Lets talk...

I have been a mom for 3 1/2 years, if you dont count the time Averi was in utero. It is by far the HARDEST thing I have ever done. I love it. I would not change it. It is what I have wanted to do ever since I was a little girl. Before we welcomed our sweet Averi in to our lives I pictured so much support and love from other moms. I have found that in some women. But in many others, including others who I know are believers I have found a lot of judgement.
I want to say 1st that this is going to be a rant, please just accept that and stop reading now if you want. It all started at the beginning, in the hospital really, when I made the choice to breast feed Averi. It wasn't an easy choice as no one in either Kevins family or mine had really breastfed so there was not always a lot of support. The 1st 2 weeks of her life were spent nursing, pumping and then feeding it to her EVERY 3 hours. It was a lot of work but something Kevin and I had committed to doing. I enjoyed breastfeeding her, and I enjoyed breastfeeding Reiter and Sofie. It makes me sad when the time comes to wean them. BUT this DOES NOT make me a superior mother. This DOES NOT mean I am more bonded to them then those who have chosen formula.
I also work in the Newborn Nursery, and have witnessed countless moms struggle with immense guilt as breastfeeding is not going well and they consider formula. I will always promote breastfeeding, I will always think it is the most ideal option for mom and baby, BUT that is in the most ideal of situation. NO mom should EVER feel she has failed or is being judged because she has chosen to bottle feed her baby.
I hate that we as women LOVE to make others feel rotten. Instead lets extend some grace, especially when it comes to things like breastfeeding. 1. if you bottle feed/fed your babies PLEASE dont act like my breastfeeding is gross or that I am emotionally scarring my 6 month old SON because he still nurses. 2. If you have chosen to breast feed your babies. PLEASE recognize that you are not superior. PLEASE dont make those who for WHATEVER reason feel like rotten moms because they have not made that same choice.

The 2nd trial we faced was when we felt God had led me to work full time for a year so Kevin could finish his degree. This was not an easy choice. This was not what I saw myself doing. And the amount of criticism I took for it was out of this world. I got to the point where I felt like I could not talk about work, or post on our blog /facebook because other moms felt the need to say things like "don't you miss your kids?" Well NO DUH I do, but I worked 3 12s a week which still gave me a lot of flexibility to be with them, and I did what I believed God had called me to do. It was a HUGE sacrifice for me but it also finally allowed kev to finish his degree and it was short lived.
BUT even if it hadn't been short lived and we chose for me to permanently work full time that would be our choice and snide remarks like "well I just cant imagine being away so much" that you know you are saying because you want to feel better about yourself and make someone else feel worse or comments like "well we choose to take the financial cut for me to stay home because it is worth it" because once again you want to feel better about yourself are unnecessary. 1. you do not know any one elses finances, you don't pay their bills or know if they could take the financial cut for that mom to stay home. 2. Some women sincerely love their jobs and can't imagine not working, they can have a ministry there and in their homes, imagine that! 3. Being a stay at home mom is a priveledge that many women don't get, so recognize that, focus on your own babies and stop focusing on what others are doing so "wrong".
The 10 months I spent working full time were hard. But I learned more about myself then I ever had. I fell in love with tiny NICU babies, and it made my passion and appreciation for my own children so much deeper then it ever would have been had I not had that experience. It shaped new goals and new desires in to my heart. For now I love being home with my kids and only working 1 day a week (and I refuse to feel guilt for that 1 day I am gone) but someday I would love to finish my degree and work full time again, I refuse to feel guilt for that too!

The most recent trial we have faced is whether to home school or send Averi to public/private school. We have decided to send her to public school. The schools in our area are highly ranked and we live in a safe community so we feel she will do well. There are 2 sides to this trial... side 1 the home schooling mom who thinks she is doing it all right and loves her kids more because she is making the sacrifice. It is a sacrifice, I recognize that! I applaud those who make this choice and do a good job with it, I truly do! But you are still not a better mom because of it. You are doing what works best for your family and I think that is great but don't make snide remarks about others who choose different venues, just because a child attends public school 8 hours a day does not mean they are not learning about God and that their parents aren't consistantly teaching them Gods word and pointing their young hearts towards our heavenly Father! Side 2... the public school mom who thinks home schooled kids are anti social nerds. Also WRONG, I have friends who home school with excellence. Who work hard to make sure their kids are not only getting solid, God centered educations, but are also getting different outlets that allow them to experience different social situations... some that kids who are in school 8 hours a day do not get!
So what is my point! HAVE SOME GRACE ALREADY! Recognize that you, You aren't perfect. Whether you stay at home, breast feed, and home school. Or whether you work full time, give your baby a bottle and your child attends public school...or you do a combination! You are a mom trying to do your best just like the mom next to you. So the next time you want to make your little comment to pat yourself on the back instead think what you can say to encourage that mom, thats what God wants from us, to lift one another up, to encourage each other in our faith!Not to constantly cut one another down! I pray that is what we, as women and as mothers will start to do!

Growing up!

I feel like the last month Sofie has grown by leaps and bounds... She is a potty training champ, having VERY few accidents and really "getting it" in a matter of days. She transitioned out of her crib and into a "big girl bed" like a pro. She is talking up a storm and is absoloutly hysterical! She is becoming a better big sister every day and is trying hard to keep up with her big sister! I couldn't be more proud of this girl!



This little girl will be 4 in april! Dont ask me how that happened! Shs is my helper. She loves to play and read to Rei. She is loving preschool and "ballerina school". She thinks everyone she meets is her best friend although she has started to be a little shy some times, with a little encouragment she is usually fine! She is a sweetie and a MAJOR daddys girl!


And I am not even going to tell you all the fun, crazy things this boy is up to... Ill save it for his 6 month post... COMING THIS WEEKEND!!!!

Charlottes baby shower!

My brother, jon, and his wife, Lauren, are expecting a sweet baby girl in may. Her name is Charlotte and I am BEYOND excited to meet her! They moved to Washington last week so before the big move Laurens friends had a shower for her in Louisville and I got to go! It was a sweet shower and Lauren recieved several lovely gifts! I can not wait to meet this precious girl, she is already loved so much!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN!!!

Jan 8th my love turned 36!!!!


We celebrated with family and friends and had a GREAT night! We ate WAY to much chili and potato soup and garlic cheese biscuits and delicious ice cream cake and cup cakes (courtesy of my awesome mother in law) the kids went wild, i think there were 8 under the age of 8 here! And the adults played cards until way to late! We all celebrated Kevin and his life, he means so much to so many people!





What a tremendous blessing it is to call Kev my husband. We have been married nearly 5 years and with every anniversary and birthday the years just seem to get sweeter. We know each other inside and out. We have been through so much, 3 babies, 3 moves, Kev finishing his degree, me working full time while having 2 babies and one on the way. We have been through things that I truly believe would have broken other couples but instead because of Gods sweet grace we have grown closer.
Let me tell you ladies I am one lucky lady to call Kev my husband. He loves me unconditionaly and never lacks in showing or saying it. When he messes up he is quick to apologize and when I mess up he is quick to forgive. He doesn't shy away from telling me when I am over reacting or being whiney, he truly pushes me to be my best...to be what God desires me to be, but always in a gentle manner! He helps so much with the kids, even when he worked 2 jobs and was in school and I felt like we never saw him he constantly sacrificed sleep to be there helping with our children and supporting me! He is my perfect match and I am blessed to call him my husband and the father of our children! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANDSOME!

merry christmas to all

We took SO many pictures at Christmas it has taken me a while to sort through and decide how best to post them! Christmas was wonderful this year. The kids were thoroughly spoiled with lots of gifts from Kev and I, his parents and other family members! We did lots of fun Christmas activities this year, we got our first live tree which was a lot of fun! The girls enjoyed picking it out and it was SO much prettier then a fake one! We did lots of baking together, attended a cookie exchange with friends, went to a HUGE light show with Uncle Jon and Aunt Lauren,got to see LIVE reindeer, attended a lovely Christmas Eve service at Kevs parents church, had a nice Christmas morning just the 5 of us and had a great gift exchange and breakfast with all Kevs family at his Grannys!
All of those things were wonderful and made Christmas so special. But what really made this Christmas special was watching the girls really began to understand the meaning of Christmas. As fun as Santa and presents are we always want to instill that Christ is the real meaning behind Christmas! We read the Christmas story at least a hundred times to them, at their request, and had countless conversations about Jesus coming as a baby, about him being Gods son, about how Mary and Joseph raised him, about how God gave Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins and about how Jesus ultimately died on the cross to save us! To watch your children begin to understand these truths means more then watching their excitement as they open ANY gift!
I feel every year my eyes are open even more to what Mary must have felt, holding her precious son, loving him to her very depth and yet knowing all a long that he was her savior! How it must have felt to watch her baby boy die on the cross an excruciating death to save sinners, including those who hung him their and spit in his face! I can't imagine what she must have felt as he grew in her womb knowing He was fully her son but fully her GOD! Wow!Praise the Lord and may we be reminded all year of his amazing love, sacrifice and grace!

Angelina Ballerina school

Averi and Sofie started Ballet on Monday. We had started to enroll Averi last year and then decided to hold off because of my work schedule (i was still working 3 days a week). They attended their 1st class and haven't stopped talking about it since... they call it "Angelina Ballerina School" because they love the cartoon about the little mouse Angelina who is also a ballerina! They have been wearing their leotards around the house and dancing all week, constantly asking when they get to go back to "Angelina ballerina school".... It is one of those things well worth the money because they are thoroughly enjoying themselves!

happy 5 months STUD!

Reiter turned 5 months on the 29th and boy oh boy has he REALLY started to show his personality...in a GREAT way! He laughs so hard, especially at his new found best bud and big sister Averi! He rolls consistently from belly to back and from back to belly if he is after something! He still LOVES his paci and his swing, both are usually necessary for nap time! He loves to jump in his johnny jumper and especially enjoys his sister "reading" to him while he jumps! HE still lets me rock him some and I savor those quiet moments while he sleeps on me, he is precious! He nurses 4 to 5 times a day, eats 2 jars of food and sleeps between 8 and 12 hours at night (those 12 hour nights are AMAZING... He is big wearing 6 to 9 months clothes and I think he thoroughly enjoyed his 1st Christmas receiving awesome presents and spending LOTS of time being held and rocked by family members...he is one spoiled boy!