Sensitive skin.

So, let me tell you something about redheads. We have sensitive skin! Every person in my house has sensitive skin, especially my husband and my 2 month old. 

So what do you do when temps are over 100+ this week? We use honest sunscreen & lotion and have for a few years now. 

I like that it isn't greasy and doesn't have any synthetic chemicals! Don't worry, Ellie has never had sunscreen on her sweet little sensitive skin! She either goes out after the sun has set, uses an umbrella/ shaded stroller & car seat combo or I dampen a swaddle blanket and wrap her up so she stays cool! 

Ellie enjoys relaxing outside and it really wore her out & thankfully she slept 6 hours last night! 

One of our favorite things to do is stay cool swimming and in this house of red heads we try to be as cautious as possible with our skin & this hot summer sun! 

Ellie Mae's Birth Story

This time around we decided to not find out the gender, which was fun and I highly recommend it! My due date was April 28th. I had an appointment that day. I was 4.5 cm dilated, almost halfway there. I must have been contracting, but I didn't really feel it. My in-laws came and picked up our 4 year old to spend the night with them. 

We were all getting anxious and excited to meet our new baby! The next day my parents came and picked up Hadley from my in-laws. They ended up taking Hadley to town & Nolan stayed with me at the house. We started timing my contractions. Once they hit every 5-7 minutes I called the on-call nurse to see what she advised. She of course said to head to the hospital, so we did. 

Once we got there they put me on a monitor and, since I was 5cm dilated and contracting, they admitted me! Wahoo! I knew I would hold that baby soon! 

My nurse that night was really sweet. I told her once they broke my water with Hadley I was in immense pain, so if it all possible I wanted the epidural before they broke my water. She said she would get my room ready and we could do that. Once I got settled in my room the Dr. came in and said, "Let's break your water and have this baby!" I said, "Sure but can I have the epidural first." I think he though I was crazy, but I knew what my body would do. I got my epidural and then he came back and broke my water and it was fine. I had more hip labor than anything. Just constant pain in my hip. About an hour after he broke my water, I was fully dilated and ready to push at about 1:30AM. After pushing for about 25 minutes. I heard the doctor say, " It's a GIRL!" 

Ellie Mae Benge entered the world on April 30th, 2016. She weighed 8 pounds, 15.6 oz and was 21.5 inches long! 

Nolan cut her cord & they placed her on my chest! 

She was another red head.

Apparently, my body makes red haired girls! 😍 I couldn't believe it was a girl! She is our Rainbow baby and I feel so blessed to be her mama! God knew what he was doing when he blessed me with this healthy, beautiful, calm baby girl! She is the sweetest, cutest baby girl & we are all so in Love with her sweet little self! Big sister  is so excited to have a sister! She wanted mommy to have a girl really bad! 

After going through a miscarriage in September 2014, and trying to get pregnant again for almost a year, and 10 months of being pregnant my dream of having another baby was here! She was perfect with 10 fingers, 10 toes she was here. That baby that God designed for our family to love & cherish! 2 days later we took her home!!! 

I thank God for her everyday! Ellie Mae is my rainbow baby and I am forever thankful God choose me to be her mom! ❤️ 

rain

Thanks to my friend Shannon, I have fallen in Love with Cantata Learning books! It's not just me but my own students and my daughter LOVES them! 

Today, is the perfect day for Rain, Rain Go Away! 

Each book for me brings back memories from my childhood and on this rainy summer day it's perfect for grabbing a blanket and snuggling up on the couch with your sweet kiddos! It helps young kids and readers correlate reading and love together so at a young age they develop a love for reading! ❤️ 

Each book has a code you can scan and also CD you can use to listen to the music as you go through the book as well as beautiful illustrations from various talented artists! 

One of my favorite things Cantata does is include 3 Guided Reading activities at the end of each book! 

Visit WWW.CANTATALEARNING.COM for many more books and titles that promote early literacy skills! 

Procrastination at it's finest!

Alright friends! Whose with me? Please tell me I'm not the only one out there that starts a project and takes months to finish! In March, Nolan started painting he laundry room.

Than, the trim never was finished and now it's July!!!! What how did that happen!?!? Today I painted the trim in the laundry room!

Then I put up some curtains I got for $8 bucks & a $12 rug. 

Finally, the grand finale the chevron grey stickers I've had just laying around the house and never used! I think this was a perfect spot for them and thanks to my hubby for helping me put them up they were super easy! 

Happy Wednesday!! This is the room in our house that hasn't seen much attention in the last 7 years and lots of stuff gets put in this room. 

What is your project you want to finish and haven't yet?

30 weeks.

One of my favorite verses about pregnancy is Jeremiah 1:5. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.

It just gives so much hope and light to life and pregnancy that this child will be their own unique human. It's crazy to think I only have a little less than 10 weeks left! 

We did not find out the gender this time around! We want it to be a surprise, so I have no idea if this baby is a boy or girl & that is really hard for me to not know. I am excited to see and meet this little life that becomes so active at night in my belly! 

This pregnancy has been very different than Hadley, but the doctor keeps assuring me all is well. I think I will really feel better once he/she is here! One of my worse pregnancy symptoms are charlie horses at night that wake me from a dead sleep in serious pain! 

Anyone have suggestions on those or calf pain? 

For the last couple months I'm trying to just enjoy the now and not be anxious about all the new changes baby #2 will bring! 

Happy Monday! Have a great week! 

heart.

This little girl is my whole world & as many mama's out there can relate our children have our whole heart. They are our world. 

They also..... Push us, challenge us every single day, and we do things and feel/ say things we never thought we would do or say before we had kids! We need each other, through the struggles and the good! 

I take pictures because plain and simple I want to capture this moment in time because life is short. 

I look back now and realize how much this 3 year old has changed and think... ( she was so little) I don't remember those times and yet she is only 3. I am anxious how she will be as a big sister. What will she do? How will she react when she meets her new little brother or sister? 

Being a mom is something I've always wanted, even at a young age. There are times I am so grateful, thankful and blessed to have this little girl in my life & times I wonder if I am doing what is right for her. Hmmmm.... The journey of motherhood I guess! 😍

teeth.

Since 3rd grade I have had a fear of breaking, or chipping my tooth. I was pushed on the black top at recess when I was in 3rd grade and chipped my tooth. I have had a fake front tooth now for 26 years. We only get 2 sets of teeth and the mouth is a painful and expensive thing! 

At the end of November on a Friday night I was watching fixer upper and making brownies. I left my 3 year old in the kitchen for no more than 2 minutes (letting her lick the brownie bowl) and I hear one of those earth shattering screams from he kitchen. 

I run back to the kitchen and Hadley, the bowl, the chair she was standing on was all on the ground. I immediately noticed the very large, yellow goose egg on her head and begin to comfort her. We sat down on the couch & she reached in her mouth as if something felt weird. She opened up her mouth and I saw my worst nightmare! 

I mean seriously,"Just give me parent of the year" right there. My heart sunk! I just wanted to take the pain away and fix her tooth. I called the dentist to see if there was anything we could do. I didn't think she would lose it in her sleep so we just watched it all weekend and I bought a lot of yogurt, applesauce, & soup! 

Monday morning rolls around and after meeting with our wonderful dentist, we were referred to a pediatric dentist. I wanted to save it, but the dentist told me if the nerve was exposed they can't save it. 

Come to find out the nerve was hanging between the two cracks of the tooth and the tooth was un-save-able. They numbed the gum and pulled out the tooth. My heart broke for her, but luckily she still loves the dentist. 

Mama loves this girl so much. Front tooth or not she will always  beautiful! ❤️ She even did great today at her teeth cleaning! She is a trooper!