous.

I love that quote because it's so true that even if you have the most natural nurturing character in the world, a mother is made through becoming, not just being. I am so grateful for so many things about Kehnley...

Her laugh, her 4 toothed grin
Her soft baby hair she sometimes lets me brush my hands through, others she pulls my hands away
Her head when it rests on my shoulder
Her lip twitch when she's falling asleep
Her clapping hands even with food all over them
Her crossed leg sitting position looking up at her favorite video
Her run and smash into the beanbag seat when she thinks you are chasing her
Her concentrated look as she tries to pull the top off the sippy cup
Her upside own grin as she looks up at me through the stroller cover on our walks
Her voice in the morning talking baby lingo to her stuffed animals in her bed
Her fingers grabbing for the page to turn it so quickly
Her legs kicking and splashing in the tub
Her squeal of delight when she sees her daddy and blood curling cry when he steps out of the room to get a drink.
Her leaning down to look out the front window to see the ducks
Her fast paced walk to get to the pool, just to turn around and reach for me once she 's at the edge
Her tiny fingers can pick up a snack, but she uses her whole hand, front and back, to get it in her mouth
Her squinting eyes when the sun is out
Her funny way of trying to put everything in my mouth after her mouth has touched it
Her passionate hatred for shoes, hats and anything that confines her
Her special laugh reserved for anything that the dogs do or we do with them.
Her bottom in the air as she pushes off to go on another adventure

But most of all the feeling that she gives me that God made me for this... I was totally meant to be a mom, and I am being convinced of that more and more every day.

So here is the Birthday girl... and yes that's a tutu you see :)