Jameson's Birth Story

December 23, 2014

This day started off just about the same as any other... Caleb was home that Tuesday morning so I could go to my 39 week OB appointment at 10 am. Technically I wasn't 39 weeks until Christmas Day :) My doctor decided to strip my membranes at that point since I was 2cm dilated the week before and my cervix was beginning to thin out. I felt a little crampy after leaving my appointment but didnt think anything of it.

Brilynn had a play date with her bestie from school that afternoon. (approx 1:30pm) As we headed out the door it started pouring down rain. We were at our play date for about two hours during which, I felt many REAL contractions but they were about 30 minutes apart and not consistent at all. We got in the car and it was still pouring rain outside when my contractions started to become very strong and about 15 minutes apart regularly. (approx 4pm) I called Caleb because I knew this was the real deal and told him to, "Come home ASAP I might be dying." (I can be a little dramatic) I could barely talk during each contraction at this point. By the time Brilynn and I got home I was doubled over in pain with each contraction which were now about 5 minutes apart. Brilynn decided it would be a good time for twenty questions, "Mommy what are you doing? Whats for dinner? Is daddy's friend Rick coming to get me? Can I play with him? Are you okay? Why are you breathing so hard? Is Jameson hurting you? Do you have to poop? Can I eat that cookie? Where are you going?.........." Super cute timing Bri ugggggghhh.

We were planning on leaving Brilynn at home with Caleb's parents who were on their way to us from Kansas that very day. They just so happened to be in the middle of a pouring rain monsoon in Tennessee. GREAT.

Caleb got home and Brilynn went to our friend Rick's house. We were headed to the hospital when Caleb said, "YOU ONLY HAVE 10 MILES LEFT IN YOUR TANK?!"... oops. I am notorious for waiting until the last minute to get gas. Let's just say there are some habits I haven't shaken since high school. Soooo we stopped to get gas. At this point my contractions were 3 minutes apart and OW.

We finally got to the hospital with no traffic praise the Lord! (approx 5pm) The nurse in L&D greeted us with a very nonchalant "How are you doing?" I thought, "WELL I'M IN LABOR AND IT HURTS LIKE HELL." But thankfully Caleb responded with a, "Hi my wife is in labor." and I was off to triage. They took all my vitals and hooked me up on an IV. They told me I was dilated 5cm and whisked me off to a delivery room. I was ACTUALLY at 7cm (of which they told Caleb) upon arrival. I was later told that they didn't want me to panic. That was probably a smart move. I begged for my epidural and I finally got one after manhandling a poor nurse who was trying to help me breathe through my contractions. (approx 6:30pm) RELIEF. I love epidurals. It slowed down my labor just a little bit because it took me about one more hour to get to 10cm and it was time to push! After about 20 minutes of pushing our precious little baby boy was born!

Welcome to the world Jameson Robert <3

Christmas Eve

The next day was Christmas Eve and Caleb's parents brought big sister up to the hospital to meet her baby brother for the first time. She was very shy at first but then wanted to hold him and love on him right when she laid eyes on him.

                                                     

They do say your labor gets shorter with each child but I was not expecting to go from 12 hours with Brilynn to 5 hours with Jameson.... pretty insane how fast it all went down. God knew the perfect timing for our little man to arrive!

We left the hospital at about 10pm Christmas Eve because we did NOT want to be there on Christmas. Total hospital stay=28 hours. Not too bad if I do say so  myself! 

We love our little blessing <3 God is so good!

9 Months

Here's a precious little update! Baby Perrine WILL BE HERE THIS MONTH because our doctor is going on vacation New Years Day. I've only seen this one doctor my whole pregnancy and she delivers all of her own patients-which is pretty awesome if you ask me. He will be here in 16 days or less! WHAT IS HAPPENING. Surreal. Went to the doctor last Thursday and he is head down ready to launch just NO dilation or effacement :( Praying I'm dilated just a teeeeeeensy bit this Thursday. At 37.5 weeks he's getting big fast and my body is starting to feel heavy and uncomfortable, but I'll take it. So thankful.


Although Brilynn has been exhausting and daily tasks are becoming more like mountain climbs, this pregnancy as a whole has been amazing. I've been eating my whole food "diet", taking my JuicePlus, cycling, and doing my sunrise yoga. I've had so much energy and have been sleeping so well up until this point. My skin and complexion have been extremely clear as well, last pregnancy, not so much.


You'd think I would be more prepared this time around since I kinda know what to expect buuuuut that isn't the case at all. His nursery is still a guest room, his dresser is still in his sisters room, I have read zero baby books, and no hospital bags are packed. I will pack a bag this week so I feel a little bit more prepared.... hey, at least he has the essentials: diapers, an outfit, blanket, somewhere to sleep and a car seat. Winning.


Brilynn is beyond excited to be a big sister. It warms my heart to the core to see how in love she is with her brother already. She kisses him, hugs him, talks about him constantly and always includes him. She now calls our "Mommy-Daughter Dates"->"Mommy-Daughter-Jameson Dates" hehe. We went on a hospital tour Sunday just to figure out where the heck we are going in this town to give birth and she loved every minute getting to be involved. Mommy on the other hand, had a little anxiety thinking about doing it all over again. Daddy is just glad he knows where to park the car haha.

Brilynn asked me the ever so dreaded question every parent stumbles to answer, "Mom, how did baby Jameson get in your tummy?"

"Well my dear precious child, God put him there."
"How did He do that?"
"It's a miracle and God answered mommy and daddy's prayers."
"Well did you pray for me to be a child?"
"Yes I did."
"Oh, okay. Did you swallow baby Jameson in your mouth?"
"No, he just started growing from a tiny tiny little baby in mommy's tummy because God wanted him to be in our lives."
"Mom, did you know that Jesus is the newborn King?"
Whew, FINALLY A SUBJECT CHANGE


I survived.


My amazing in-laws are planning to be here when he arrives so that we will have someone here at the house for Bri to love and kiss on her. I'm wanting and stressing that everything will remain "normal" while we go to the hospital without her. We even have a gift ready for her from her brother so she feels included in the whole ordeal. I've been making a point to explain in great detail to her what babies need. I have also been showing her pictures of when she was a newborn so she knows and will remember she was once the same size as her brother. I know she is going to be a big helper and I'm praying the transition will be smooth and painless.


I'm working on a post of all the natural products and things I've been using this pregnancy and am writing reviews :) Stay tuned.


I also have to share Brilynn's prayer before bed tonight "Dear Jesus, thank you for our food. Thank you for the peace and the blood in our bodies. Amen."


xoxo GG

My Money Saving Strategies

So basically since being a SAHM (Stay at home mom) I have learned to be pretty darn frugal. Living on one income is an art that must be mastered. I clip coupons yes, but I DO NOT buy a bunch of crap just because I have a coupon for it. Those "Extreme Coupon" ladies sure do save a large percentage but I just don't need 1,000 Preparation H wipes nor do I have the room to store them. Many many many and most coupons that you get in your Sunday paper and even online are vastly for highly processed and sugary foods. My family just doesn't eat those things. We stick to mostly fresh and organic foods and non-toxic household products. With that being said, it is possible to save money on HEALTHY items. I find it more valuable to feed my family real food and keep them healthy, rather than feed them sugar and toxins because uhhhh health is a very valuable thing...and we hate doctors offices :) So without further a due....

I Check Many Online Deal Sites

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Hip2Save 

Collin, the owner of the site, posts ALL KINDS of deals every single minute of every single day. She even categorizes things by store for you so it's easy to search. She has a coupon database so you can find all of the available coupons to print before you head to the store. I personally check her Target Weekly Deals every week to see if there is something we NEED on the list and her Amazon deals. She also posts awesome clothing discounts and giveaway deals often so this is a great one to monitor regularly. She also has an iPhone and iPad app that is free to download so you always have this on hand! I even look her up while I'm shopping to make sure I'm not missing a great deal.

2. QueenBee Coupons

 I use this blog mostly for online deals because she lives in the Seattle area. A lot of the stores she has there, we don't have here in the South. She has an AWESOME Costco price comparison list that I use constantly to make sure that buying in bulk at Costco is actually more cost effective than at a local grocer.

3. Money Saving Mom

Crystal is a GREAT blogger. I love her because shes a Christian, stay a home mom, who has made a successful living through blogging. We share a lot of the same values and she always posts practical info. She has wonderful menu planning posts, recipes, money saving tips, home school info, & blogging tips.

I Use A Few Couponing Databases

1. Mambo Sprouts

This is a WONDERFUL couponing database for health food store brand food such as Trader Joes or Whole Foods. I have found a couple of these brands at Kroger as well! They also have a ton of info on what actually goes into food, what foods you should avoid, etc. Lately I have used this one a lot.

2. Target Coupons

Target actually has some pretty awesome coupons online. They change every month and you can only use them at Target. If you follow the above couponing sites you can usually score a GREAT deal stacking coupons. (Stacking coupons=using a store coupon+a manufacturers coupon+Target cartwheel=amazing deal!) Also get mobile coupons by texting OFFERS to 827438 whaaaaaat!

3. Target Cartwheel App

If you don't use this app already then you are just silly! All you have to do is scan the bar-code of the item you need to purchase and more often than not you can save an extra 5-50% on that one item! ON TOP OF YOUR COUPON OR SALE PRICE. Pretty awesome.

4. Redplum & Coupons.com

You basically select a product and print the coupon from these two-Sometimes these have healthy food coupons but not often. Most of these foods and products are very bad for you and have toxic chemicals in them so be aware of what you're buying!

I Read Weekly Ads For The Stores I Shop

1. Target

I always check their grocery ad to make sure I am getting the lowest price on what I need that week. This is always online as well as in your Sunday paper.

2. Whole Foods

I get 100% of my ORGANIC produce and what would normally be highly processed foods (but are made more naturally) from here. Especially these foods. I check Ewg.org for literally every food under the sun to see how "good" it is to actually consume. They also post weekly deals online and have coupons!!

3. Costco

I love I love I love Costco. Especially because they have so many organic and natural products that we use in bulk. They don't accept coupons but have a monthly ad that offers numerous discounts on select foods.

4. Kroger

They carry a lot more organic and natural products now and the prices are getting better and better. However, their brand selection is low and their produce selection is very limited. I'm hoping they improve this soon because it's a lot closer to us than Whole Foods! Kroger offers digital coupons that you can load straight to your Kroger card online! I get a lot of Kroger coupons when I check out to use at my next visit. TIP:THIS IS THE CHEAPEST PLACE TO BUY ORGANIC MILK :)

Receipt Submission Apps

I use three apps that give me cash back on select purchases
1. Ibotta
2. Snap by Groupon
3. Checkout51
You basically select which items on their list you purchased that trip, submit a picture of your receipt, and get cash back.... Pretty easy way to save a little $!

What Do I Do With This Info?

I'm sure this is really overwhelming info-but I do not do this every day. I try to meal plan twice a month because I hate going to the store quite honestly.

First I find recipes that I like and "pin" them to my Pintrest for quick reference. Then I write down all of the ingredients needed for those recipes. I then go to my pantry or fridge and cross off the things we already have to avoid buying duplicates and wasting money. I then search these data bases for coupons and sales that match my shopping trip. Usually I make my menu plans based on foods that are on sale at that time.

TIPS

1. I always check the manager specials isle at Kroger. Always.

2. If it can be frozen, I buy the item in bulk when there is a sale and freeze accordingly.

3. READ THE NUTRITION LABELS ON PRODUCTS YOU PURCHASE. This is huge. If you cant pronounce what your putting in your body, just don't eat it or look it up first! Fooducate is a wonderful app that allows you to scan a bar-code on a product and find out the nutrition facts and healthier alternatives. Pretty awesome!

4. I cut recipes in half to save $$. We used to throw tons of left overs away every week=$$ down the drain.

5. Shop the outer edges of the store! All of the healthier foods are on the perimeter of the store and the junk is typically in the middle.

6. Buy produce in season! This can save you a ton of money. The fruits and veggies that are in season are always cheaper.

7. Since I am now a seasoned deal shopper, I know where the items we purchase the most are the cheapest. Writing down prices on frequently bought items in your home is a great idea!!

8. When shopping online, always use Ebates.com or Shopathome.com to get extra percentages in cash back on your purchases!

I'm sure I'll think of more to add to this post in the future but for now this is where I leave you.
Happy Shopping!!

Bump-Date

It sure has been a long time since I've written on this thang. I promise I have good reasons for not doing so...

After our miscarriage...

I honestly didn't have the passion to write or share anything, nor did I know what to even write about. I was very upside-down in my life and just wasn't normal. I didn't want to see or hear about any one else having a baby. I've realized that time does NOT heal wounds, God does.

But then...

We got pregnant almost immediately after we lost our baby. This was really emotionally confusing to say the least. I was still mourning the loss of someone I loved so much but wanted to celebrate this new life growing inside of me. Being pregnant after losing a baby is obviously unlike anything I've experienced before. It was SO HARD for me to be excited again. I was timid to tell anyone because "what if it happened again?..." Naturally after a woman finds out shes pregnant she can't help but think way into the future about what the baby will look like, will it be a boy or a girl?, will she look like me?, cute nursery ideas, and so on and so forth. I kept shoving these thoughts and feelings deep inside to protect myself. Each doctors appointment came with extreme anxiety about what the doctor would say, see, or hear. Every little twinge and cramp threw me into a panic thinking something was wrong. It's exhausting. I kept thinking "Oh if I just get to that 12 week mark I can be calm again.." Well that point came and I was STILL uneasy. Then 14 weeks came and we got to see our baby on an ultrasound. He was moving like crazy and had a strong heartbeat = AMAZING. This created an even stronger bond I had with this little gift from God. I would say at about the 20 week mark is when I finally started to relax a little and enjoy being pregnant.
They say you find out who your real friends are when you go through a tragedy or trial and I believe that to be 100% truth. I have really great friends here that really do care about me and my family, and for that I am so incredibly thankful. Ultimately though, all I could and can do is trust that God will take care of me and my family, because he loves us.

And now...

I am happy to report as of today we are 30 weeks pregnant with a precious little boy that we are going to name Jameson. Throughout this pregnancy I have worked extremely hard to stay healthy by going to the gym regularly and eating organic, natural foods to support this growing babe. We are over the moon excited to have a son and Brilynn is BEYOND excited to be a big sister.

Homemade Sunscreen

'Tis the season! I made my own sunscreen. I used to think it was a total waste of time to do it but, since reading many different blogs about the horrendous toxicity of brand name sunscreens I gave it a try.

 'Aint she cute?

I got the recipe from a gal in one of my moms group's blog My Merry Messy Life - Thanks Sara!

She goes into great detail about why store brand sunscreen is horrible for you and your babies! There are many chemicals in them that aren't even necessary to protect you from the sun! Nuts.

EWG.org also explains some Surprising facts about sunscreen that I find incredibly interesting. The scariest fact to me is that sunscreen doesn't necessarily protect you from getting skin cancer. Although scientists conclude that you can cut your risk in half by avoiding tanning beds and severe sunburns. 

What's very interesting though is that sunscreen sales have exceeded 1 billion dollars in the past five years but the numbers of deadly melanoma have more than doubled in the last 30 years. How does this even make sense?? It doesn't. So I have resulted in making my own!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw, unrefined shea butter or cocoa butter ( I used shea butter from Amazon)
1/2 cup raw organic coconut oil (I but mine in bulk from Costco or SAMS)
1/2 cup sweet almond oil (other carrier oils are fine to use as well)
2 tbsp beeswax (for waterproofing)
8 tbsp non-nono zinc oxide (this makes the sunscreen about 40 spf)
2 tbsp of water
OPTIONAL- Essential oil for fragrance. ( I used lavender only and it smells heavenly-about 20 drops)
*** DO NOT USE ANY CITRUS IT ATTRACTS THE SUN***

 Instructions from My Merry Messy Life

1. In a double boiler (or a smaller pot inside of a larger pot that has water in it), melt together the shea butter, beeswax, coconut oil and almond oil together.
2. Once it all turns to liquid, let the oils cool in the fridge (I put the pot in the fridge once it returns to room temperature so I don’t have to clean more dishes)
3. Once it has returned to being hard (an hour or more), whip it with a hand mixer or a standing mixer for a few minutes.
4. Then, add the water, zinc oxide and optional essential oils.
5. Whip for about five minutes to emulsify the ingredients.
6. Scoop into a jar and you’re done!

I used an almond butter jar and a Clinique body butter jar to keep all of it in.

I LOVE THE RESULTS

My sunscreen smells so much better than the store bought kind, its more moisturizing, and its not toxic :D I love it I love it I love it!! I've used it on a 1 year old on up to a 6 year old and none of them were burned or complained that it burned their eyes!

ENJOY

xoxo GG

Siblings

My sister's 21st birthday is this weekend & I want MORE THAN ANYTHING to be there celebrating along side her. This is the hardest (and only) thing I miss about my hometown. My sister is the greatest girlfriend that I will ever have. I treasure her and our friendship beyond words. She is the person I have to tell what great Pintrest thing I made even though it completely sucks compared to hers, she gets why I am so emotional, & she loves me even though I may be a little too honest sometimes. My sister is a profound mother & soon to be wife. I admire many things about her: She is quiet when she should be, she takes other people's feelings into consideration at all times, she is super loyal, she can always see the good in that one person most people have a hard time loving & she is SO DARN CRAFTY. That woman can embroider a pillow for crying out loud. Her artistic mind is truly something to be envied.

I just love my sisters. BOTH of them are so great. My youngest sister will be 11 this summer. Yes, I am 24 and have an 11 year old sister. Stuff happens. But HOLY MOLY this kid was 2 years old the other day. Although we have had more of a mother-daughter relationship her whole life, she is a stellar sister, and better yet she is an outstanding aunt to my daughter. She is only 7 years older than my daughter & they are besties.

My point is, is that siblings are such a GREAT life-long gift. Without them, who would you get into trouble with, play with, fight with, laugh with, talk about your parents with, discover with, or raise your own children with? God knows we need them and God knows we will love them no matter what. Which is why I want to give my daughter a sibling more than anything on this earth. I want her to know what a joy it is to be the big sister.

This January, I thought, would FINALLY be that time. We found out we were pregnant January 14. Words cannot express how overwhelmed with God's love I was. I was finally going to be able to give my daughter the gift of a lifetime, a sibling. Our six week appointment finally arrived & we were super excited to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time. As we were all huddled around the sonogram screen I knew instantly something was wrong. There was no sound, no heartbeat. I felt ill. I thought I was going to throw up, cry, and die all at the same time. Our doctor told us that there was a 5% chance of a healthy pregnancy and that we could come back next week just in case it was just too early to hear the heartbeat. I was beyond distraught, beyond sad, and beyond depressed. But I still had hope that maybe, just maybe, that God had a miracle planned. I prayed & prayed & prayed because God was the only thing keeping me afloat. I was encouraged by amazing women and men to keep seeking The Lord. That next week, which seemed like years, came and my appointment was cancelled because of the snow storm. I rescheduled for the next week, it was cancelled again because of bad weather. I thought "WHAT IS HAPPENING?! Why do I have to deal with this? This is not supposed to happen to me. Bad things are not supposed to happen to me, they happen to other people, not me, right?" Wrong. We eventually found out that we miscarried our six week old baby.

I wish I were dreaming. I thought maybe I would wake up from this horrible dream I was having. My dream was reality. So real that it stung every other minute of every day. It still stings, but not as often. Only because God was holding my hand, IS holding my hand. This has to be part of His plan for my life. This has to give Him glory. This has to bring me closer to Him. I have to learn something from this. Because that is the only reason we are here on this earth. For those four things. That is the only explanation.


You know when something is happening in your life and almost everything you hear reminds you of your situation? Well, for the next month, at church, the pastor's messages were all in relation to what I was going through, loss and weakness. My women's Ruth Bible study is based on loss, love, and how to deal with grief. I am in a book study as well and we are reading about how to discern God's voice and His will for your life, which helped a ton. Women were telling me their stories and how they had miscarried once too. Either before of after having their healthy children. Oddly, this gave me hope and was actually comforting to know that I wasn't alone. This didn't just happen to me. God was surrounding me with people and situations that were encouraging, comforting, and eye opening. God can be glorified in such a seemingly horrible situation. I can share my story and maybe help another woman or women who have suffered the same thing. I can share that I found comfort in a few verses and that God helped me through it. Because He did. He helped me get out of bed in the morning, attend my Bible studies, talk to people and admit that I am weak. But when I am weak, He is strong. 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

I wasn't going to share my story. I wasn't going to let people know that I am weak. If you know me at all you will know that it is very hard for me to admit when I am wrong, weak, or sad. I don't cry and I don't cry in front of other people. I have felt the urge to share what has happened for a few days now and am finally taking the plunge so that I can officially keep walking forward. Miscarriage hurts mentally, emotionally and physically. I am hurt. If I would have turned away from Him during all of this I know for a fact I would not be okay today. I can say with confidence that today, I am okay.  Because I have faith that He will give our daughter the sibling(s) she deserves. I have faith in Him and He knows the desires of my heart.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

I will never, ever forget him or her, this is something I will hold onto forever. I am sad that I'll never get to hold their little hand or kiss their chunky little cheeks, I'll never rock them or teach them how to walk, I'll never get to look at them and tell them I love them. But I do know who will be doing those things for them, Jesus.

Touchy Feely

First Things First

My sister, soon to be brother in law, and nephew came to town to good 'ol Atlanta at the end of January. Rightfully so, I was so darn excited I almost peed my pants. I love them. So much. We went to fun lunches, laughed, played, kissed, & hugged. The not so fun part was that we all got trapped in the oh so cute Snowpocalypse of Georgia 2014. Holy crap was this annoying. Who knew 2 inches of snow could cause such chaos and havoc. People were literally abandoning their cars, peeing on the side of the road, and eating at that last gas station that was open in town because everything, and I mean everything, was closed. Even McDonald's. We were stuck for SEVEN hours. That trip downtown to IKEA was still totally worth it. Right Cailin? ;) I am counting down the days until I get to see them again FOR THEIR WEDDING in May. My wittle sissy is getting married! Shes getting married to a man that we love & we are veddy excited that he will be a part of our dysfunctional family hehe.

Studying By Choice

I have also started an AWESOME Bible study at our church about the book of Ruth. I didn't know it two months ago, but God led me to this study at the most perfect time in my life. Sometimes I am just in awe of how great He really is. Okay, I am all the time. I have gotten in the habit of writing down verses that really jump out at me and tug at my heart strings. A recent one is from Galatians 6:9: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." -Emphasis from Kelly Minter. I look at it as though life is like a barley harvest. We have to sow before we reap. All of your things may seem really REALLY bad right now, but we have got to put in the hard work and prayer before we can reap the benefits God has waiting for us. Personally, I am so looking forward to reaping what God has waiting for our family. He is forever faithful.

I Have A Job

I have started watching an almost one year old. Brilynn had a hard time getting used to him aka sharing with him, but now she loves him. Maybe because some of my attention is now off of her to give her time to do something sneaky... I love that I can work at home. Which brings me to my next thought...

Can I just say how thankful I am that I can be a stay at home mom?

I am beyond thankful that I get to teach my daughter all day long. I actually know what she is doing, who she is with, what shes eating, how shes feeling, what she likes to do, how smart she is, who her friends are, teach her manners, teach her about God, give her hugs and kisses, etc. The list goes on and on and on. I have been on both sides of the spectrum. I had my first "big girl job" after college and my daughter went to an all day daycare. It was a great day care and they truly care about the children, but its not anything like her mommy or daddy. It broke my heart that some stranger knew more about my daughter's day than I did and that she would cry when she would get dropped off daily. Even during the day while I was at work I thought about her and wondered what she was doing or feeling and I was so sad that I didn't know the answer. I commuted one hour each way to work, so I had to leave before she even got out of bed. By the time I got back into town it was 6PM. We got home, she ate, and went to bed. Then we did it all over again. Day after day. Thankfully my hubby worked in town and could be there if she needed him and at least she got to see him in the mornings and after day care. Eventually I started to dislike my job, the job I had ALWAYS wanted, because I couldn't see my daughter or spend any time with my husband. These two things are more important than any job, I didn't realize what I was giving up by being a working mom. I didn't want to quit, because: 1. I am not a quitter & 2. because we had a mortgage to pay for, on top of a rental at the time. After what seemed like an eternity of driving back and forth, my husband got a promotion in Atlanta and we were moving within a month. This was a huge sigh of relief on behalf of our family & I could stay home with our daughter. Now trust me when I say this, we DO NOT have bookoos of money and cash laying around. THE SECRET to being a stay at home mom is that we have a budget, we coupon, and we don't buy meaningless crap. Most people do not know what this means but with a lot of prayer and Dave Ramsey, we make it work. This is a very condensed version of the story but without God and his perfect plan, we would not be where we are.

I am not discrediting moms who work, nor am I saying they are bad moms. Some moms are called to work and it is Gods plan for them, but it is not God's plan for me and He has given me so much darn peace about it. It's amazing that even as little as three years ago if you would have asked me if I would rather stay home with my kids or work, I would have said "WORK!" so loud and so fast it would have knocked you off your chair. The Holy Spirit convicted me and my feelings. He called me to be a mother and that is what I am bound and determined to do through Him.

Yep, there are those of you who are saying "OMG SHES CRAZY my children are nuts! I wouldn't be able to do that all day!" I do go crazy. I go crazy a lot. There are some days where I just miss talking to an adult. I get sick of saying "No" or "please stop breaking that" or "WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT?!" or threatening my child so that she will just sit down for five seconds without destroying something. At the end of the day when my daughter is finally asleep I sit down for a minute and remember all of the kisses, laughs, hilarity, and times where she surprises me with her smart, smart brain and I smile :) It's worth it. Because she will be out of the house some day and won't have time to finger paint with her mom anymore. She will be out with her friends, playing sports, going to school, dating boys and just living life based on what my husband and I taught her (hopefully). She won't be staying at home with her stay at home mom. I want to treasure and extend every single moment while she is still willing to kiss me in public.

I still tell my mother in law that shes crazy for home schooling her children, but when God has a plan for you and you never thought you would do X, Y, or Z, He will give you the tools to do His will.

I don't want to leave out all the single moms out there. You all are rock-stars. Single moms have to work to support their families. They have to be the mom and the dad. If any of you know a single mom & you get to be a stay at home mommy, HELP THEM OUT. Watch their kiddos for the afternoon so she can go to the store by herself. Bring her a meal so she doesn't have to think about dinner after work. Do something. We are all called to love one another & these are simple things that can change lives!

 Personal Thoughts

Looking back on my life thus far, the concept of God's plan couldn't be more true. Every single struggle, laugh, and celebration has been because that is what God wanted me to do, feel, and get through. He doesn't make mistakes. It has been almost exactly one year since I have been baptized as a Christian. This past year has been the most enriching & spiritual year of my entire life. I know who I am and am comfortable with who Brittany is inside and out. I am blessed to have peace, comfort & joy. I feel like I am finally me. I feel free.