M A G I C in a bottle.

No I'm not referring to wine- although I do think that also falls under the category of "magic in a bottle."

I'm talking about YLEO's. Young Living Essential Oils.
My dad first introduced me to them about 6 months ago. He purchased his from the local drug imperium because they were cheaper than most brands and easily accessible. He then persuaded me into trying them and I was a huge skeptic...like no, dad these silly oils that I rub on my feet and temples and wrist will not get rid of my sore throat...and I was right. They didn't.

                                                         ----BUT----

Although I did not get the results I wanted with that brand I very much liked the idea of oils as an alternative way to heal/maintain health. So I did some research and ran across the Young Living brand and immediately knew I wanted to try them. (I'm a compulsive shopper it's a real problem y'all) But I am SO glad that I am because they actually DO work. Let me tell you some things I have used them for...

STUDYING

-Okay so I am a full time student who has recently been cramming for finals (y'all pray for me) and the first oil I purchased was Clarity. It promotes a clear mind and alertness. I used one drop on my finger and rubbed it on my temples and behind my ear every Monday, Wednesday and Friday before my class and I noticed a difference. Now before you shake your head and call me crazy why don't YOU do some research. Or not. You can just take my word for it :) A study performed at the university of Cincinnati found that inhaling this oil increased mental accuracy in students by 28%. Pretty cool huh? My classmates and I diffuse this during our study sessions and we LOVE this stuff.

SLEEP
 -If you're a parent you are probably rockin' the same sleepy eye-bags like me. But we wouldn't have it any other way right? Unless we COULD. Well ya CAN. And even if you're not a parent you can't tell me you don't love your sleep. Lavender is commonly known for its soothing properties but it is the most versatile of them all and really no home should be without it in my opinion. I diffuse 5 drops of this and 5 drops of my other favorite sleep enhancer Peace & Calming with water at night in my room and Presley's room. Works like a charm. I also rub it on the bottom of her little baby feet as well :)

HEALTH
 -People your health is a SERIOUS thing!!! Why not take every precaution you can and avoid visits to the doctor/sick days at work? I didn't actually purchase this oil at first. A friend of mine allowed me to borrow hers for a few days when I had an awful sore throat. It was so dry and sore and came with a pretty nasty cough. I applied the Thieves oil to my throat/chest area, the bottoms of my feet and diffused it for 2 days and BAM it was gone! **Here's a quick piece of info for your trivia file: This oil was named after thieves who were stealing from homes of those who had died from the plague. They covered themselves in cloves, rosemary and others to keep themselves from getting sick** They also have hand sanitizer, wipes, household cleaners, all kinds of stuff with this oil. I love it!



Y'all these are just three ways I have used these oils in my everyday life but there are SO many ways you can incorporate these oils in yours. Here is my Pinterest page with all my go to "recipes" for oils! https://www.pinterest.com/connielauren92/yleo-magic-in-a-bottle/

I am receiving my starter kit here in a few days and I am SO SO excited it's crazy! I got it as an early Christmas gift (Thanks Gare) so I will have a few samples if any of you are at all interested let me know!

I will end by saying this for those of you who think this is some sort of "voodoo". I firmly believe that there are forms of medication that are God given. Such as these oils. Before we were blessed with the power of  science, medicine and technology people had to use things from the earth. They couldn't go down the street to Walmart or Walgreens to get Nyquil or Vicks. They used what was GOD GIVEN.

Presley turns •O N E•

On October 1st of 2013 God gave us a baby girl who was PERFECT (still is) 

 

She was definitely a surprise and we were not 100% prepared for the way our lives would change but we are so happy they did! Each day we fall more and more in love with her and learn new things EVERY day! 

We celebrated her first birthday October 4th and I wanted to share it with y'all ;) 

Her crown is from a shop called Londy Lou on Etsy and the girl that makes them can customize them to fit your needs and wants! 

Her cookies were AMAZING y'all! They were yummy and so cute! I received lots of compliments! Briar Garcia out of Lubbock, TX made them and she is so talented and can do any theme you need! She is on Facebook and Instagram! 

Her invitations were also ordered off Etsy from a shop called Trendy Butterfly! She had all kinds of formats to choose from and you have the choice of printing them on your own or having her print them for you. Very cute and affordable :) 

Her "Birthday Babe" onesie was ordered from a shop called Lola and Darla! They have TONS of cute clothing! Most of it has glitter on it like this birthday onesie but it actually stays on through the washer and dryer and isn't irritating to the touch! 

Alicia Junod out of Lubbock, TX took our maternity, newborn, and one year pictures and she is awesome! She will even drive to Plainview if need be! So talented and fun to work with. She is always so patient with Presley when it comes to trying to get a good picture and truly enjoys what she does! Christmas is just around the corner and her hot chocolate mini sessions sell fast! Contact her on her Facebook to book an appointment! 

Her cake was really cute and very good! I probably should have ordered a smaller size but--- it was from united and they did a GREAT job :) and obviously cheaper than most places. Especially since they will just smash it up anyways! Her highchair was mine from when I was a baby and my sweet mom was nice enough to paint it this very pretty pink color called "pale pink" from Mccoy's. Turned out great! 

I always joke and say my mom is a mild hoarder but it turns out her hoarding tendencies come in handy! She used this rocking chair for all 3 of us and had it painted by our cousin Leigh Ann Bradley! She paints all kinds of stuff! She can be contacted on Facebook under the name "Leigh Ann Lawson Bradley" she's very talented! 

All of these wonderful things we were blessed with were very cute but of course they are just materialistic. What's most important to us is that we have had Presley in our lives. This past year has been so life changing to all of us. That sounds so clichè and I know that but it truly is LIFE CHANGING to have a baby. She is the absolute light of our lives and we love her so very much. 

All about that treble.

http://youtu.be/7PCkvCPvDXk 

"All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor has a catchy tune with an awesome beat that is sure to be stuck in your head for days! It's definitely one of my shower jams....

Well when she says "bass" she's referring to her figure or "curves"...now don't get me wrong I love that this song is promoting self confidence! And I'm a fan of Trainor's. 

But if you know me I'm not...uh...a "BASS" kind of gal. I'm 5'5. Size 2. Lanky. And rock my chicken legs. I'm what the song refers to as T R E B L E. Which is just as important and beautiful as bass. Right?! Wrong. According to the song she's "bringing booty back.." And also says "tell them skinny b****** that" ANDDDD...refers to skinny women as "stick figure silicone Barbie dolls" 

Whoa. It just got real. 

And let me say AGAIN---love love the song. And I take no offense to it. I sing along in the car/shower shamelessly. I just think the song is doing the opposite of what she intended it to. You can't encourage one group of people by putting others down. 

I mean why can't we be all about that treble? AND bass?

She also says her momma told her that "boys like a little more booty to hold at night" okay.....don't we have enough songs talking about women's bodies being acceptable for men? Enough. 

& I'm living proof not ALL do. My fiancé likes my flat backside just fine. (Or pretends to anyways. Thanks hun i appreciate that) ;) 

So ladies I guess my point is this: you're ALL beautiful. Bass OR treble. 

Just saying.

                     •WARNING• 

this is a very whiny/complaint filled rant. But I'm a woman so naturally I'm allowed to do that every once in a while...here it goes-

If you're a young mother, you feel me when I say this: 

It rrrreeeeaaaallly gets me all hot and bothered when people have the nerve to take time out of their day to walk over to me at the grocery store, or restaurant, or pool, or wherever, to compliment on how adorable Presley is and immediately follow it with this question "Is she yours hun? You look way to young to have a baby!" no no no...they aren't asking me that because they actually think I look young. They are asking me because they're-for a lack of better words-judgmental. 

*eye roll* 

.....uhhhhm yes she is mine and yes, captain obvious, I am young. Most of you are probably reading this and thinking to yourselves "geez chick relax it's a compliment to be called young..." And some people do mean it in a polite way (or at least i think they do) but the real problem I have with it is what 90% of people do next.... 

Take a very quick (very obvious) glance at my hand. My LEFT hand. In search of a ring. And when they see I'm wearing one they look shocked. Presley is 10 months old now and this happens to me almost EVERY time I am out and about with her. Look, before I go any further let me say I am a Christian (a proud one) and I will be the first to admit I did things a little backwards, yes, but I'm no different than you. You are not my competition. And if you're the type to notice a young mothers left hand before anything else (including the little miracle sitting in her shopping basket) well then you'd be in the same boat as me my friend. 

We ALL fall short of the grace of God, people. But don't be so quick to judge because it is not your place. 

Alright that's all... 

Carry on :) 

10 things no one tells you about pregnancy

First off let me preface this by stating that I was 20 when I found out I was pregnant. So I really had no clue about the changes that were going to happen mentally and physically. 

     

  •And I wish someone had warned me•

Ya know as soon as you announce you're pregnant people start bombarding you with well wishes, advice, and tell you things like "pregnancy is such a beautiful miracle..." and don't get me wrong it is a miracle. But it ain't pretty I'll tell ya that much. They fail to tell you about the not so beautiful parts. So here's a list of things that no one tells you about pregnancy. 

1.) Prenatal vitamins are very important for both mommy and baby during pregnancy. Everyone hounds you to take them religiously. But no one warns you about how sick they make you. I mean the burps you get from those things are awful! And they're these big ol honkin pills that are a pain to swallow. Literally. I had to chop those suckers in half. And because of all the extra iron in them they constipate you. REALLY constipate you...which brings me to my next point: 

2.) Hemorrhoids. Ever heard of them? Yeah I bet you have. But as a 20 year old I had not. I won't get into great detail about the joys of hemorrhoids because it's a pretty gross topic but I will tell you this...whatever you do DO NOT take the mirror down there. No matter how curious you are about what they look like and you can't see over your big belly. 

3.) Shaving. Grooming your lady bits will be nothing but a distant memory. By the time summer rolled around I was already 5 months pregnant so my belly was getting bigger every day. Which made shaving my legs impossible. Let's just say I spent most of the summer in maxi dresses. 

4.) Potty Breaks. The baby growing

in your belly doesn't care that you're in the car and 20 minutes away from the nearest restroom, or at the movies and trying to squeeze the both of you down the aisle so you can pee-for the hundredth time, or that you're trying to sleep and have already got up numerous times to empty your bladder, all the baby cares about is stretching/kicking/getting comfortable inside of you. Even if it means squishing all of your organs. 

5.) Sleep. Or lack there of anyways...sleeping on your belly is not an option when you're pregnant, obviously. And all the baby books, Lamaze instructors, and doctors tell you not to sleep on your back because the baby squishes your siatic nerve which is painful. So that leaves you to sleep on your left or right side. But your baby will be the deciding factor on how you sleep or don't sleep. After all the baby has to get comfy too right?? The side you sleep on will depend on what side the baby decides to put his/her head. Body pillows will be your new best friend. 

6.) Emotions. Your hormones are R A G I N G during pregnancy...one minute you're happy, one minute you're sad, one minute you're angry, one minute you're hungry, sleepy, etc. It's like you're bi polar or something. And here's the kicker...even AFTER you give birth-your emotions stay the same. And maybe even worse than before. It's crazy. Just like your new personality. 

7.) Pop.....goes your belly button! You pretty much don't have a belly button when you get pregnant. It pops out and morphs will the rest of your stomach skin. And just when you think you can't stretch anymore-you can. 

8.) Eat a corndog-get heartburn. Eat a starburst-get heartburn. Drink a water-get heartburn. Basically every single thing you eat will cause heart burn. And I'm not talking about your regular uncomfortable burning. I'm talking about painful, never ending, chest & throat on FIRE...heartburn. And it continues up until the day you give birth. Yay! 

9.) Birth. Now here's where it gets REALLY FUN! Luckily I didn't have to go through any contractions. I had an emergency c section. So let's talk about that for a sec...your adrenaline is going 90mph so you hardly feel the spinal tap. But you do feel them tying your hands down. And you can hear your skin popping when they pull the baby out. The healing progress is grueling. I had 22 staples and sneezed in the recovery room. Worst pain of my life! You aren't allowed to leave the hospital until you have a bowel movement or at a minimum pass gas. (Also painful) And you still bleed which means you get to wear diaper like pads the size of Texas. They also require you walk around the delivery floor at least once before you leave. Uhm hello nurse I was just sliced open from hip to hip and am very sleep deprived does it look like I want to go on a little stroll?? 

10.) Nobody tells you how absolutely positively in love you fall with your new baby. Because no one can reay explain the feeling of meeting your baby. You love their little fingers toes hands eyes bellybutton nose-even their little butt is adorable. And I will never forget the smell of Presley's breath the first time I held her. It was the smell of nothing. I felt her sweet little breath on my face but it didn't smell like anything! Just a fresh brand new life. It was truly incredible! As soon as you hold that precious little miracle you forget all about the negative side to pregnancy. 

       Okay jk you don't forget...haha! 

BUT.....it all becomes 100% worth it. 

CO SLEEPING!

First off let me start by sharing our experience with co sleeping. We were very blessed to have a baby who was perfectly fine with sleeping on her own. Notice I said 'WAS' fine with sleeping on her own. 'WAS' as in past tense. As long as I rocked her for about 15 minutes into a deep sleep she was totally fine with being layed down in her crib and would sleep there peacefully all night (minus waking up for feedings) until almost 4 months old when she got her first cold. She was so congested poor thing. Every time I layed her flat she would choke on her drainage and it would FREAK ME OUT!!! This lasted about 2 weeks and after the first few sleepless nights I gave in and put her to bed with us. 

Oops. 

So now...at 8 months old she continues to sleep with us. I have mixed emotions about it. I know ultimately it's probably best for her and myself to sleep separately- but I've kind of grown fond of having her in bed with me. 

Those of you who co sleep will understand me. 

Those of you who don't co sleep; don't judge us. 

YES- co sleeping is dangerous. You could smother the child. 

YES- co sleeping is an awful habit to start. When it's time for them to sleep on their own it's a pain in the rear. In their little minds your bed is THEIR bed. Because that's all they've ever known. 

YES- co sleeping is known to increase the risk of depression later on in life. 

YES- co sleeping means that when it's time for baby to go to bed...it's also time for you to go to bed because they can't fall asleep on their own. 

YES- co sleeping decreases baby's ability to self soothe. 

YES- I can't sneeze, roll over, stretch out, talk in my sleep, or do basically anything involving even the quietest of noises for fear of waking her up. 

BELIEVE ME I am fully aware of all the negative things that come with co sleeping. And I would be lying if I said I'm 100% okay with our current sleeping situation with Presley. Buuuuuuut I'm not NOT okay with it because........

1-As a mom you can't tell me you haven't woken up in the middle of the night in a frantic panic wondering "is the baby still breathing?" Well, I enjoy the convenience of having her in bed with us so that when I wake up in those frantic panics I am immediately reassured by feeling her sweet breath on my face. 

2- I'm a sucker for cuddles. And Presley really isn't much of a cuddler but when it comes to bed time she's ready to lay with us :) sometimes she will put her little hand on my face and it melts my heart every time. 

3- In my OPINION (yes this is my opinion and you most certainly do not have to agree with it) I think co sleeping is  a great way to bond! I feel so close to Presley when we lay down for bed and I know she feels comfortable and safe with us. Which is an awesome feeling. 

4- Most people believe co sleeping causes clingy children but there have been a few studies (yes I have actually researched this) that show children who sleep with their parents are actually more independent and thrive better socially because they don't experience any form of separation anxiety...they know no different than constantly having their parents there for them which allows them to trust easily. 

5- Co sleeping has also been known to reduce the risk of SIDS. Carbon dioxide exhaled by a parent actually stimulates the baby's breathing. 

6- And, obviously, it's e a s y. Especially for mothers who are nursing. On fussy sleepless nights there is no getting up and down, rocking her and laying her back down, making sure she has her binki, listening to them cry...no fuss no muss. Just you and your little laying down for bed at night! 

Of course I don't want her to sleep with us forever but for now...I'm okay with it. If there is one thing that becoming a parent has taught me it's this: not being so judgmental. At the end of the day it's not about whether or not a baby is breastfeed or bottle fed. Has organic food or Gerber food. Sleeps with their parent or sleeps on their own. It's about what works best for the FAMILY. Us Mommas are not each others competition. We are comrades. So for those of you out there who are in the same sleeping situation as us: cool. For those of you who are not: cool. Whatever works!  

s u m m e r☀️

My mom is a teacher, my little sister is finished with her junior year of high school (omg just now realizing she will be a senior) and my fiancé has weekends off so that leaves our summer nice and open for some fun! We are so blessed we are able to spend it together and this will be our first summer with Presley. Wahoo! It's crazy-when you have a baby suddenly the word "first" feels proper to place in front of...well...pretty much everything. EX: first time at a restaurant, first time at a movie, first summer, first pair of pink pants, first EVERYTHING. 

I've put together a to do list: summer edition :) best to do list EVER! 

1-SPLISH SPLASH! Buy a baby pool for Presley and watch her splash around in the water. 

2-GARDEN TIME! I would love to start a garden. Nothing fancy. I will start small because I can't keep any plants alive. When I say garden it will probably be more like a single flower or something...but it's something I think I will enjoy and Presley will too! It will help teach her the value of hard work and caring for something. 

3-VACAY! Summer just wouldn't be summer without a little vacation right? We are traveling 8-9 hours to a small town in New Mexico to visit some family! And in July we are going to San Antonio to sea world! I'm 22 and excited about seaworld...judge me. (Although I am a little conflicted about seaworld because I've seen blackfish and I kind of want to boycott them. However, if places like that did not exist we would not be able to experience God's beautiful creatures. Kind of a selfish concept.) There is a zoo about an hour and a half away from us and we'd also love to visit that! So if any of you have advice about traveling with an infant...lay it on me!

4-COOK! The ratio of recipes I have pinned on Pinterest and the amount I've actually attempted to cook is ridiculous. It's like 600 to 0. Now that I've got the time I would love to pick one meal weekly and try it :) and I'll also start small with this one too because I'm no chef that's for sure. 

5-ARTSY FARTSY! I have a baby girl and I have never made a single bow for her....isn't that CRAZY? This summer I want to make all kinds of bows to match her cute outfits! The girl has more clothes than I do! Maybe paint some mason jars...melt crayons on a canvas...get crafty! 

6-CELEBRATE! I have a friends bachelorette party and a few weeks after that I have ANOTHER friends bachelorette party/bridal shower/lingerie shower. And both their weddings are this summer which I am a part of :) YAY! Father's Day is in June and Garrett made my first Mother's Day a very special one so I will make sure his first Father's Day is just as good! My brothers birthday and Garrett's birthday is in July. My sisters birthday is in August. And every day I am alive is a reason to celebrate! Praise God.

7-GARAGE SALE! I recently went through my closet and Presley's closet and found we both have a whole bunch of stuff we don't ever wear! I'm not a very organized person (I'm a little better since becoming a mom) but it felt nice to have our closets nice and clean. We've also got some cool knick knacks we just don't have a use for anymore so I'm ready to get those out of here and earn a little bit of money for it!

8-VBS! One of my friends and I are teaching the 3 year old class at vacation bible school this July and we are both so excited to fill kids minds and hearts with the knowledge of God's love! The theme is "Agency D3. Discover, Decide, Defend" it's like the kids are spy's on a mission to discover decide and defend the word of God so it's going to be pretty fun!  

9-GET FIT! My friends and family always joke about how I'm going to be the skinniest person with the worst clogged arteries because my eating habits are so unhealthy. I want to change my diet and get myself some muscles ;) 

10-BOOM! I don't know about y'all but my favorite part of summers as a kid was getting to watch and play with FIREWORKS! I still enjoy them I think they're so pretty! I'm excited to spend 4th of July with Presley and see if she loves them as much as her momma :) or if they will just scare her...

•hope you guys have the best summer yet• 

 

Just a lil bragging

Have you ever ran into someone you haven't seen in a while and felt obligated to have an awkward conversation filled with small talk and long pauses?? If you said no you're lying. 

During my pregnancy and since I've had Presley I am back in my small hometown and most of my friends from highschool are away at college and I haven't seen them in a while. One of my closest friends had her bridal shower today, actually she had her lingerie shower and bridal shower today, so I had the privilege of seeing so many of my old friends TWICE in one day. I haven't seen some of them in so long! And it was nothing like your typical "Oh hey! How's school? And life? Oh that's cool okay bye!" type conversations.....it was G E N U I N E conversation. With genuine people at that. 

Here's another question for ya-have you ever sat and thought about how different your life would be if your path wouldn't have crossed with a particular person? If you said no AGAIN, you're lying. As I was sitting there enjoying myself and the company I was surrounded with I really just felt so blessed!!!! Even though I had not seen some of those people in so long it didn't matter. Because at one point our paths crossed. God brought me to them and them to me. Friendships were built, memories were made, and they've lasted. And I just feel.........blessed. 

So yeah I basically just wanted to brag about how awesome my day was and friends are. :)

This is the bridal party which is such a GREAT group of girls. Love em all! 

 

Baby activities

Before I had Presley I was a "I like babies I just don't want one of my own...." type of person. I just always thought to myself "What do I do with it?" Haha. Obviously, my opinion has changed quite drastically! I love being a mommy :) but for those of you out there who are freaked out by babies and wonder what the heck you're supposed to do with them I thought I would put together a list of activities you can do with a 4-6 month old! It's around this time that holding them feeding them and nap time just doesn't quite entertain them anymore. 

1- peek a boo! Babies have an "out of sight out of mind" way of thinking so when you play peek a boo it's like magic to them! You're disappearing and re appearing. They love it! 

2-read to them! I know you might feel silly reading to them when you know they don't even know what you're saying but they love to hear your voice and see all the pictures.  And all the different voices you make while reading help them learn conversation.

3-socialization! Letting your little one be around people, animals, other babies and toddlers may be a scary thought for some of you! It was for me. Mostly because I'm super paranoid that anytime someone touches Presley she will get sick. (That has not happened) she loves to be around other babies and animals! 

4-spilsh splash! Presley loves all things water. She's loved baths since day one. One of her other favortie things to do is sit on the bathroom counter and watch me turn the water on and off! 

 

5-cuddle! Our family doctor has not let me live this down....throughout my pregnancy I always said "Presley will never start sleeping with us." I'm eating my words now. (sorry I'm a cuddler.) They're only little once! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. 

6-playtime! Believe it or not...your baby does like to be put down every now and then. This concept took me a while to understand. Haha. Presley loves her bouncer, play mat, vibrating chair, chewing on her toys, playing with her piano, and tummy time! She also likes when I stack objects and knock them down. Playtime is the best way to keep a baby entertained! 

Of course there are many other things you can do such as go for a walk-babies love the outdoors. Or nap. Everyone loves a nap no matter what age ;) take a drive in the car, listen to music...Presley loves to be sang to. Gonna be a music junkie like her momma! Let them look in the mirror! All sorts of things. Just remember that everything is so new to babies so it honestly doesn't take much to keep them entertained. It just takes a little thinking outside the box! 

Hard work paid off

-Not watching Grey's anatomy because your baby prefers to watch despicable me instead.
-Cuddles on cuddles in an attempt to stop fussing.
-Wiping booties and picking noses.
-Giving your baby a better wardrobe than your own or any other adult you know.
-Annoying all of your social media followers/friends by bombarding their news feed with pictures or videos of your little one. (let's face it every little thing they do is amazing and worthy of sharing with others!)
-Eating only after your baby is fed.
-Sleeping only when your baby is asleep.
-Bathing yourself only after your baby has had their bath.
-Walking around with a sore shoulder and back because your chubby little infant just doesn't want to be put down.
-Turning your purse into a back-up diaper bag.


--I could list a few more but you get the picture.
Putting your needs aside in order to care for your baby is something you WILLINGLY do. Because you love them. Duh. People always told me about those "motherly instincts" I would get after I had Presley or how I would "just know" what to do and I remember thinking they were crazy. Now that I am a mom I realize it's true. You just do what you have to do and you do it because you love your babies-you have since before they were even born; you just didn't know it then. You are biologically programmed to love them.

But sometimes there is a glitch in our programming....our thoughts wander. I don't know about y'all but there are two times in specific when it's just me and my thoughts. 1: the shower. 2: when I lay down for bed at the end of the day. It is during these two times that I do the most thinking. Some things good, some things bad, some things just plain weird-or are they??

I don't think I am the only parent to have had this thought before. I feel like it's actually pretty normal. After tending to my sweet baby all day it's hard not to think that all my hard work is basically for nothing. Yes you read that correctly. No I am not saying that I wish I didn't have to do it. I guess I just wish there was a way she could just be like "hey momma you're doing an alright job of raising me!" I mean she's not going to remember those late nights I rocked her to sleep or played peek-a-boo for an hour straight just because she loved it so much. Think about it- do you remember anything your parents did for you as infants? Nope. You don't. So while I stand under the warm water or lay in bed with just my thoughts I ponder on that exact thought. The other day I was thinking to myself "man, I hope I turn out to be as good of a mom as my mom is" And that's when I realized.....

I don't remember the things my mom did for me but everyday of my life I have felt them. I may not remember every night my mom spent rocking me or playing peek-a-boo but ya know what I DO remember? ALWAYS feeling loved. And that is what makes being a mom so f u n. Just like as moms we are programmed to love our babies they are programmed to love us!

So when it's just you and your thoughts-think about that. Of all the things you are going to teach your baby guess what you have taught him/her within the first few days of their brand new lives without even realizing it? LOVE. And that right there is hard work paid off.

Memories & Milestones

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! 

My sweet little six month old is taking steps. Not on her own. But still. This momma is pretty excited! A week ago I was so concerned with why she wasn't rolling over and now she's ROLLING and TAKING STEPS!!!! This isn't the best photo but there she goes! She was holding onto my moms hands but the steps were all her! 

I mean, as her mom I think every little thing she does is pretty amazing...sneezes, rolls, giggles, grabs, hiccups, even toots sometimes. ;) and for those of you who find that weird-you'll understand when you have babies I promise. But her tee tiny steps today got me a tad emotional. Happy; but emotional. (ever since I had Presley all things make me cry) with every milestone she makes---from her first tiny steps to her walking across the stage at her graduation someday---I will ALWAYS be there. This little blessing of mine is stuck with me for life & I can't wait for the memories ahead. 

Rookie

Hello all! I'm a rookie when it comes to this blogging thing but I enjoy reading some of my other friends blogs so I thought I'd try it out. :)

There are a few other things I'm new at as well.....

1-MOTHERHOOD My boyfriend Garrett and I found out we were pregnant with a baby girl after only a year of dating. I was 21 and he was 20 when she was born on October 1st of 2013. The good Lord just knew what he was doing and although I couldn't see it at the time, Garrett and I were meant to be Presley's mommy and daddy. And she was meant to be our little girl. Everyday we learn something new. It is a constant journey and we love every second of it.

2-BEING A DEDICATED STUDENT There aren't many things in life I would change (firm believer in everything happens for a reason) but my freshman year of college....geez I wish I could go back, slap myself into shape and take my education seriously. Now that I have a child I see now more than ever how important a degree is. I want to be able to give Presley everything she wants. Ultimately, i think that is what every parent wants. During my pregnancy I took one class and passed with an A-praise God! This semester I am only taking two-slowly getting back into the routine of schoolwork. This time around I'm actually attending school, taking notes, going home and studying those notes, then repeating the process all over again. So far so good!

3-ENGAGED LIFE Getting engaged is FUN!!!! Especially when it is to your best friend. Things are always fun with your best friend. Who knew so much work came after the proposal though? After all the planning and stress that has come with the planning I'm tempted to just go to Vegas and tie the knot there. It's all about the love between the two of you. Not the wedding. No not really...planning is stressful but in my opinion it's a fun kind of stressful. If there is such a thing. 

Anyways, i am excited to start blogging and share these exciting times with all of you! Here's my life typed up-welcome to it :)