Motherly Advice {Oh Deer We've Been Married for 4 Years}

Kaden and I have been married for 4 years now. WHAT!!??

We were married on February 14, 2009 in the Saint George temple for time and all eternity.

Way before Kaden and I ever got married or even engaged I remember driving in his big white king ranch and getting into a full on fight because I said "If I know one thing, my future husband won't be putting a deer up in my house." Obviously that did not sit well with Kaden.

If you know the Leavitt family at all then you would know that they are hunters. My family on the other hand is just from California and was literally in shock the first we saw a real stuffed animal.

For us with arguing comes compromise. It's hard we are both very stubborn and very dramatic. So compromising isn't always easy but it is essential. We have been married now for 4 years and it honestly seems like just yesterday we promised to be together for eternity.

In our first year of marriage we decided eternity would be a very very long time if we couldn't figure out how to get along. So compromise it was. If we fight over something we both know we have to be willing to give in some way. Key word in that last sentence is WE, it is never just one of us that gives.

The time came when Kaden talked about putting a deer on the wall. I not so politely said no thank you then had to give a little. We came to the conclusions of putting some sheds in the house instead. I still don't like them, at least they are supposedly trendy though and if anything they are a part of Kaden. Would he rather have a big ugly deer on the wall? Yes, of course. We both compromised though and agreed on the sheds instead.

Obviously our marriage is not always perfect but truly I wouldn't trade the last 4 years for anything. We have grown so much together and have experienced so much together. Kaden really is my best friend and I couldn't imagine having anyone else by my side. I am so grateful that he wanted to be my husband. Everyday we spend together is something new. He is such an amazing father and example to me and my daughter. We are each other's strength and i am definitely looking  forward to the rest of forever. 

A Few Warm and Sunny Days

Lived

- Last week was nice and sunny. We all seemed to be a little happier around the house. Even Leighton seemed to notice that it was warm enough to be outside. We went jacket/bootless everywhere for a few days and even played at the park.

- Kaden has been studying hard and working hard. I think he secretly loves being a student since he only works like 24 hrs a week now instead of 40+ and 3 days instead of 5.

- I've been catching up on editing pictures and getting my hours up at work. Someone has to bring some money home right? Good thing i love both my jobs. It is so nice to do what i like.

Learned

- I need to get a better cleaning schedule going on. Right now it's kind of like chase Leighton around the house cleaning up her messes as she goes and it's not quite working. I don't know how people with little kids ever have a clean home.

- I'm obsessed with planning Leighton's 1st Birthday. We are going to Disneyland the day of (she's seriously the luckiest little girl) and then having a sweet pink and turquoise vintage themed party on the 30th of march. If you want an invite give me your address!

Loved

- I have loved watching Leighton grow up so much the past month. She is not only walking but running around everywhere. She is in love with her baby dolls. I bought her a mermaid when we were in Seattle and she sleeps with it every time she lays down. She has also started carrying around any small bag she can find like its her purse. She puts it in her arm and everything. I have a feeling I've created one expensive child.

Motherly Advice {Hormone Happy}

So sometimes I catch myself in middle of a freak out thinking "what in the world, why I am I screaming and crying because Kaden left his shoes in middle of the living room?" Is it that I have rage issues? Or OCD? Maybe both. But really I like to blame it on my messed up hormones.

Seriously women have it rough when it comes to these ridiculous things that mess with our emotions, skin, weight, cravings, sex drive, boob size, ability to sleep, ability to function... Well you get the point.

My loving husband has had to see so many different, hormone influenced, sides of me.

- birth controlled
- getting off birth control
- on clomid (absolute worse)
- pregnant
- recovering from a miscarriage
- pregnant
- recovering from pregnancy
- still recovering from pregnancy

Yay for all these things that have made me crazy! Right!?

How can I be a living, breathing, functioning person in a society that does NOT want to hear any of my hormone excuses? (Sorry Mr. At Cafe Rio I know I'm crying because you put tomatoes on my salad but I had a baby 10 months ago and I just started my period and I may kill you if you don't make me a new one now!) If only.

So here is how I have managed to control my hormones.

- Dairy free diet (organic dairy if I must have milk/ yogurt/ anything dairy because dairy is packed with hormones)
- Organic cage free eggs w/ omega 3 only (regular eggs are packed with hormones)
- More fish less meat (we seriously eat fish at least 3 times a week)
- More chicken than red meat (we eat organic chicken twice a week)
- Exercise. Run, walk, swim, dance, jog up and down your stairs. Do something!
- Take vitamins ( I take prenatal, iron, vitamin c, fish oil, biotin, and probiotics)
- Use essential oils ( I use Doterra balance daily and diffuse lemon grass)

It sounds like a lot but it really isn't, it also sounds expensive but don't let organic food fool you. Healthy does not always mean hard. And the side effects will have you jumping for joy. At least I hope so. When I stick to this plan I feel more energized, less stressed, less agitated and more loving. The mix of not adding hormones to my body already full of them and supplying my body with endorphins and other happy things like omega 3 and vitamin c helps to regulate the hormones that I tend to hate and make me, well, hormone happy.

We Went to Seattle!

January 20-28

Lived - Have you ever wanted to jump on a plane last minute and get away? Last Sunday Leighton and I packed up all the random clothes and essentials that Sarah and Kaden quickly brought to us and we headed out of town to help and visit Camille, Alex and June.

- I wasn't sure how long i would be there for so i bought a one way ticket and left. Camille had a very busy week ahead of her and was sick and exhausted and i wanted to help in anyway i could. Hopefully i was more of a help than not. I know sometimes it would have been a way better situation if i could have left baby girl at home. She was a trooper though, and luckily she is the best baby EVER and hung out looking cute at the store, and the two events i helped with.

- I took so many pictures that i figure that will basically be my post, Enjoy!

 Leighton's first flight was amazing!

I fell absolutely in LOVE with Camille's store. The Dress Theory

I ate wayyy to much ice cream from Molly Moon's 

Learned-  I had so much fun helping with events. There is just something about the feeling of being in charge that i love, is that bad? I know i was only helping but it was great to be apart of something and to socialize and get to know new people. I felt so confident in myself which if you follow the blog ever you would know that i often don't. I know i am capable of anything just sometimes i get nervous of what other people will think of me. I am so glad to see that i am getting past that.

12 Baskets event

 Weddings in Woodinville

Camille had a very successful Claire Pettibone trunk show, even with her and Calire both not feeling well.

Loved- Leighton and I had so much fun hanging out with Camille, Alex, Susan and June. I know Leighton has been wishing she could play with June some more and see her knew boyfriend Alex. Even though it was gray i loved the weather. Of course i am sure it would be hard to live in it all the time, i would take gray over snow any day. I loved how much we walked there too. That is one thing that Kaden and I have taken into consideration on where we will live next. We tend to love cities that have great transportation systems and that allow you to do a lot of productive walking.

We can't wait to go back and take Kaden.

 

Motherly Advice {When is the right time?}

New Weekly Post.

Since the moment Kaden and I thought we were ready to have a baby I decided to devote my time to figuring out how to be the best mom possible.

Right now it seems like everyone I know is pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or just having a baby. So I figured why not pass on a few of the things I've learned so far. I am definitely not an expert in any way, but why not share what I've learned?

I have carefully been considering what to start with for this post. It thought maybe breast feeding or staying healthy as a new mom. Instead I've decided to write about when the right time to have a baby is.

Nearly four years ago now Kaden and I were just married, living in a metal shop, and figuring out how to live with the opposite sex. At that point we swore we wouldn't have kids until we had been married for at least 2 years. We both knew we needed time to grow up, and strengthen our relationship. A year into our marriage we found ourselves jobless students living in a trailer. Around that time I was asked by my new doctor why I was on birth control. She said it would be hard enough for me to conceive with how often I was able to ovulate. I was in shock. I never considered that getting pregnant could be hard. Without a second thought I gave up my birth control and decided to leave it up to God to decide when we were meant to have a baby. Looking back now I realize how crazy that was. (We were so poor and just beginning to decide what we wanted to do with our lives). A few months later, after buying a house and finding a couple of low paying jobs we decided if we got pregnant soon it would be perfect for our plan.

It didn't take much for Kaden and I to know when the right time was. We pretty much just needed to realize we may not have time. Here are a few other things we felt like we needed to accomplish before having a baby.

We needed to
spend a lot of time together.
have a strong and loving marriage.
be in our own place.
And be financially stable.

Here is what didn't stop us from deciding we were ready,
we were both students (still are),
We didn't have insurance,
And we still both had low paying jobs.

One thing we heard a lot from people is that there is never a perfect time to have a baby. It's true in a way but I would rather say when you get pregnant is the perfect time. Deciding "when" is very personal and is different for everyone. It is a decision that should be made between you, your husband, and Heavenly Father. Kaden and I prayed every night to know "when" was best. Having a baby is one of the most spiritual things I have ever done and I encourage everyone to see it that way. I also encourage everyone to keep in mind that sometimes "when" isn't always up to us.

So to sum it up. You and your partner are the only ones who know when the right time to start trying to have a baby is. You and The Lord are the only ones who know whether or not you are capable of being parents. It's not a decision to be taken lightly, but with lots of prayer and contemplation  It is a decision that varies with everyone. Some people are ready as soon as they are married, some after they are finished with grad school and have a stable job, some people might be somewhere in between.

I'd love to hear what helped you decide when the right time was. So feel free to comment and follow.

Another Semester Begins

January 1- 10

Lived

Kaden is a student, again! He started his first semester off by diving strait into anatomy, psycho social athletics, and the rest of his generals. I am so proud of him and so glad i am able to take a breather semester and cheer him on!

Leighton is still not walking but she is managing to get into ev-ery- thing! She also has her second ear infection. Poor girl.

We've been dreaming of warmer days. It has been in the negatives here and never higher than 20 as far as i can remember for the past few weeks. It is freezing, and even with the sun shining the snow doesn't leave. I feel like it is one of those bitter winters. We are stocking up on Vitamin D and i may need to get a few tans in.

Sarah and I tried to take outfit of the day photos for instagram. It was quite the experience. We may need to take some lessons before we try this again, and we wont be using our iphones.

Learned

I'm actually not going to graduate in the spring. I will start school again this summer. And I will take this time to build up my photography business.

Building a website is not easy! I finally paid someone to do it for me. I will launch sweetwishesphoto.com on Wednesday.

"No spend months" are not for us. We lasted 11 days and then gave up. Luckily we did save a little in that 11 days.

Loved

Finding this at Bulloch Drug. I can not wait for our anniversary. We have almost been married for 4 years.

Watching Leighton move into a new stage of learning. Honestly this girl spear teachable at the moment. She started crawling down the stairs, the next day she started stepping down them. She waves goodbye, and says all done in baby sign language.

I love these two. They are a little team of micheouf. They follow each other, play together, and love each other.

New Year Resolutions

This year I decided to write my New Years resolutions a little differently. Usually Kaden and I sit down and write out specific goals that fill categories, for example: health, financial, spiritual, relationship, you get the picture. This year we decided to simplify and here they are.

Thank God

Love More

Serve others

Play hard

Be healthy

Spend less

Live better

Be happy

Here's to a great year. 2012 was very good to us but we can't wait to see what 2013 has in store.