my baby sister is having a baby

My big sister and I hosted a shower for our little sister last night. She is due with her second little girl in just a few weeks, so it was fun to celebrate with a few of her dearest friends.

While laying in bed fighting off a breast infection a few weeks ago, the theme for the shower came to me:

A P R I L S H O W E R S B R I N G M A Y F L O W E R S

We wanted everything to be really flowery and springy with a yummy salad, crusty bread, special sweets and time to honor the mommy-to-be.

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{invitations}

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{flower pin favors}

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{garland}

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{gifts}

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{fresh flowers}

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{the food}

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{me, my sis, mom, and little girl}

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And just because I think they are some of the cutest maternity photos, here are a few that were taken last week of my sissy, her husband and the most darling soon-to-be big sister {hope you don’t mind, sis!}

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some current wants

this is how i want to dress:

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dahliasash4

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love it.

{all images from emersonmade}

It’s a sunny day

My mom taught a song to the boys:

“It’s a sunny day, it’s a sunny day, it’s sunny outside so we can go out a play. All the little children say ‘hip-hip-hooray!’ It’s a sunny, sunny day {boom boom}”

Most days when it is unexpectedly sunny {quite frequently, I’m afraid}, we all break out in song. Today was one of those day.

GORGEOUS.

So we headed outdoors.

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I realized that since having our little girl, I really haven’t photographed my first three loves. So I grabbed the camera and snapped a few shots of our beautiful day.

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We met up with my mom and her wonderful husband for a lakeside lunch.

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Then ventured to another park to meet up with cousins. {Note: it was only 68, which is really a nice spring day, but certainly not warm enough to be shirtless – unless you are 5 and you really don’t care}.

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My silly six year old found posing for the camera quite entertaining. He had some awesome poses.

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Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. We loved today.

Unfortunately, I think we’ll be singing the “It’s a rainy day” version of the song tomorrow.

i can’t live without …

well, actually, I can’t live without a lot of things {God, my family, chocolate}.

Instead, I should call this, I COULDN’T BREASTFEED WITHOUT …

because, truly, I don’t know what I did before this invention.

My very good friend created this brilliant undergarment. I wear one everyday.

I am pleased to introduce you to the

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This little wonder is much like a tube top, only it is worn under your bra line. It doesn’t seem too impressive upon first glance, but believe me, it is amazing.

Here are my top three benefits:

1. It keeps you all tucked in. We all know that after expanding incredibly, a stomach takes quite a while to go back to normal {if ever …}. This is just tight enough to slim you without the uncomfortable squeeze of wearing spanx.

2. It hides the beautiful reality of back fat.  Have you ever sat behind someone who is breastfeeding? Ever noticed that no nursing cover can quite cover a mamma’s side and back? You lift up your shirt to feed your baby, and out pops the flab leftover from growing the precious darling. Not something I’d like to show the world.  An empire tank is worn under your bra so that when you lift your shirt, you keep your torso covered by the tank. IN.GEN.IOUS.

3. Do I really need another benefit? I’d say the first two are enough. However, I will also say that I love supporting my dear friend. She has worked tirelessly on creating a company for moms, she is creative beyond belief, such a thoughtful friend and great mom. I think supporting other companies created by moms is one of the best things we can do for each other.

Check out her little company video {shot at my house! How fun it was despite my nasty nausea at the time}

Rae has generously offered a 25% discount on any of her AROMMY products.

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{the smib – part smock, part bib}

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{another product I can’t live without once my kiddos are eating real food. And just look at that little cutie in the orange shirt – my darling no. 3}

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{stationery}                                                                                                                                                 {flowers}

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{door bumper. Yet ANOTHER one I can’t live without. No more slamming doors}

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{placemats}

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Visit AROMMY’s blog. If you’d like to place an order with the 25% discount, please email rae@armommy.com directly.

affirmation and a necklace

First off, thank you to all the sweet women who commented on my last post. I debated about whether this was the right place to ‘journal’ and I think after reading your comments, it was.  After I pressed ‘publish’ I said a prayer that somehow my total honesty would make some sort of impact on someone and that ultimately God would be glorified.  I hope that both have occurred.

Sometimes I just need to write out my thoughts and process through things so that I can get past it, so thank you for being my listening audience. It seems like this idea of unrealistic expectations is something that I am not the only one struggling with which, believe me, feels good.

I was doing my bible study last night {yes, night, not morning like I thought I should do} and it put into words just what I needed to hear. Paul writes:

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

That is good, yes?

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On a completely different note, I am not really a jewelry girl. I generally wear my wedding ring {my great-grandmother’s and I love it} some fake diamond studs, a watch and this:

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About two years ago, I searched and searched for tiny charms that I could have my boys’ initials engraved on.  It was hard to find such little ones, but etsy came through for me.

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When I got the package in the mail I cried. They were perfect. One little charm for each of my darlings.

Once we named Audrey, I placed my order {kathrynriechert.com} and was delighted once again when I received the tiny package.

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So now my necklace is complete.

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My FOUR darlings.

I sort of wish it spelled out something cooler than ebma, but we weren’t really thinking about my necklace when naming our first three {it was, ridiculous as it sounds, a consideration when naming baby no. 4 – that’s just kind of how I am}.

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It is petite and makes me happy.

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