Lacie

Two years have come and gone. Just like that my first baby is a toddler. Atticus broke the mold when he was born. He has taught me so much. Shown me a love I have never known, how to think outside of the box, but most of all to slow down.

When Atticus was born, I remember taking in every little detail of his features. His hands, feet, eyes, nose, all of it. I told myself that day to not take one moment for granted because soon I would look back and miss that very moment. How true are those words today? I love the phase Atticus is in right now but oh how I miss his baby days.

Ander is growing just as fast. For some reason the second one grows a lot quicker than the first. I sat in the hospital and inspected the same features on Ander but did not realize I would blink, and he would be two months just like that.

Time is inevitable. It waits for nothing or no one. We are all so busy and get caught up with life and our everyday routines. We quickly forget to take in every moment and slow down to enjoy the phase we are in. I know firsthand that is it so easy to miss the beauty in a moment because I am looking for the next thing that must be done or the next load of laundry that must be folded.

Atticus knocked me of my tracks this week when he said “Mommy, lay with me and hold my hand.” Normally, he likes to have someone lay with him while he drifts. But most of the time he curls up and falls fast asleep, but this day he wanted me to stop what I was doing to give him my undivided attention.

This moment is proof that I move too fast. That I am missing precious moments with my boys that I will never get back. He showed me that he and Ander still want my attention and need those extra moments of love. When I question if I am a good mom or if the house is in order, I will remember this day and remind myself that the laundry can wait… but my boys cannot.

When life gives you too much to handle or you are so caught up in everyday tasks. Remember to slow down and enjoy every second because they so quickly become a memory and one day you will look back and wish you would have paid more attention to the little things.

Because in the end… that is all that really matters.

“Slow down the pace so you catch all the beautiful details.” – Unknown

The older I get the more I realize how important your “circle” is. As a woman, it is hard to find other women who truly lift you up and root for you no matter what. I never understood the saying ” it is better to have four quarters than 100 pennies… until recently.

Unfortunately, I have learned the hard way, not everyone who is in my boat is rowing the same way. I have found some of them are pouring in water instead of rowing. What I mean is just because someone claims they are your friend or supports you, is not always the case. Being a woman is hard. We are constantly having to keep up with what society thinks we should look like, what we should eat, how we should raise our kids, and the list goes on. But we do not need friends who are not really rooting for us to be added to the stress society has already placed upon us.

When I moved to Michigan, I was terrified of having to meet new friends… especially after I had kids. Mom friends are scary, and I mean this in the sincerest way. Finding moms who think like you or understand that sometimes life is a three-ring circus, is hard! I had this preconceived notion that all moms were the same and I did not fit into that group or I was not good enough. But thankfully, that was proven wrong.

A prime example happened a few weekends ago. I had to attend a wedding with Nick. I love weddings and seeing the groom’s face when the bride walks down the aisle, however, this wedding was different. I did not know one person (except the bride and groom.) That is all fine and good right? Except Nick was in the wedding and I had to be a guest alone. Little did I know five strangers would become friends in a quick amount of time.

These five women made me feel like I had known them for years. Even when they told stories I felt I was a part, even though I was not. They proved that it is okay to have faults and not have it all together. I realized sitting at the table, sharing a bite of every doughnut offered, that these women were the epitome of class.

Thankfully, I decided to attend the wedding and overcome the anxiety of walking in alone. Because if I would not have attended… I would not have met these gems.

Cheers to Michael Jackson, dancing to “Shout”, and pretending we were in high school again. You ladies are the real MVPs.

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” A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.”- Proverbs 27:9

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Being a mom is one of life’s greatest blessings. Challenging? Yes. Tiring? Yes. Rewarding? Absolutely. Everyday a new obstacle is faced and challenges presented. However, the constant rewards and love make everything worth it. I always dreamed of having children but never realized I would potentially be raising two beautiful boys. I envisioned myself being a mother but did not fully understand what that title truly meant…. until now.

Raising children is a constant battle. A battle between wanting them to stay little but wanting to see who they become. Wanting to be their best friend and biggest supporter but also to teach them discipline and respect. Every situation and circumstance creates an opportunity to teach and mold them to the adults we want them to be.

When Atticus was born, I quickly realized every decision I made, every reaction, and the way I spoke became extremely important. I now had a little one watching my every move. With this, the way I handled myself changed. The way I spoke became more understanding, reactions became more subtle, and decisions became well thought out. This changed even more when Ander was born.

I am responsible for raising these two precious boys. It is my responsibility to teach them about Christ, that people make mistakes [and that’s ok], to walk away from people or situations that hurt them, and to love like there is no tomorrow. But one of the biggest responsibilities is to raise and teach them how to love and respect their future wives. One day they will leave home and be husbands to two women that God has chosen for them. Even though they are little, I pray everyday for their future wives.

Two hair-bows are in picture frames that I look at daily to remind me to pray. These two hair- bows remind me to pray for the women God will send to love my boys. Specifically I pray for them to be women of faith, strong in who they are, but mostly to love and respect Atticus and Ander as I do. Do I think they will have trials? You bet. But I pray God has chosen two women who will stand by their sides regardless of the circumstances that may arise.

Oh how I long for Atticus and Ander to stay little and innocent forever. But oh how I look forward to seeing the strong, handsome, christian men they become. Because I know without a shadow of a doubt [regardless of the trials]… they will always make momma and daddy proud.

For years people would tell me how much they dreaded turning thirty. There was so much negative energy with this milestone birthday that I actually started to tell myself how bad it was going to be. The closer it got I realized, thirty, it is just another number. Yes, I would be a year older and would leave my twenties, but why not make this a positive experience instead of a dreaded one.

The months leading up to my birthday, plans were being made and the invitation list was being created . It was then I realized what really mattered in life and a huge party was not on that list. Instead, I wanted to be surrounded by my best friends and family who support me, lift me up, and who I share my highest of highs and lowest of lows. My best friend offered to have the party at her house and so the planning began. The weekend started with family flying in from Michigan and friends driving from north Atlanta all to be with me on this milestone birthday. We sat around and laughed at the memories we all shared and in that moment I realized how thankful I was for these people. The ones I could always turn to and depend on. To my surprise a video was also created with stories and memories from my family and friends who couldn’t be there. I was overwhelmed with emotions and gratitude because I didn’t deserve any of this.

Little did any of them know ( until 4 weeks later), I was expecting my second child. So not only was I celebrating turning thirty, I was also “secretly” celebrating another milestone that was never supposed to happen. I was pregnant again… naturally. Some thing doctors told me would never happen. But there I was pregnant for the second time without any help… except the fact God had a bigger plan. I would catch myself emotional and teary eyed every time I would think about all the blessing that kept presenting themselves during that weekend.

Life can be so overwhelming at times. We all go through storms thinking we will never see the rainbow after. But in reality, God always has a plan, His timing is always perfect, and faith is a rock we should all lean on. My faith has been tested many times but turning thirty showed me just how much God can bless us if we just trust and have faith in Him. Will the road always be pretty? No! There are times I find myself drowning and wondering how to pick up and move on. But God has never failed me and His divine plan has always proven He always keeps His promises and never leads us astray.

“What you are “looking” for and what God has planned to give to you could be two completely different things. Don’t become lost on your journey and loose what He may have already placed right in front of you.”- Unknown

 As a mother of a seven month old, I understand the words teething and no sleep. I also understand how they correlate. Many people have asked me what I do for Atticus when it comes to help while teething. Below I have outlined five ways to help a teething infant.

1. Infant Tylenol. I know. I know. OMG! I give my child medicine. Yes I am not one of those typical millennial moms who refuses to give their child anything other than organic items. After all who doesn’t like a full night of rest? As always contact your pediatrician when it comes to usage and dosage.
2. Baby Banana Teething Toothbrush. Seriously! Why didn’t I think of something like this? This teether is perfect for infants during teething. The white neck is ribbed which is great when Atticus is chewing and it helps with his itchy gums. The handles are also perfect for his little baby hands and teaches him how to hold onto things.
3. Sophie the Giraffe.We do not leave home without Soph. Atticus loves her. He chews on the legs for hours. This teether is great for those days when your infant needs something to bite on to get relief. Sophie has also become Atticus’ snuggly buddy while sleeping in the car.
4. Teething Necklace. These are amazing and so cute. Instead of having your little one chew on your fingers (yuck) or your clothes, this is a great alternative. These are also great for gifts to a mom-to-be.
5. Snuggles. How many moms can really say they get too many snuggles? None! I have found when Atticus is teething he will cling to me more. He likes to lay his head on my shoulder and snuggle. Bring all the snuggles if it helps my baby boy. Skin to skin contact has been proven to calm an upset baby. If your little one is having a hard time due to teething, try skin to skin and see if it will help soothe your baby.