Little Jungsters

Me & Liz with my niece, Mikayla I almost can't tell the story about my sister and I being raised by different parents without sharing the crowd pleaser, as it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Long story short, I recognized at a young age that my mother  was not a good {moral} person.  I was so embarrassed by it, and more so I knew that I needed a strong support system to reach my goals, and she wasn't capable of providing that.  So, about a year into my parents divorce I began expressing a desire to switch custody. Within the first year of my parent's divorce my mother met and married another man.  Terrible idea, but no one asked me.  He was a former minister and removed from the Methodist church as he had cheated on his wife with a Russian order bride.  At least that was my eleven year old understanding, and that didn't come from my father-- whom refused to speak poorly of my mother and further disobeyed me to do so.  This man ...

What to pack in your hospital bag can be quite overwhelming.  I remember searching a number of websites for inspiration, but in all honestly your instinct isn't far off.  Pack what you think you'll need, sure... the rest will be provided. So, what did I pack?   While some of the items I packed were truly packed with selfish intention (read: photo props) the remainder of the items I tried to stick to necessities.   I do recommend touring your hospital or birthing facility prior to your main event, as they will inform you of the items they will provide.  My theory on this was, "I'm going  to reach my deductible anyway- why not utilize the hospital for all the necessities they would provide for "free" and save my stuff for when we return home."  I used the hospital bill to bank roll small purchases (like a hand pump) or items I was considering, but wasn't sure I would need depending on my labor and my child's preferences. This wo...

When considering this post I wanted to be sure to be authentic and share some items that we truly love and use daily, and I didn’t want to limit (or stretch) myself to a said number of items. Some of these items are more pricey, so I’ll share how we went about securing them for discounts. I’m a bargain shopper- the influx of expenses surrounding bringing a baby home is quite a lot... my advice, pace yourself. Snuggle Me (Organic)- A snuggle me is basically a pillow with a hammock like suspension center for babies to sleep in. It’s unique shape mimics the comfort of mother’s womb and makes the baby feel secure. Sebastian has slept in the snuggle me every night since he was a week old. For the first month of his life all his naps ans bedtime were in the snuggle me. We have two covers so they can be rotated when washing occurs. Also, an added bonus is that the pillow itself can be tossed into the washing machine and dried in the dryer without damaging or destroying the integrity of...

Our hospital did not have a photographer that took fresh baby photos, so Micha and I researched Pinterest (where else?) for some ideas to try on our own. Here’s what we came up with... Once we were home I knew I wanted newborn photos, but the professional price tag was a bit more than Micha could be convinced to fork over. He made a deal- he would take the photos and if I didn’t like them we could hire someone else- needless to say, I liked his. More so because he took them.            What Mama doesn’t need a Christmas pajama photo? Sebastian was one month old here and still super scrunchie and snugly.   Sebastian has really grown in the last two weeks, and looking back at these photos already make me a bit sad he's not so tiny.  This isn't looking promising for him as he only continues to grow.  Basically he's a grown man already. {sobbing}