When Is The Right Time?

Once upon a time there was a boy and girl all they wanted was to have a baby. Eventually they did. Then all they wanted was to spoil that one baby forever and ever. Or at least for 3 years. Then all of the sudden the girl became very ill, laying on the ground cursing her morning chai latte next to the toilet ill and 10 months into their sweet spoiled babies life she told the boy another baby was on the way. 

True story! Kaden and I were just fine having one baby. We honestly could not imagine every loving another child as much as we loved Leighton and that just wouldn't be fare to our other children. We were convinced if we were going to have more kids they would't come for a long time. We wanted to have a few years to prepare ourselves mentally and financially for another baby. Clearly someone had other plans for us and we couldn't be happier that they did. Emersyn is loved just as much as Leighton. Our hearts have only grown with the birth of both our girls and now when someone asks when the third one is coming i just reply hopefully soon. Deciding to have children is a huge step, deciding to have more is an even bigger one. It is scary, you already took on a huge financial burden how can you afford another? (Children are financial burdens, sorry) You love your first child sooo much you cant possibly have more love left in your heart. What about your bond with your first and all of the fun things you do together? You just got use to your freedom and figuring out how to handle one, why give that up?

 I totally might offend people by saying this, but because you want your child to be a nice functioning person in society. Really though Leighton would be so spoiled if we never had Emersyn. She is already a handful but she would be a brat on top of it. I know a lot of people are only children or only have one child and that is great. We just personally don't have the right set of parenting skills to raise a good person with out a sibling to help teach them. Thinking of having two babies so close together seemed like the worst/scariest idea ever but guess what? It is the best thing that has ever happened to us. I hopefully will be done having babies super soon and on to a boob job and having my body back and it will be amazing! I am dead serious when i say that too. I also love the bond that Leighton and Emersyn are forming. They really do adore each other and they are close enough in age that they can grow up doing everything together. Choosing when/if to have another baby is very personal though and everyone knows it, but everyone loves commenting or asking on when it will happen. You have to find your own way of dealing with it. I tend to joke with people and say light hearted things like oh i have no idea these two might be enough or I love this one so much i dont need another. People don't need details they just want some sort of response. So give them one and make your decision with your partner and if things dont go as planned, just know it all turns out okay.

  Hopefully you can relate to all of these Baby #2 talks this week!  Check out the other mama's blogs for even more!  And be sure to link up with us below if you also have a post on this.  

Like a Morning Cup of Coffee// From Here to Eternity// The Not Quite Military Wife//

A Cowboy's Life// My Delicious Adventure// Sadie Sky Boutique// Meet the Sullivan's//

Love and Life//  Foxy's Domestic Side// Everyday Love// Life of Faith

Aug 14:  Deciding when the time is right for baby #2 (and/or how to handle these questions)

Aug 21:  Tricks for eating out with your toddler

Aug 28:  Feeling confident as a mom (How to feel this way, Your struggle with, etc.)

An InLinkz Link-up

Life is Beautiful

As I stood in my living room this afternoon, bouncing Emersyn to sleep I felt overwhelmed with a feeling of comfort. For that brief moment I knew I was doing exactly what I am meant to do.

Ever since I returned home from Nashville I have felt a little lost and out of place. Camille and I decided that it was best if she was the sole owner of the store. I am happy with the decision we made but it doesn't make it any easier. For the past year it has been all I have thought about, worked on and dreamed of. I even forgot I was pregnant because I was so focused on the store. What an adventure the past year has been. I have grown in ways i never knew i could and learned so many things that will help me in any direction i decide to go from here.

Since we won't be moving I feel a need to really find my place here in Utah. To make friends and feel at home with where we are. Hopefully this will be easy for me. I have started planning a redo of our entire house. Last year we spent several months making it ready to sell, now I'm going to take time to make it a place we would like to live.

I am dreaming of new endeavors, planning big things for our future and truly focusing on the two sweet spirits I am blessed to call my daughters. Every day has seemed special and like something was missing at the same time. In my quiet moment earlier i realized for the first time that i didnt feel a need to check my pocket for the store phone. Simple, yet comforting. I have the opportunity to be a mother. I have always wanted to be successful in whatever profession i ended up in. I never only wanted to be a mom. Now i can see how much i misunderstood the role of a mother and how getting to only be a mom is one of the greatest blessings any woman can be given.

Devoting my time to my home, my husband and my daughters is fulfilling. It is not always easy. I need a lot of practice in it. But being home and completely focused on my family truly allows me to see just how beautiful life really is. 

Motherly Advice {Being a Holy Woman}

A couple of weeks ago I read the most eye opening little book. Now if you aren't religious don't go running when I say the title is How to be a Holy Woman. This book fell on my head (literally) around Christmas time when I was looking for gifts for a few of the special women in my life. My mother in law passed it on to me after she finished with it. Basically it was about asking yourself what holiness means and how to help yourself to become a holier person.

What did I take from it? What are my priorities? Do i focus on them? How can I use my time for better rather than for useless things. 

I realized if I am going to be better I need to be present in my daughters lives, I stay home with them but it is so easy for me to stick them in front of the tv and focus on the home, work, and working out. While those things are great too they are not what is most important. I need to take time to focus on my childrens needs. 

I also need to work on supporting my husband. I have talked about this a lot. Lately I have felt very upset with how severely under paid he is. I tell him constantly to ask for a raise, his job doesn't appreciate how hard he works, and that they'll never let him move up where he is at. (Even though it's all true) I need to stop. I need to let him know he is a hard worker, that I appreciate how hard he works for our family and that if he is happy with what he does, then I am as well. 

Being a wife and mother is not always easy. I tend to feel like I'm always trying to "keep up". This is the last thing I am going to be working on. If I want to be holier or just better in general, I need to quit comparing myself to others and measure myself only against my past self. Have I improved from where I was a year ago? I'm not sure. But i plan to track my progress this way from now on.

Now on to my advice to you. What do you think a holy woman would do? Are you doing those things? Are you truly striving everyday to be better? If not, then make your own list. Put what you feel is most important at the top and start there. Everytime you feel that slight question in your mind whether what you are doing is right or not ask yourself will this make be a better person, is this what a holy woman would do? If not, change your course of action. I promise it helps. So far it has helped me to be calmer, to enjoy my children more and to see how simple life can be and still feel fulfilling.