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stormieariel 2016

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

A Letter to My Firstborn

A Letter to My Firstborn

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I always knew if we were fortunate enough to have more children, I wanted to write an open letter to my daughter before she took on her new role as a big sister. This letter has been a lot harder to write than I initially thought; not because I do not know what to say but because there is so much to say and I know this letter will pull out all the emotions. However, that is my purpose of this letter - the purpose of this blog and the monthly updates - is for my daughter (and other children) to have a small glimpse into my mind of how much they are loved and cherished and that they will always have a piece of me once the Lord calls me home.


Dear Sophia,

As I sit here to write this letter, I look at your picture and see your beautiful smile. Oh how that smile gives me such great joy. How you give me such great joy. The Lord is so so good and I am so thankful that He would even allow me the opportunity to be your mother. What a great charge it is to be on this journey of motherhood with you as my daughter. You teach me more about myself and about the Lord every day, every second. Your curious yet cautious nature is amazing to watch and that is what makes you a great leader. It is what is going to make you a great big sister.



You certainty are a natural born leader. Mommy knows how difficult it can be to ring in that leadership ability (mommy has that trait too, haha) but mommy and daddy will do our best to cultivate your ability unto the glory of God so that it doesn't lead you into trouble or misusing that ability on your baby brother.



Your attention to detail and sense of awareness is absolutely amazing for your age. You catch on to things so much more quickly then we even realize so I know adjusting into this new role as a big sister may be a little tough at first but you will fit into your role quickly and will enjoy loving on your new baby brother.



Most of all princess, I know you will be the best big sister because you love playing with others especially other kids. Seeing the joy and excitement on your face when your favorite people are around playing with you gives us such great joy that we knew the best gift we could give you, with the Lord's will, was a sibling. It will be an adjustment going from just us three to a family of four but I cannot wait to see the bond you will have with your brother.


ps. Mommy promises to always make a special date for just you and I so I can enjoy one on one time with my favorite girl.


I love you princess.

Love,
Mommy


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Monday, October 9, 2017

Bump Date | 37 Weeks with Baby No. Two

Bump Date | 37 Weeks with Baby No. Two

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I decided to document our pregnancy as a way to get all my feelings and emotions out and to later look and remember this beautiful time in our lives while noticing the differences and similarities with our first pregnancy. I hope you enjoy if you decide to follow along on this life changing journey.
We had an appointment earlier this week that included an ultrasound and baby boy looks really chunky with a huge nose, haha. My doctor also did a pelvic check to see if I have made any progress especially since having false labor last week but so far I am not dilated at all but baby boy is at least head down. Blood pressure is also still doing good, praise the Lord! However, our ultrasound did show that I have extra amniotic fluid and that baby boy's tummy is measuring big which is a typical symptom of gestational diabetes so my doctor told me to be strict on my sugar intake and carbs from here on out which honestly has been extremely hard. 

We also now have our hospital bag 90% packed which I shared our checklist with you all here on the blog last week. I also started having back pain again so I used my ring sling as a support belt for a few hours and that seemed to help quite a bit. 

Baby boy is still moving but it seems his movements are more so to stretch out as my stomach looks deformed but there are also times where he still balls up into my left side and that is where I have gotten majority of my stretch marks. With my pregnancy with Sophia, I barely got any stretch marks and they were all below the bikini line but this boy has stretched me out so much that I have a ton on the left side and a few on the right side. I have mixed emotions about them honestly but I am trying to be confident in them hence so many bare belly shots lately.
More Bump Dates from this Pregnancy:
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Friday, October 6, 2017

Infant Wardrobe | What You Really Need

Infant Wardrobe | What You Really Need

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After having one baby make it to toddlerhood and only using clothes she was gifted instead of splurging for more clothes, we found the magic number to make a capsule wardrobe work especially since babies are constantly growing the first year. These numbers are suggested for each sizing stage but ultimately it will vary per a child as some babies grow faster during certain stages then others. Also note that clothing before 6 months is typically in better condition since babies are not eating solids yet so those sizes typically stay nicer looking longer which allows you to rotate through them more often.

14 bodysuits/tops

My personal ratio would be around 10 bodysuits and 4 tops but really any combination of the two would work depending on your personal preference. Having 14 suits/tops allows you to be able to maybe make it to two weeks without washing clothes just depending on how much your little babe spits up or how many blow outs he or she may have but this amount will, at the very least, allow you to wash once a week instead of having to wash multiple times in one week.

2 rompers 

Rompers can be a great step up outfit than the typical bodysuit which is why I recommend having two in your baby's basic wardrobe. If you have a girl you could easily do 2 dresses instead of 2 rompers or 1 dress and 1 romper. Again, it is about your personal preference and style.

2-3 sleepers

For some reason, I see people recommend having like 7-10 sleepers but we did not find that many necessary at all, even with all the blowouts Sophia would have. We were able to make it fine with each sizing only having 2-3 and still only having to wash once a week. Also, I dressed Sophia everyday after waking up whereas I know some people do leave their baby in the sleeper all day so that could be the difference in why others suggest having so many. Therefore my suggestion would be to start off with 2-3 sleepers and see how your lifestyle goes from there with a new baby and add more to your collection as you see the need. 

3-4 pants/shorts

Having a few shorts or pants or even leggings and skirts will help complete the bodysuits and tops and making full outfits for when you are out of the house and you don't need a ton since you can just mix and match them.

1 sweater (season/location specific)

This item will depend on where you live geographically and what season it is. We live in South Texas and it does not get cool until maybe November so only 1 sweater is needed but really even then we could just get a long sleeve bodysuit or shirt and it would work just fine.

1 jacket (season/location specific)

Again, it just depends where you live and what season it is. We don't experience cold weather until January but even then there is no guarantee you will need an actual jacket because a sweater could work just fine. If you live in more colder regions, you may want more than 1 jacket that have difference thickness or even a full snowsuit. So just be mindful of where you live and what the weather is like and adjust your needs accordingly.

1-2 hats

Depending on the season, will determine what type of hat you may need for your baby. Is it summer? Then go with a sun hat to protect their head from being sunburned. Is it winter? Go with a beanie that covers their ears to keep their heads and ears warm. Are they a newborn? Most newborn sleepers come with cute matching newborn hats, just don't let them sleep with the hat as it could become a suffocation hazard if it slips off their head while sleeping.

1 pair of crib shoes

As you will notice, I don't have socks on the list because if you have crib shoes then socks aren't really needed. I recommend getting a neutral pair that can match with everything in the baby's wardrobe. We personally love Freshly Picked moccasins and it helps get baby use to having something on their feet so when they get older, you don't have to fight with them about having shoes on. Funny story is we actually have to fight with Sophia to take her shoes off because she wants to wear them ALL THE TIME. Which is a good problem to have.

Most importantly, just keep in mind of the climate and location and your personal lifestyle and adjust the numbers as needed. And keep in mind this list is for a capsule wardrobe, if you want to add more dresses and rompers or suit and ties then go for it!


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