Full

We have had one of those weekends that leaves you feeling so full. Full of thankfulness. Full of laughter. Full of love. There was dinner with friends, a baby shower, multiple bonfires, s'mores, apple crisp, cuddling, way too many kisses, a convicting and reassuring sermon, a harvest festival, and big smiles from our boy. And almost every night this weekend, when the baby was sleeping, counters had been wiped down, lights were turned off, and my thoughts started to slow down, regardless of how hard I tried to stop it from creeping in and stealing even an ounce of joy, the feeling of uneasiness would start to wash over me. The reality of having to move is starting to become something I can't push out of my mind as easily anymore as we get closer to going wherever God and the Marine Corps want us.

You see, I prayed for this. Before we moved to Beaufort, I prayed for the kind of friends that we have now. Uplifting and encouraging. I prayed for our church. One where we would learn the Bible and be challenged. I prayed for our marriage. Full of grace and unconditional love. I prayed for our faith. Growing together and unwavering.

I prayed for all of this, and I didn't realize how God would fill every single prayer to the brim to the point of overflowing. I cannot count how many times I must have said to Ben this weekend, "It is going to be so hard to leave this place." Our first home. Our first baby. A place that will always hold very precious memories.

Matthew 7:7-11

⁷Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? ¹⁰Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! ¹¹ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

2 Months: Lessons Learned

*13 pounds/smiling all the time and it's amazing/almost laughing/cooing/loves being upright*


• Having a vacuum on has helped Jack fall back asleep after the 30/45 minute intruder, but unfortunately we are still dealing with it.
• The nursing room at church is like a safe haven.
• A full night's rest of uninterrupted sleep should be worth a million bucks.
• Always pack a back-up to the back-up diaper.
• When all else fails, turn on the vacuum.

*Shout out to Jessica for the video idea!

1 month: Lessons Learned

Jack Found a New Pillow

Jack turned two months yesterday!! TWO months! I cannot believe that I no longer have a newborn. Every time I pick him up from his crib I swear he has grown from the night before. You can expect a '2 month Lessons Learned' post hopefully this weekend!

He had so much fun with my sister being here for about a week. I, on the other hand, did not have so much fun when everyone we met kept asking who the older sister is. 
Receptionist at dentist: So, how much younger is she than you?
Me: Oh, actually I'm younger.
My sister: Haha, we get that all the time.
Me: We do?!?! Wait, what?? (eyes get really big)


Seriously people--4 years apart!!!  Karen-even the Terminix guy asked me who was younger right after you left!
I guess being a mom has aged me! Not gonna lie, I have started seeing the occasional wiry silver hair sprout up here and there. Ah!

Baby Jack loves his Aunt Karen

I'm so excited that the holiday seasons are coming up because that means we'll get to spend a lot of time with family very soon!!

Two Exciting Things

Two exciting things happened this week:
1. A picnic with a friend and a cutiepie.
2. My sister a.k.a. the baby whisperer arrived. Yes that is Jack passed out in her arms. He looooooves his Auntie Karen.
We have an exciting weekend planned (play with baby) and I am so excited that it's here!
Happy Friday!!

Our Routine With Jack, and Sometimes

We are on more of a routine than a schedule at this point in Jack's young life. While preparing for his arrival, we read The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems by Tracy Hogg. Her method is E.A.S.Y. Eat, Activity, Sleep, Your Time.
We started that routine from the first day we brought Jack home. Feed him as soon as he wakes up, keep him awake for a little while, and put him in his crib while he is sleepy, but still a little awake. This method is supposed to help him not need to nurse himself to sleep, and it's also suppose to help him fall asleep on his own if he wakes up in the middle of the night. I think he's still too young to tell if we've accomplished either, but so far he's been great at sleeping in his crib, and I've watched him on the baby monitor fall asleep on his own after hearing him fuss in the middle of the night. Sometimes the fussing turns into crying, so then I assume he's hungry and I feed him.
The whole idea of keeping him awake after a feeding was much harder in his first few days of life. He was so sleepy, all the time. But now it is much easier. We usually get 45 minutes-1 hour of play time with him after his feeding before he starts to get very fussy and we let him nap.
But sometimes.
Sometimes he gets so sleepy after he eats and he buries his head in his hands or in my neck and falls asleep. His breathing slows down and I can feel every muscle in his little warm body relax.
I know Tracy Hogg would want me to wake him up. I know he might become reliant on nursing to fall asleep.
But in these 'sometimes' moments-I kiss his forehead and enjoy my sleeping baby.

When I Say I'm Not Crafty...I Mean It

Can you tell how much he loves my kisses?!

You know those people who say things like:

• "I did horrible on that test." But then they get an A+
• "I really didn't train at all for this race. I'm going to run so slow." But then they run 6 minute miles.
• "I don't really have many friends." But then they know every third person you pass on the street by name and even people driving by are honking and waving. (Colleen)

Ok, you get the point. Humble, modest, call it what you want, let's just say I'm not one of those people.
So when I say that I'm really not a 'crafty' person, you can believe me. It always takes me twice as long as it is supposed to, and it never really looks quite as nice as the picture. Last year, I attempted to make a fall wreath with a bestie who lives far away. I wanted it to look something like this...

via Pinterest

Well hers turned out beautifully, and mine....mine stayed wrapped in brown yarn all fall (without any cute felt flowers) and wound up in the recycle bin by Christmas. And it took me a really long time to wrap that darn wreath with all that yarn. A really long time.

Well this past weekend, I went to a 'wreath making get together' at this super crafty new friend's house. Her house is absolutely beautiful-one of those homes that makes you want to get cozy on the couch and watch Christmas movies while sipping hot cocoa.
Anyways, I had such a great time meeting new friends and getting my craft on. She had yummy fall treats-maple oat scones, pumpkin yogurt parfait, and homemade pumpkin spice lattes.
I am pretty happy with how my wreath turned out-even with the few bare spots and the not so evenly distributed burlap.
I have to finish doing the chalk plaque that I will try to hang in the center, and then hopefully I'll be posting a picture sometime this week!

Ben and I also went to a friend's wedding celebration over the weekend. It was a beautiful evening and Jack was such a good boy all night. He stayed up way past his bedtime and we couldn't believe he didn't fuss at all-guess this boy is a partier!
He was even sweet when he went to bed and just kept smiling at me and Ben. That definitely doesn't happen all the time! Or ever!