Eisley's First Birthday!

Today is my baby girl's 1st Birthday! How did that get here so quickly?! This year has seriously flown by faster than than my son's first year. I was sad to discover that (for me) it's true what they say about your second baby-  you won't to do all the scrapbooking or writing down dates for all the first milestones like you do with your first. My son has his own scrapbook of his first year, along with countless pages in another scrapbook, several photo albums on Facebook and tangible ones filling our photo album cabinet along with a journal with all his first milestones written down and dated. All my baby girl has is ONE little photo album filled with mostly birth photos and a few from her 6th month. However, she did hi-jack my Instagram account where I was able to jot down a few of her milestones each month when posting her monthly photo. Either way I guess it's just a good thing I at least have some documentation for her. Maybe someday I will get her a scrapbook started.

So, maybe I don't have a lot of tangible documentation of my baby girl's first year, but I have a lot things in my heart that I have been holding in and today they are gushing out. I am pretty sentimental like that (does anyone else get a little emotional on their kids' birthdays??). It's just that this little girl has taught me so much about myself this past year and has revealed parts of me that I didn't know existed. When I had my son 5 1/2 years ago, then "the mom side" of me opened up. I learned a lot about myself and this new side of me back then and throughout these last 5 years. For 4 1/2 years I had been the mom of a little boy and my heart was so full and bursting at the seams. Then this little girl comes into our life and my heart is exploding. No worries, I'm sure there still plenty of room for more bursting and exploding should more children come along.

Among some of the things that my daughter has  taught me is how strong and brave I actually am. Not sure if many of you know my birth story with Elisha, but it was rough. Not ideal at all. Birth trauma and breastfeeding failure. I let fear and the unkown of birth get the best of me and my birth plan went out the window. Anyway, with Eisley I was determined to educate myself more and trust my body more. I had a way healthier pregnancy with her which helped me lose all the pregnancy weight and then some after having her (YAY!). I also learned proper body mechanics so she would be born in the proper position which would reduce risk of birth trauma or needing a c-section. I learned about red raspberry leaf tea and it's benefits during pregnancy and labor/delivery (if you don't know about this stuff and are expecting, drop everything now and go look it up and get some of this tea!!). Her birth was perfect. I was brave and strong. I had the delivery I wanted with no pain meds or interventions. In Eisley's birth I discovered a new strength I didn't know I possessed. This strength and bravery has carried over into other areas of my life. I have stepped out of my comfort zone quite a bit and joined leadership positions in my church and MOPS and confronted difficult situations as well. I have learned that the result of strength and bravery is peace. When you face things that scare you with God's strength you will experience God's peace.

So far we have had a successful year of breastfeeding -which also taught me how frugal I can be. Between breastfeeding and cloth diapering (and cloth wipes) we saved SO MUCH money! We only buy clothes on sale or at thrift stores and have been blessed by one of Matt's co-workers with hand-me-downs! Plus, we discovered Baby Led Weaning, so no baby food for us! At 6 months she just started eating whatever we were eating (along with nursing).

I was afraid how I was going to balance raising  2 children. I had been the mama of one boy for 4 1/2 years, I didn't know any other way. I have learned that I am a master multitask-er! Not only do I raise 2 kids now along with being a wife, I homeschool, Direct AWANA, I'm on a MOPS Steering team and keeper of the home. I am tired most of the time, but I get stuff done! But along with being a multitask-er and juggling all these things I've also become more flexible while maintaining a sense of consistency and structure (if that makes sense).

Thank you Eisley for all that you have taught your mama in just your first year! I look forward to learning more from each other in the years to come! Happy 1st Birthday, Pumpkin! I love you!

 Eisely at 1 year:

• Has two teeth on the bottom and two top ones currently coming in
• Started taking steps on Oct. 21
• Has the cutest pig tails around
• Favorite food: all of it
• Favorite toy: She likes blocks and occasionally I see her playing with her baby dolls
• Favorite song: I'm a Little Teapot or You are My Sunshine
• Likes playing with big brother
• Thinks daddy is super funny
• Loves to dance to music
• Likes having books read to her
• Likes Mama's hugs and snuggles

Bikes, Blues and BBQ (and Apples Too).

  Last weekend we spent a few days in Arkansas with some of our favorite people! In the last week of September every year, tons of Bikes rally in Fayetteville, Arkansas for Bikes, Blues and BBQ. Our friends work at a preschool where they held their own version of BB&BBQ. The kids brought their bikes, ate popcicles, got fake tattoos, got to wash  their trikes and watch some policemen ride around on their bikes (as well as let kids climb on their bikes and check them out.) We packed up Elisha's bike so he could participate in these festivities.

I think he is ready for a bigger bike. And to learn to ride without training wheels. ;)

Silly, fake mustache tattoo.

Matt and Elisha especially enjoyed themselves while looking at all the different bikes. It was really cool watching hundreds of bikes cruising around town every night. The BBQ was pretty good too ;).

One of my favorite parts of BB&BQ

In other news, for the last week we or so we have been doing a unit on Apples! I really like all things fall: apples, pumpkins, crisp air, pumpkin patches, apple pie, jeans and hoodie weather, pumpkin spice coffee etc. We have a friend with an apple tree and she let us come over and pick some apples. It was really cool. I just wish it hadn't been such a rainy and gloomy day. Elisha enjoyed it nonetheless. Since it was also Johnny Appleseed's Birthday last week, we  had the same theme going on at the library, so that tied in really well with what we were doing at home!

Elisha got to hear a story about Johnny Appleseed and make a hat at the library.

We made some very yummy applesauce from our fresh picked apples! 

We took some of our apples that we picked to Arkansas and made an apple pie with our friends. When we got home, Elisha and I made some very delicious applesauce together. I peeled them and I let him use the apple slicer to slice them and I supervised as he diced them. I let him throw them in the pot and add cinnamon and mash them after they cooked down. He did an awesome job and loved helping make it and eat it! We also used apples to make apple decorations and apple dippers. We dipped our apple dippers in salted caramel sauce, chocolate coconut sauce, and nutella. Then per Elisha's request covered them in sprinkles.

We wrapped up our unit on apples today by reading "How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World" (such a cute book!) and baking another apple pie!

The weather is cloudy, windy and cool today- perfect weather to curl up with some hot cocoa, a blanket and a book-- and that's what I'm going to do! :)