A Merry Christmas & A Happy New Baby

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with your friends & families. Ours was excellent. Busy & hectic, but wonderful & relaxing at the same time! 

We visited lots of family, gave & received a lot of gifts, ate too much food, & enjoyed our time together. What a wonderful season!

We also welcomed our third little man into our family early Wednesday morning {3:26am}. Yay! Uriah is finally here! He weighted 8 lbs. 5.6 oz. {my biggest so far} & he was 20 in. long. Labor & delivery was quick, all-natural, & with no complications! Praise the Lord!

I'm so glad it was before Christmas. I had time to recover & get things together before we had holiday plans upon us. 

He's a wonderful baby. He's calm & content & he's adapting well to our family... even with two excited little bros to get used too! Below are some pics. Enjoy! I'm sure there will be plenty more!

Little Uriah!

Ummm, baby love!

Meeting his big bros!

Some... of the family!

Judah is so happy to have his little brother here!

My midwife/doula, Angie, & I.

Stay Healthy this Winter

With little kids it always seems that someone has a cold, but bring on cold, wintry weather & you've got the flu & other nasty bugs to consider.

Here's what I use to keep myself & my family healthy during the winter months.

Double E Immune Booster via Bulk Herb Store

This herb mix is full of immune boosting herbs to help your body protect itself against those nasty little critters that want to make you & your family sick. 

It contains Nettle Leaf, Peppermint Leaf, Echinacea Root, Echinacea Tops, Elderberries whole, Ginseng Root and Rosehips. Best of all, it's totally organic & everyone can take it as much as they'd like. No contraindications here, but it's always good to err on the side of caution if you suffer from severe allergies to weeds, grass, hay, or plants.

It has a great flavor & the kiddos even like it. The echinacea & elderberries are what give it it's immune boosting properties & everything else has great vitamins & energizing properties to keep you going strong.

For me & my man...I take this mix & make a tincture out of it with Vodka.

For the little ones, I make their tincture out of glycerine...a sweet, edible syrup that doesn't affect blood glucose levels.

We all also drink it as tea sweetened with honey or maple syrups on these chilly Tennessee days.

Almost Ready

My, oh, my how time has flown!

Not that I knew it wouldn't. From the beginning of October I knew the next 3 months would pass quickly with all the holidays that are jammed into the end of the year, but still, I can't believe it's the middle of December & Uriah will be here any day now...hopefully!

So I'm still doing some last minute things to get ready for him to be here. So far I've cleaned out the dressers & the closet in the boys room to make space for his things. I've washed all his clothes up & they're where they need to go. I've gotten all the baby equipment out which has been washed & cleaned. It's all set up & ready for him. I'm stocked on diapers, feeding supplies, & baby products. Plus, I actually have our bags packed early this year.

So I feel like I'm more prepared. I'm still trying to get Christmas stuff together. The house is decorated, but there are gifts that still need to be wrapped. That's on my to-do list for this week! I think I need to stock up on laundry detergent too. Better add that to my list.

Anyway, all is well here. We're just waiting & getting more excited by the minute. Thanks for all your thoughts & prayers! I really appreciate them!

Our DIY Advent Calender

Last year I wanted to make an Advent calender for the boys, but I never got around to it because I was busy. This year I made sure to put it into our schedule so that we could enjoy some extra seasonal festivities. In fact, we'll be doing a lot of festive things this year thanks to our Advent calender.

So here's a pic of our calender & below you'll find the steps I used to make it. It's simple & fun for the kids.

Start with scrapbooking paper of your choice. Cut into 4x6 inch pieces or whatever size you need to get the size pocket you want.

Fold & glue 1/4 inch all the way around. Fold in half & score with a bone folder.

Glue edges to create your pocket. Set under something heavy until glue dries.

Print off numbers 1 - 24 to put on your pockets. Cut out.

Glue your numbers to your finished pockets.

Print out tags for your daily activities, punch holes & tie with twine or ribbon. Write your activities on your tags...one for each day.

Put your tags into the appropriate pockets & hang up however you'd like! Be sure to have fun!

Below are a few of the activities we'll be doing.

Make an Advent wreath

Drive around looking for Christmas lights

Drink hot cocoa with marshmallows

Watch a Christmas movie

Paint holiday pictures on the windows

Read a Christmas story

Decorate the Christmas tree

Wrap presents

Make a homemade Christmas gift

Sing Christmas songs

Read about Baby Jesus's birth

Color Christmas pictures

Make ornaments for the Christmas Tree

....and more!

My Go-To Herbal Supplements for Pregnancy

I'm very blessed. I've never had any major issues with my pregnancies...not even minor issues really. I attribute this to being in good health in the first place & trying my best to take care of myself while I'm pregnant.

So today, I'm going to share some of the things I do & use to help me & my babies stay healthy during our 9 months together.

Supplements/Herbs:

First off, I always get an all-natural, whole-food prenatal vitamin. None of that synthetic stuff the Dr. offers. Those vitamins don't do as much for me & they make me sick. The natural one's don't. I also include a prenatal Omega pill of some sort. Usually Garden of Life brand for the vitamins & omega.

The next thing I do is to add herbs in on top of it. Once I'm further along in my pregnancy, I start taking Red Raspberry Leaf. I've taken it in capsules, I've taken in as a tea, & I've made a tincture out of it & taken it that way. The tincture is best, but for me it works better to do a bit of all three.

Red Raspberry leaf has a medically proven & trusted track record in helping strengthen the womb of a pregnant woman, & it is also reported to be effective in restoring the womb after delivering. It can be used to help all sorts of women's reproductive issues. {Link to Bulk Herb Store's Mama's Organic Red Raspberry Brew...where I get almost all of my herbs!}

Then the last thing I do before I have my baby is I use a labor prep tincture called "Gentle Birth". It helps to get your body ready to have a quick, safe delivery & it minimizes complications such as hemorrhage & things of that nature. 

I did not take this with my first pregnancy & you all know how long that one was. I did take it with my last & it went MUCH faster & easier. I'm sure the whole 1st baby, 2nd baby thing had a lot to do with it as well, but I'm sure this was super helpful.

Resources:

As far as resources for preparing for pregnancy & labor, BHS's has a new video & book series called "Making Babies". It's a 3 part series that takes you through the entire process naturally & healthily from pre-conception to postpartum. A definite must in my opinion!

The last thing I usually use is the book, Natural Childbirth - The Bradley Way. I love this book & I wish I'd had it for my first. Maybe things wouldn't have been so long & drawn out that way! It focuses on teaching your what your body is doing during labor & how to relax & work with it so you can have a quicker, easier labor. {Caution...mature images. Don't leave this one laying around for your kiddos to find!}

It definitely worked for me last time because I almost didn't make it to the hospital. I got there 17 minutes before Isaiah was born! We'll prepare better this time...promise!

Anyway, I hope this has given you a bit more insight into how I do things when I'm preggo. Again, #3 is almost here. I can't wait. I'll definitely keep you updated & thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, & kind words. It means so much!

xo, Meagan

{Some of the above links are affiliate links of mine, meaning I make a small commission if you use my links to make a purchase. I appreciate your generosity! Thank you!}

Check Out My Baby Belly!!

I'm not sure why it is that people obsess over baby bumps?

Mine's more than a bump now of course. I'm due in a month. I feel like it's more of a mountain!

I guess it's because they're little & cute & there's a baby inside & all that gushy stuff. So today I thought I'd give you all a bit of an update on my preggo self & show you a little tummy shot.

I'm due December 20th so that makes me 36 weeks this week.

I've gone late with both of my previous two little men.

• Judah was born at 42 weeks
• Isaiah was born at 41 weeks

Baby #3's name will be Uriah. I still don't think we've settled on a middle name yet. We're tossing James around in our minds. Uriah James...has a nice little ring to it.

My goal is to have an all-natural delivery again. That means no drugs people! Hopefully this last labor will be like my 2nd one & go quickly.

• Judah's labor was 42.5 hours...total...seriously...no fun...never want to do that again
• Isaiah's labor was 4.5 hours...total...seriously...no fun...doable

I've not hit my nesting phase yet. I think I'm trying to focus on getting life in order for the holidays first.

Anyway, here's a pic of me & my little Uriah below! Enjoy!

A Halloween Recap

Halloween is such a fun holiday around here. I know there's a lot of history behind it that makes it kind of a bummer, but for my family, we enjoy what it is today. Just a fun time to dress up & go hunt for candy! None of that crazy, spooky stuff. I enjoyed Trick or Treating when I was little & it's something I wanted my kids to be able to enjoy too. I may not always feel this way, but as of right now, this is it.

Typically we only visit people we know & we don't let the kids fill up on candy. They only get a small amount that night & for a few days afterwards. Honestly, I think we end up throwing most of it away. I'm definitely not anti-junk. I love cake, but I am anti-too much junk at once!

So one of my family's Halloween traditions is for me to make my kiddo's costumes. I've been doing it ever since my first, Judah, was old enough to go Trick or Treating which was 3 years ago. So below are photos that go back over our Halloweens for the last three years.

Judah - 18 mo. - Pirate "Arrr"

Isaiah - 8 mo. - Dragon       Judah - 2 yrs. - Knight

Judah - 3 yrs. - Cowboy        Isaiah - 18 mo. - Indian

Next year we'll have 3 boys & my husbands wants them to be the 3 musketeers. We'll see what they think!

What were your kiddos for Halloween?

3 Bedtime Routine Musts: Getting Your Tot Ready For Bed

I have two little guys. One is 18 months old & he falls asleep like a champ. My other is 3 years old & it seems that over the past 2-3 months I've noticed a big change in his ability to settle down & fall asleep. He wants to talk, play, get out of bed, & just be plain mischievous! Some nights we follow a bedtime routine & other nights we don't. It all depends on what's going on. What's a mom to do??

Establish A Routine
Whether you have a baby or a toddler, bedtime routines are a must for encouraging a good nights sleep. Studies have shown that kiddos with a fairly consistent bedtime routine have better attitudes during the day {as does mama} & they wake less often at night. How great is that? Getting yourself & your kiddo used to a routine is another thing. Change is tough & being consistent is even tougher.

Routine Basics

1. Decide what 3 things you're going to include in your nightly routine & in what order.
2. No matter what time your little one's "bedtime" is, you should begin your nightly routine 30-45 minutes before "bedtime". 
3. Get everything ready before hand so that the routine runs smoothly as well. Make sure you have everything within reach...pjs, book on bed, scents, etc.

What Should Your Routine Include?
I'm sure there are many different things that can make up an awesome bedtime routine. The main things to consider when choosing activities for your routine is that they are quiet & calming! I'm going to share my 3 below.

Bath
Giving your kids a bath before bed will probably be the most important part of your nightly routine. Baths can be fun & playful, but I'd suggest saving the wild play for morning baths. Night-time baths should be calming & soothing. Make sure your water is warm, have a few simple toys, & make everything smell good! Lavender is the best scent for calming your baby or toddler. You can use bath fizzies or herbal bath teas for the water & use lavender scented soaps & shampoos for washing.


Massage
No matter how old you are, a massage is always nice. After your little one is done with his or her bath, dry him off & put on some lavender scented oil or lotion before putting his jammies on. This way the properties of the lavender can seep into their skin & they can smell them all night long! Make sure to rub it in really well, giving them a mini-massage. It will help them relax. 

Book
Reading is a great activity to do with your child right before bed. Kids love having stories read to them! Just make sure you pick an age appropriate book that's not too long & isn't real exciting. Have your kiddo get in bed, tuck them in, & then read to them. You can spray lavender water onto their bed & pillow to help carry that calming scent. Just make sure it's a natural fragrance & not synthetic! You can also place a lavender pillow in the bed with them too!

Off To Bed
Once you've finished your nightly routine, it's important to keep the distractions to a minimum. Give hugs & kisses, sing your special song, tuck everyone in, turn the lights off, & go. Hopefully it will be that simple & they'll settle in & go right to sleep. If not, it may take a week or so of being consistent with your new routine to get them used to it, but don't give up. The payoff is at the end!

What is your bedtime routine like?

It's a....

BOY!

The hubs & I are so excited to announce that we're expecting another little man this December! We can't wait. To find out how we shared the good news with our friends & family, visit my cake blog here. {Yes, I make cakes too! I love it!}

hugs, Meagan

New Crafting Space

     Okay, I'm so excited I can't stand it. As some of you may know, my birthday is on Christmas Eve, so sometimes I get a combined b-day and Christmas gift from folks who have something in mind that's a tad more expensive than they'd like to spend on one gift. This year, my hubbie was the one who did this. It's been a couple of years since he's gotten me one big combined gift. Well, he actually had some little things that went along with my big gift that I got for Christmas, but it was still all for this one big thing.

     Sooooo, I've been wanting a couple of things here recently that have been kind of expensive. One is a mini greenhouse. I love gardening, homesteading, and living as self-sufficiently as possible. It's definitely a growing process, but we think it's fun. I always have trouble starting my plants from seeds in the spring so I've been wanting a mini greenhouse to help with this, plus it will extend my growing season a bit. But, they are EXpensive! So I kinda thought this would be what he was getting me, and he did say he looked for them. Another thing I've been wanting is a place to put all my crafting stuff. If any of you follow my personal blog, Pieces of Meagan, you've seen some posts on getting organized. As of right now, I'm in my dinning room for everything, so that means the table is covered with stuff and we've not eaten dinner here in months! I've been wanting a craft room since we build our house when we first got married. All along I planned on turning our huge attic into it, but it's full of things that we need to store. Plus it's hard to regulate the temperature up there. So here lately I've decided to divide our bedroom up because we made it so big, and we don't really need all that space there. One half will be our bedroom, and the other half will have a big craft desk and areas for storage. Have you seen the price of huge craft tables. They're a pretty penny too!

     Now I'm not too picky of a person, so my wonderful hubbie went to a furniture store and bought me a double desk with a hutch to use as my craft table. It's way bigger than a regular craft table. The only difference is that my sewing machine won't drop down into it, and it doesn't have as much storage space. But, almost everyone else who got me gifts, birthday or Christmas, got me things to help with storing things for my "craft room"! I can't wait to get stuff to get it organized and looking all crafty and cute! So without further ado, meet my new crafting space!

Christmas Traditions

     It seems like when the holidays roll around, everything just screams Family Traditions! Sure families have done things a certain way for years, but you don't really think of it as a tradition until the holidays come...at least I don't. My family for instance has traditions around most major holidays and during other important going ons in life, but we have a lot more during the Thanksgiving - Christmas season.

     Why are traditions such an important part of family life. I guess it's because they are the ties that bind us together. Most people like routine. We expect it. Plus there's something sentimental about doing things the same way year after year in the form of "traditions".

     Anyway, as far as me and my family goes, at least during this time of year, here's a list of some of our traditions that have either been handed down or that we've started up ourselves!

1.  Watch "It's A Wonderful Life" and drink eggnog.                        

2.  Picking out a Christmas tree together.                         

3.  Drawing names for gifts.                        
4.  Get a personalized Christmas ornament.   
5.  Spending Christmas Eve night with my parents: staying up late playing games and making yummy treats!
  

     There are a lot more I'm sure! It would take some time to think of them all. So, as far as #4 goes, it's one that my mom started. Not from the time I was little, but from the time I got married. She kind of started it for me and my family, and we've just carried on with it. Maybe one day we'll have an entire tree devoted to personalized ornaments! So, I thought I'd show you the one's we have up to this point - with many more to come! These are in order from oldest to newest.

Wedding - June '06

1st Christmas - '06

2nd Christmas - '07



3rd Christmas - '08



4th Christmas - '09

5th Christmas - '10