2014 = A year of changes!

I am a lover of food. I have been for as long as I can remember. I don't just love any kind of food...I like anything fried, anything with cheese, and anything that is bound to leave me hating myself the next time I step on the scale haha. My family is from the smallest hick town in all of South Carolina (I say that with love... love and honesty haha) and good southern food is what we're about. We center around it for Holidays/births/deaths/weddings, because food is a comfort in the South. It's so much more than just "nutrients to maintain life and growth" to my family.

Through the years I would make feeble attempts to get "healthier". To me that meant eating whatever was labeled "reduced fat" for a couple of weeks until the scale was back where I wanted it. Then my husband and I decided to get pregnant. I am a planner by nature, so the second I found out I wanted to know everything about pregnancy. And it turns out, pregnancy is not centered around food like I thought. There is a ton of stuff you are not supposed to eat/drink. I was very disciplined and followed the rules my entire pregnancy. A few months and about 25 pounds later I was home with a beautiful little girl and my next research project was figuring out what to feed her. You work to conceive, carry, and birth this little miracle.. I only wanted the BEST for her. Here's where my rambling is going to start getting to a point (I promise). Turns out the more I looked for "the best" the more I realized that it's not sold in our mainstream grocery stores anymore.

The more I started understanding how to read packaging labels and really learning what is in our food, the more concerned I grew. My daughter has been eating organically since birth. First with her baby food. Then it started creeping into our lives (and refrigerator) with her milk and eggs. Then around 6 months she stopped eating baby food, and we started switching our meat and veggies to organic. We were always so diligent about making sure she had the best that for some reason we put ourselves on the back burner. A large portion of it was because of cost. I was convinced we would be doubling our grocery bill if we only shopped organically, and wasn't ready to do that on Army salary. But the more I looked into it, the more I realized it was pay now with groceries, or pay later with our health. Our child deserves to have her dad walk her down the aisle and her mom around to help with her babies. I wasn't willing to risk those things for "comfort" or out of fear of change. The more I showed my husband what I was learning the more willing he was to jump on board with me. We made the switch! And I actually saved receipts from my shopping for a comparison. The difference from my trip to walmart vs. my first trip to whole foods for our entire grocery list was a whopping 30 dollars. And I'm sure I could get that down with some bargain hunting and incorporating our local organic meat farm & co-op that I recently discovered into my shopping trips.

I was feeling awesome with how much effort we were putting into this and how easy the switch was when I started realizing that there were other things in our life in need of a makeover. Our cleaning products were next on the list. I swapped out bleach for a homemade mix with essential oils. Then I swapped out our laundry detergent. Then I swapped out our toothpaste/shampoo/deodorant for all natural products. We are currently trying out some essential oils in place of medication (topically, not orally) and my next step is evaluating my cosmetics/perfumes/scentsy stash/etc.

If I had a few hours to kill I'd write out all the harmful effects of some of the food (and other household products) we are putting into our bodies on a daily basis. I'd explain the damage being done to us and our children because of chemicals used in products and food we use everyday. I can't even fathom how this is LEGAL much less so prevalent, but it is. To put it simply, we are slowly poisoning our bodies everyday and the proof is all around you. In our bread, in our chips, in our cheese, in our tea, in our drinks, in our meat, in our veggies (IN not just ON).

I'm blogging about this because I think that the fact that we aren't experts in the subject makes us easy to relate to. We don't know everything there is to know and we aren't intimidating, so I'd love to have people make changes with us. And maybe learn from our trial and error. I'm including some links below from people much smarter than I that can explain what is in your food, why, and the what it causes.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10504/10-things-i-wish-all-americans-knew-about-toxins.html

http://www.stonyfield.com/blog/natural-and-organic/

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/10-american-foods-banned-countries/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBEFCiWyW0

To use as a reference if you're just beginning to make the switch:
http://food.yourway.net/the-2013-dirty-dozen-clean-fifteen-printable-cheat-sheet/

http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/

http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/7-side-effects-of-drinking-diet-soda

Surviving Deployment..

My, it's been a while! I don't even remember if I've posted since I had my daughter, which is crazy considering she's 14 months old now!
Anyways, those of you who know me know that we're half way through our second deployment and getting closer to the finish line with every passing minute! I get messages on a weekly basis from girlfriends and wives asking how I handle it (or if I have any advice to make things easier) so I thought I'd blog about it :)

1. Make the best of it. Deployment dates move, homecoming times change, missions are run constantly, communication isn't guaranteed, the distance is draining, and if you have kids it's exhausting being super woman from sun up to sun down. You can either find the positives and laugh about the chaos or you might want to go ahead and get some anxiety medication now.

2. Date your spouse again. Seriously... who has this opportunity? My husband and I have been married for 4 years now and when he's home daily, like most couples, we can find some pretty insignificant things to fight about haha. When he's gone, we argue about who loves the other one more. You know, like those obnoxious couples who have been dating for like 10 minutes and think their SO is flawless? Yep, that's us and it's fabulous! Your relationship becomes completely verbal and instead of showing how much you love one another with a kiss, hug, etc.. you have to take the time to say it and explain it. Don't waste the opportunity to reconnect with your spouse.

3. Don't become a nonproductive hermit. That means, don't become so lost in your own little world and stressed out that you never leave your house and never socialize. That is a recipe for insanity. Stay busy with your kids, your girlfriends, your family, school, anything. You are not an extension of your spouse, you are your own person and you will survive on your own. Independence is a great quality and a necessary one in this life. And also, stay on a schedule. It's hard when you're up all day with you kids and then stay up all night because that's when your spouse can talk, but resist the urge to shift your entire life to Afghanistan time. Keep your kid's routine and don't change their life anymore than it needs to be. You're just setting yourself up for a battle when your husband gets home and suddenly things change all over again. Invest in strong coffee and make it work.

4. Make time for yourself & ask for help. I am about as obsessed with my kid as they get. I practically worship the ground her chubby whittle feet walk on and I have no shame. So, I totally understand the whole "can't be without my baby or I might die" thing. It's a little crazy, but I get it. The thing is, you can't live like that for a year. Technically you can, but why the heck would you? Your baby won't miss you (sad isn't it?) and you won't die without 'em (promise)! Even if it's just an hour to clean the house, take an exam, or grocery shop in complete peace. You need some time without your little darlings and with your sanity.

5. DO NOT WATCH THE NEWS. Why did I put this in caps? It might be my most valuable piece of advice. The news will freak you out, it will send you into full on panic attacks, and it will fill your head with the worst of what's going on where ever your spouse is. Avoid it like the commissary on pay day.

 6. Take pre-deployment pictures. Firstly, I am the queen of pictures. My house might as well be wallpapered in a photo shrine to us. You don't have to go that overboard, but this is what you're going to have to look at for the next 9-12+ months. These are what your kids are going to get to see around the house and remember their normal lives by. God forbid ANYTHING were to ever happen...wouldn't you want those last family photos? They don't have to be professional or expensive, just get our your camera and get to snappin'.

7. Buy wine in bulk. Okay, this is a joke. Well, sort of. Basically, get a guilty pleasure. When I've had a long day or my princess is being less than perfect after bedtime I like to settle in with a glass of wine, something ridiculously fattening, and a cheesy Netflix series (think Gossip Girl). 

8. Do little things in advance to make your life easier: Organize, plan, pre-make meals, automatic bill pay, etc. My favorite thing that falls in this category is the crock pot haha. Think this..you've had the day from hell, you've got errands to run, you have a class assignment you need to work on, you just realized you're out of "insert something super important here" which includes the joyous task of lugging your baby in and out of the carseat, and just when you're positive you can't stretch yourself any thinner - you have a hungry baby that wants dinner. And she wants her dinner right.this.second. You can either pop open a can of spaghettio's and admit defeat, slave over a hot stove thinking about the 50 other things you need to be doing, or you could have thrown some homemade deliciousness in a crock pot that morning and just be responsible serving the meal & washing one dish afterward. That's the real kicker... ONE DISH. Doesn't get better that that, it just doesn't. But anyways, this whole paragraph wasn't supposed to be about a crock pot haha. Take one day a week to prep & make your life easier on the day to day. You'll appreciate it on the days where it feels like everything is going wrong.

9. Make a countdown/Set a goal. Obviously you're going to make a countdown until homecoming day, but spend that time trying to reach a goal too! This deployment my goal is to get back in shape. Help the time pass by without just yearning to see your spouse. I think of it like, holy crap! I only have 'x' amount of weeks before I'm going to be naked in crappy apartment lighting haha ;)

10. Be someone you'd want to be friends with or would want to be married to. This isn't all about you. Be supportive when your husband is grumpy after working 15 hours for 15 days in a row. Don't spend every minute whining about how hard your life is without so much as asking how your friends are doing. Be extra patient when your kid starts acting out after daddy leaves. Don't let deployment turn you into someone that you don't know and especially someone you don't like.
 :)

11. Keep your spouse connected: They are away from family, friends, their home... everything they know and love. I take at LEAST one picture of our daughter a day and usually a video a week. No amount of photos is going to make him any less heartbroken that he can't watch her grow in person, but they help. We make chalk board updates and all sorts of little special things! If I were the one gone I would expect the same from him. And don't just stop at the kiddo's, stay connected with your spouse too! Romantic emails, Skype dates without roommates/babies, pictures, etc.

12. Dress to impress for homecoming. This is a personal opinion... but nothing makes me more irritated than seeing someone in sweats/pajamas at a homecoming ceremony. This sounds like common sense, but you'd be surprised how many people show up like that... I'd guess half. Your spouse has been gone for 9-12+ months and all they've thought about is being home with you. Are you really telling me that you can't spend 30 minutes getting ready? I mean I know, I know.. the typical excuse is "My husband loves me the way I am." Well that's great and all, but I bet your husband would feel pretty special if you WANTED to get all done up and give him something pretty to come home to. Just a thought :-)

13. And lastly Don't become a statistic. The amount of marriages that fail during a deployment are unreal. People do things they aren't supposed to, don't make time for one another, and just neglect their marriages as a whole. When you're dealing with two people who are both incredibly stressed out & miles apart with no end in sight that kind of stuff will happen. Deployments aren't for the weak, work to be the exception. Work to be the giddy people who are fighting over who loves one another more. Work on it when you don't feel like working on it, and talk about stuff when you don't feel like talking about it. And not to get biblical… but remember that we're all human and we all sin. It's till death do you part, not until circumstance/mistakes/hard times/neglect do you part. Learn to forgive and learn to love your spouse like God loves you, unconditionally and without fail. 

Hope someone gets some use out of these! I'm going to start vlogging again super soon! So stay on the look out!
 

30 weeks! :)

 Happy 30 weeks to my little sweet pea :)

My pregnancy vlog this week:

This past week has been amazing! Here's all the stuff that's gone on:

Her nursery is finished! 

It only took about two days once we got everything in!
I absolutely adore it!
It is seriously the cutest, girliest, most frilly thing ever :)

We got our 3d/4d ultrasound done!

She is soooo cute!!

I passed my glucose test!

My score was 111!
I didn't realize I was going to take the test that day so I woke up and had breakfast, got sonic on my way, ate some starbucks in the waiting room, and slurped up my giant cherry limeade before I found out I had to take it. Keep in mind you're supposed to fast for before you take your test and people fail for a piece of gum or piece of candy.. so after I took it I was convinced I was going to have to take the second 3 hr one! Turns out everything was normal and I don't! woo hoo!

& I have one of my two maternity shoots tomorrow! :))

It's a boudoir type maternity shoot
I'm pretty excited to step out of the box a little and do something I've never done. Plus..the husband sure was excited to see me find some outfits haha. It's nothing super sexy or anything, I'd say it's more beautiful than sexy. He might disagree;)
This one is just of me... a photographer in the area is adding to their portfolio so I'm just kinda offering myself as her model in whatever direction she wants to go.
Our next maternity shoot is on the 21st for both Jamey and I. I'm gonna have a little more control of that shoot and I'm excited to get some ideas and get creative with it :)

Time is FLYINGGGGG and we're so excited! I think it's so lucky that Jamey and I have our birthdays and valentines day in february to help push the month past and get us to MARCH!
Can't wait to meet our little girl!

27 weeks!!

Holy cow! 27 weeks already?? Cannot believe that next thursday I'll be in my THIRD and FINAL TRIMESTER!!! *deeeeeep breathhh, high pitched squeal, deeeeep breathhh*

I've been crafting up a storm this past week
tutu's
headbands
onesies

baby leggings

you name it, I've been making it or trying to :)

its definitely been making the time go by faster!
Now I'm just trying to keep myself from redecorating her room. I found another crib set that I'm so obsessed with it almost hurts hahaha. I should probably just stop looking at stuff online all together but it's like a sick addiction lol.

I swear during my next video I'm actually going to do my hair and put on something other than a tshirt, haha

anywhoooo... here's my 27 week video blog!

Long time no blog! :-)

Wow it's been a while since my last post!
Hope everyone is doing fabulously! Christmas is just around the corner so since we've been back from our vacation I've mostly been decorating and getting ready for the Holidays! 

Everything has been going wonderful this past month. We had a great vacation and we're just adjusting back to normal life. Farrah started hiccuping on our trip and now we can watch her move & dance around my belly :) Our princess is learning new tricks everyday :)) It's been really cool for Jamey because she's so much more interactive now.. he can push on my belly or talk to her and she'll kick and flutter around for him almost every time =]

25 week pregnancy vlog:

19 Weeks!

DEFINITELY a GIRL :]

Well we got the sex confirmed.. we are DEFINITELY having a little princess <3

We got a video of her to take back home & show our family and got pictures! She's SO big now! And still super active! She was moving all over the place and just being adorable! :)

Jamey with the ultrasound :]

The three lines that show she is a princess :)

Farrah sucking her thumb 

The back of her perfect widdle body!

Side shot!

Mid summersault haha, we have a little gymnast on our hands!

Our first shopping trip afterwards :)) haha

Farrah was happy and healthy! We never got a call back from our doctors office about our down syndrome results. They say that they only call if they find something bad so I'm feeling super relaxed! I love walking in our nursery and not having any second guesses about the sex. It's just so... calming. I've been so super on the go and freaking out this whole pregnancy... now that the gender is definite, the room is basically done, the necessities are purchased, and we're just working on the little stuff, I finally feel so at peace at like I can take it easy from here on out. I do have to say, I'm glad I started early. I used my energy while I had it and now the further along I get, and the more tired I become it's all alright because everything is in order and done!

Next pregnancy vlog: Oct. 27th <3