Why I Use a Nursing Cover

Growing a baby and breastfeeding are two of my biggest accomplishments. It simply amazes me how God designed our bodies to not only offer a safe environment for our little ones to grow and develop, but also produce life sustaining milk that surpasses anything that can be made in a factory. 

I knew even before I got pregnant with Little A that I wanted to breastfeed. I am proud to say he never had one drop of formula. Now this isn't to say if you formula feed or supplement that I look down on your choice, personally, this was just something I wanted. 

I am so thankful for our nursing journey. Little A had no problems latching and my milk supply came in strong. He nursed until he self weaned at 10.5 months. My goal was a year but it became evident at that point in time that he was losing interest and that was ok by me. 

I used a nursing cover in public and plan to with baby girl come February. I in no way, shape, or form think nursing is a shameful thing or whatever other negative stigmas that may be associated with it. My reasons are simple. Breastfeeding is N.O.T sexual by any means. I can't stand hearing people call it such. Breasts are dual purpose body parts, purpose (breastfeeding) and pleasure (sexual). So while I don't believe breastfeeding is sexual, I know my breasts are part time. I personally don't believe any other man should know what my chest looks like. Little A was not a focused eater. He would nurse, pull away, babble, nurse some more, then pull away again. I would have been extremely uncomfortable being exposed during all his unfocused moments. Some moms can skip the cover, yet stay covered up because their little one never unlatches. This was not the case for us at all. My cover also helped my easily distracted baby focus on eating. If we were at church or in a crowded area, I could slip to the back of the room, put on my cover, start nursing and he would have a calm, less distracting environment to nurse. I will add that I have seen a lot of negative comments lately depicting using covers as making your baby hot, excluded, or whatever else. Little A never showed any sort of resistance or discomfort from the cover at all. If it had made him uncomfortable, we would have found another solution. 

Using a cover or skipping one is a personal preference. It all boils down to what you are comfortable with and what works for you and your baby. I pass no judgement on moms who choose differently than I do. It is their choice, their right, and I respect all opinions. Breastfeeding truly is an amazing gift we can give to our babies and I think moms everywhere would be more comfortable if we just gave each other a pat on the back for doing it, not scold their different technique. 

What are your thoughts on nursing covers? Did you have a good or bad experience using them?

Happy Birthday!

Little A is T.W.O!! Every year, I plan to write him a letter on his birthday and eventually print them all out and give them to him. Year number 2, here we go.

My sweet boy,

Time has flown by. It feels like yesterday we were saying how we couldn't believe you were 6 months old and here we are, officially in the toddler zone. 

It's been so interesting seeing you turn into your own person. You are very independent, strong willed, and adventurous. I love that you aren't afraid to try anything. It makes me scared most days but I envy your care free spirit. 

You are exceptionally bright. I know every mom probably says that about their children, but even your Doctor says he can't believe how advanced you are. Speaking in sentences, memorizing pages in your book, being able to count to 10, knowing some of your alphabet, you blow us away.

We have had some major changes with the new house in a new town and your baby sister's arrival rapidly approaching. This has caused a bit of separation anxiety and a new level of clingy but we are working through it. These changes have made you cling to Charlie even more and I am appreciative of your bond with each other. Who knew a dog could calm a screaming toddler down so fast?

I see these little sparks of a grown up in you and while they make me a little sad, they also make me excited to see the future you. You remind everyone it's time to pray when we sit at the table to eat. Your need for independence is a little hard on this mama some days, but I appreciate it all the same. During your first "Mission Conference", when the preacher was getting all fired up and shouting, you started clapping and shouting back with him, future preacher? We will see.

You are such a joy. Every day I make sure to tell God thanks for you. You have changed the way I view every thing. You are so creative and adventurous and you have made me come out of my comfort zone. I owe you so very much my boy. Thank you for all the smiles you provide, the laughs, and even the days of tears, they are teaching me so much. You are my greatest adventure, and I am excited for what this next year will bring. 

Happy birthday love muffin, here's to making year number two full.

I'm alive!

I am alive!

 I can't believe my short blogging break turned into a 5, almost 6 month break! 

We have many new exciting changes in our little family.

1.) We are expecting baby #2! We are so thrilled.

Currently 24 weeks, due end of February 

2.) We bought a house. It's a 1940's cape cod and we are slowly but surely remodeling just about every room. My Pinterest account has been in serious over drive. I can't wait to do some posts to show you our progress.

3.) Litte A will be T.W.O in 2 days?!?!?! Insane right? 

Be on the look out for lots of posts coming your way soon. Just wanted to give yall a brief update and let you know that I did NOT fall off the face of the Earth. I hope yall stuck around and again, thanks for your patience.

Happy Halloween !

Little A | 18 months

This blog was actually started as a way of capturing all things pregnancy and baby related. I have glanced back at my posts from his first few months and thought "No way, I don't remember that." I am SO glad I decided to write things down, it's so easy to forget the little things or what his sleep pattern was like at first. And when it comes to my baby, I want to remember every.single.detail. Good, bad, and ugly, I want to be able to remember his nap times when he was 2 months old, his height and weight percentages, his clothing and diaper size.

Let's play catch up since I haven't done a post about his milestones in quite a while.

Ice cream date

Little A still loves to sleep. He sleeps in his own room. He absolutely REFUSES to co-sleep. I have tried to let him sleep with me for a little while when Mr. J is gone and Little A wakes up, cries, and pushes me away. This boy needs his space when he sleeps. He is binkie free as of 3/31/14!!!! We cut the tip of the paci, gave it to him, and he was done. He just decided he didn't like it or want it and that was that. The first night he woke up and cried and asked for it but it wasn't a hard adjustment at all. He still has to have blankie to sleep. He goes to bed around 9:30-10:00, and sleeps until 8:30am. He takes one nap a day, usually around 12:30-1 and sleeps for an hour and a half.

He still does sign languague. He will sign more, all done, ready to eat, drink, and please. Usually as soon as he is awake and I go into his room, he signs "ready to eat".

At the Homeplace, I HATE character shirts, but he is obsessed

His vocabulary is so impressive. He is so smart, it blows me away. I love the way he pronounces some words, it's too cute. Words he can say: mama, daddy, charlie (char-yee), dog, milk (mook), apple (bapple), banana (nana), drink (gink), cracker, cheese, turkey, hot, blankie, shoes, socks, pants, cup, ball, Nemo (memo), cars, Sulley (Monster's University- Su-yee), no, love you, Annie, Brittni (Britt Britt), Grana, Pawpaw, Papa, Nana, Mimi, moon, stars, flower (gower), diaper (bi-per), cookie, outside (side), night-night, sun, ketchup (kes-up), teeth, eyes, nose, mouth, belly, ears, cow, duck, bird, kitty, church, cross, bible, Jesus (jeeeeee-sis), book, hat, flower (sowder), tree,  "eat it" (usually when he is sharing his food,aka, food he doesn't want to eat), "Daddy, are you?", bye-bye, moon, stars, orange, berries, baby, uh-oh, Mike (from monster's university), ball, bunny, and yuck. Animal sounds include : tweet-tweet, mooo, woof (oof), meow, oh oh ah ah (monkey)

Easter Sunday

His favorite snacks are cherry tomatoes, cheese, turkey, and oranges. He is still picky about his veggies, if we put something green on his tray, he immediately says "yuck", but we are working on it. He loves to eat eggs, spaghetti, chicken, cheese, sweet potatoes, and all fruits, especially apples lately. Since receiving his Easter basket, he also likes to ask for candy, but only gets it on a rare occasion. 

He is OBSESSED with brushing his teeth, he will cry to do it. He also loves cleaning his ears. Weird right?

His favorite thing in the entire world is to be outside. It doesn't matter what we are doing, he just wants to be outside. He usually asks to go out as soon as he is done with breakfast. He still loves to play with balls. He has a small basketball hoop and grabs his basketball and says "hoops". He also loves to color, play with his cars, and his favorite movies are "Monster's University" and "Cars". "Nemo" is a close third. He LOVES to read. We read every morning but all throughout the day as well. His favorite books are still "Duck and Goose: It's time for Christmas", "Duck and Goose: Let's find a Pumpkin", "Thank you God", "Goodnight Moon", and "Listen Up, Pup".

Being a toddler comes with a certain amount of mischief. We woke up the other morning to the sound of him running around his room. He has successfully climbed out of his crib TWICE! He loves to play with Daddy's cologne and won't leave the house without a squirt on his clothes. He has been known to throw several important things away, like my phone and his cups. He is also notorious for dumping Charlie's full water bowl on the floor to splash in. Overall, Little A is a great baby toddler. He usually listens very well, uses his manners (please, thank you, welcome), and has such a sweet spirit.  I still can't believe he has been entrusted to me. 

• Weight - 23 pounds 4 ounces (15th percentile)
• Length - 32 1/2 inches (50th percentile)
• Head circumference- 18 1/2 inches 
• Diaper size - 4
• Clothes size - He wears 18 month tops, and still needs 12 month pants, even some of those are too big. He is a long, lean boy. 
• Favorites- playing outside, wrestling with daddy, playing "hoops", and "Monster's University"
• Mommy's favorite moments - It's so hard to decide but I would have to say our morning reading session. After breakfast, we read for about 35 minutes, I love the snuggles and seeing him so excited to read.

Total Truth Thursday | All things domestic : Grandma's knowledge

Welcome to our seventh Total Truth Thursday! Thanks to all of you who have linked up every week and shared your heart! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about!

Before we dive in and link up, here are a few reminders:
1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started!

Today's topic is all things domestic!

Confession time! When we first got married, I absolutely LOATHED the day-to-day tasks of housekeeping. I loved the fun decorating part, but the upkeep, blah! Oddly enough, it is something that I have come to kind of rather enjoy. Nothing makes me happier than whipping out the steam mop and making my floors sparkle. I love folding fresh out of the dryer clothes. We don't have a dishwasher, the two hands typing these words are solely responsible for getting them clean.

 I can remember my Grandmother saying 3 things consistently when it comes to housekeeping. I'll share some of her wisdom. 

1) "A man with a wrinkled shirt is a sign of a lazy wife."

Yowza, let that smack ya one good time. Growing up, I thought this was derogatory. As an adult, I totally believe this 100%. I am so very fortunate to be a stay-at-home mama/wife. My husband works hard and we made sacrifices so this was possible. If I don't work outside of the home, my home is my job. It's my job to take care of things, including my husband. I have known several stay-at-home wives who don't work, inside or outside the home. If your husband is working so you can stay home, the least you can do is give him a clean, relaxing place to come home to.

Now before you start thinking I'm a 50's housewife, I understand that means your house won't be perfect. I can tell you we have plenty of days here where Mr.J walks in the door and laundry is piled on the bed, the dishes need to be done, and Little A's toys are covering every square inch of the floor. But I do make it my goal to do my best around here so Mr. J can just relax and be glad to be home. He does help me with things around the house when I need help, he isn't above starting some clothes in the wash, helping with dishes, or picking stuff up. 

2) "Your house should always be ready for unexpected company."

Ever had someone call and say "Hey can I stop by in about 10 minutes?" and you start freaking out wondering where you can shovel all of your stuff so it appears clean? My hand is raised. (See #3 for more, they go hand-in hand)

3) "A little goes a long way"

Grandma said, doing a little each day goes a long way.  To make this somewhat possible, I made myself a cleaning schedule. I have assigned tasks for each day. They all take around 30 minutes. 30 minutes each day to have a clean house. It's not hard, it just takes getting into a routine. It's less hectic knowing only 30 minutes are put into this instead of one extremely long day of playing catch up on chores. 

I will close with this, take joy in your home ladies. I thoroughly enjoy taking care of my family. It's service, to them and to the Lord. I love knowing I get to make them healthy food everyday, they have clean sheets to sleep on, clean clothes to wear, and a nice place they can relax. Don't set the bar at perfection, you will burn yourself out without obtaining it (for longer than 5 minutes of course). Serve with a joyful heart. For me, dishes seem to be my least favorite, but when I do them, I either listen to praise and worship, or listen to a sermon or speaker, it makes it fun. Instead of thinking it as a burden to have to clean up, try being thankful instead. Hate the dish, thank God for food to dirty them up. Hate doing laundry? Be thankful you have a family to wear the clothes and a washing machine!! It's all about attitude

Total Truth Thursday | Parenting: Call Me Old Fashioned

Welcome to our sixth Total Truth Thursday! Kelsea and I started this link-up in hopes that it will be successful in creating a safe environment for us to share our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts- however strong, against-the-grain, mainstream, or out there they are! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about! 

Before we dive in and link up, there are a few things that you need to know:
1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started!

Today's topic is kids/parenting.

Parenting seems to be that ONE topic that gets every single person fired up, super judgemental, and closed minded. I am doing todays post a little differently and just hitting on some bullet points. Before you read, you need to know a few things. These are MY opinions. Yours are probably different. I will NOT judge you, you are entitled to parent the way you see fit, and I the same. I respect your opinion, please respect mine. Now let's get this ball rolling. 

1.) I believe in spanking.

(Insert gasp) You read that right. I was spanked as a child and it had some side effects called discipline and respect. It  caused NO irrational sense of fear, neglect, hate, or a knack for violence. I am THANKFUL my parents spanked me. I didn't get near as many as I deserved. I was a very strong willed, stubborn child but the idea of a spanking from daddy could turn me into a sweet little angel in 5 seconds flat. Little A is no dummy. When he goes to do something he knows he is not allowed to, you will hear him say "no no no", because he KNOWS what he is doing is wrong. He will get a spanking (let me assure you, it is a smack on the bottom, not a violent rage of lashes), then I get on his level, explain "it is mommy's job to keep you safe, if mommy says no, it means no. We must listen to mommy. I love you" We hug, he gives me a kiss and everything is all gravy baby. 

I will add that when we are playing outside, Little A likes to wander to the edge of the driveway and get close to the road. His ball when into the road so naturally he chased after it, only he didn't see the van coming down the street, I ran towards him and yelled "STOP" and he immediately, without hesitation, stopped. It took us a few days and a couple spankings before that event for him to learn when mommy says stop, it means stop. His obedience saved his life.

2.) I DON'T believe in co-sleeping.

(insert ANOTHER gasp) The closest we ever got to co-sleeping was me dozing off during a mid-night nursing session with him in our bed. Little A refuses to sleep with anyone anyway. My thoughts on this are simple. I believe co-sleeping causes a co-dependency. Little A knows, if he wakes up in the middle of the night, Mommy will be right there. But he also is confident in his ability to sleep alone. I have a friend who co-slept until the age of 2. Her son is now 8 and still isn't able to fall asleep by himself, she has to lay down with him. He doesn't have the confidence in his ability to go to sleep by himself. I also think co-sleeping is dangerous. I know this is such a touchy subject. If you co-sleep, I am in no way passing judgement. That's your kid and your right to choose, have at it. But it doesn't happen with us.

3.) We Vaccinate

Having a mother, stepmother, and sister in the medical field, you better believe we do our research. This was no question for Mr. J and I. I was vaccinated growing up, so was he. I think modern medicine can be a HUGE blessing. Of course, I believe God is the Great Physician and I have personally seen him preform medical miracles. Little A is up to date on all of his required vaccinations. While getting the shots are NOT fun, I am always thankful after. I know this is also a HUGE debate today, but personally, I like to do anything preventative I can. 

4.) Little A NEVER EVER EVER goes out in his jammies.

(Thought I would lighten the mood a little ;) )  Even when Little A was first born, if we went out, he had clothes on. It wasn't necessarily jeans, sometimes it was a cute little sweatpant outfit, but he has never in his entire life been out of the house in his PJs. Why? It is just a pet peev of mine that I really don't even know how it got started. We have had some early morning breakfast dates and Mr. J will suggest that I just let him go in his PJs but it has yet to happen. Now Little A has some pretty adorable jammies that people would just eat up, but for some reason, I just can't seem to let this go haha. But fear not, if you bring your child out in jammies, I will not judge, just smile. 

There we have it folks, just a little list. I hope you aren't passing judgement too harshly and are accepting of our differences of opinions. I think it's funny how my co-host in the Link-up Kelsea wrote today how she is against spankings. We have different view points but I respect hers and admire her as a mother. Never forget, God gave you instincts specific to you, and your child for a reason. Do what is best for your child and yourself. Keep an open mind and spread LOVE not judgement. 

At his 1 year check-up, before vaccinations

Total Truth Thursday | Modesty: Both Ends of The Spectrum

Welcome to our third Total Truth Thursday! Kelsea and I started this link-up in hopes that it will be successful in creating a safe environment for us to share our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts- however strong, against-the-grain, mainstream, or out there they are! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about!

Before we dive in and link up, there are a few things that you need to know: 

1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started!

Today's topic is modesty.

Modesty is a lost art these days. Today's trending fashion is quite frankly, way too exposing. Crop tops? You mean long sports bras. Shorts? I'm pretty sure I have underwear that cover more than these itty bitty short impostors. 

I can't raise my hand saying I never took part in the shortie shorts epidemic. In middle and high school, I wore short shorts, bikinis at the beach, and etc. Looking back, it's quite embarrassing. There is a link to those "bad boys" I dated and the way they treated me, and how I dressed.

I've also been on the total opposite end of the spectrum. When Mr. J first surrendered to Ministry work, I felt that I (like all traditional Baptist's) had to do a complete 180. I wore skirts 24/7 for a short 4 months because that's what I thought was expected of me and what I had to do.

This is where personal convictions come in. Do I think wearing skirts and only skirts is bad? Not at all. Do I think I can wear pants and be modest, absolutely. I can be cute and fashionable without showing the entire world every square inch of my body. I respect my husband and the fact that my body is not just my own. It's pretty disrespectful for me to show every other man out there a lot of skin. That's for my husband's eyes alone. 

I want my son to grow up seeing women for who they truly are, their inner beauty. Not how well she looks in daisy dukes. My purpose in life is to glorify Christ in ALL things. I want Christ to be proud to call me His daughter, I want to represent my church, my family, and myself in a respectable way. 

The long and short of it is modesty is only as boring as you make it. It's a personal choice that you set the standards for with God's guidance. Present yourself as you want others to see you. Be ladies and set the standards high. 

                                                                                               photo credit