Mama Monday...{Christie}!!!

 

 

Tell us about yourself....

First and foremost I am a wife to my husband Clint and Mommy to 2 beautiful girls.  Beyond my family life, I love my profession as a Respiratory Therapist where there is no shortage of adrenaline pumping and intense moments! I wouldn't have it any other way, and I am incredibly thankful for all the blessings my family and I enjoy!

 Husband love....
My husband and I have been together for 8 1/2 years, and married for 4. He likes to get credit for the full time we are together, this way he can deflect any "fluff" from family and friends about delaying our engagement!  :)

My husband is truly the greatest person I know! He is a great family leader and an awesome father to our daughters - the girls adore their Daddy! Additionally, I feel blessed that he understands me, and knows how my mind works.  Life can drive us all a bit crazy sometimes and he always helps me come back to center.  He is the most positive person I know, and demands that I follow suit, I love him so much!

Mama love...
Being a Mom has been my intent and goal for as long as I can remember, and now that we have 2 healthy little princesses I can confirm that Motherhood it is the best part of my life.  My daughters, Avery (born 3/5/11) and Brynn (born 9/19/12) have not only provided me the opportunity to grow personally, but the additions to our family have actually brought Clint and I closer together. 

Avery is almost three (I can't believe it!!!) and she is fully living up to the term "threenager"!  All kidding aside, she is incredibly sweet, snuggly, and caring.  She is always wanting to be sure that everyone is "happy" and she will do anything to stop her little sister from crying.  This little one is always on the go, and is super active.  She loves swimming lessons, gymnastics, dance class, and singing the songs from "Frozen" at the top of her lungs!

Brynn is 17 months and can be best described as a "spark plug"!  Her hobbies include climbing everything all the time, finding things to climb, and when there is nothing to scale or jump on, she finds pleasure in bouncing up and down with a huge smile and emitting an ear drum piercing, Mariah Carey squeal that sends the dogs hiding for cover!  Funny thing about Brynn is that she is in the 5th percentile for weight, 70th for height and 100th percentile for strong personality!  She keeps us laughing constantly, and Avery better watch out, because this dainty little lady will stand up for herself regardless of the odds! 

Challenges you have faced on this mama journey…
Of course, there are challenges in every phase of being a Momma.  From breastfeeding & no sleep to dropping them off for the first full day of pre-school, every new phase has come with new emotions and challenges that all get easier the second time around.

For me, the most humbling and challenging part of being a Mom to date was when my husband and I chose to open our home to the children of a struggling extended family member.  As soon as we heard that the kids needed help, we knew that it was the right thing to do, and we knew that we could handle it, but never would I have imagined the emotional challenge of feeling as though my children were losing time and love from me because of the new responsibilities that we had committed to.  This internal battle of feeling as though I was cutting my own children short on one hand, but doing what I knew was right on the other was a big struggle, and I only found balance in systems, structure, and routine. 

If there was one lesson that I can share with any other Mom who is reading this, is that you have to be willing to put your foot down and demand a change when things are out of balance.  Had it not been for a sincere, yet very difficult discussion with my husband followed by a specific request for help from the rest of our family, I do not know what would have happened.  Point is, we have seen Mom's who have suffered because of an unwillingness to admit the need for help and support.  Like my husband always says, "life is a team sport" and you have to let your team know when help is needed.

Mama advice for surviving the tough days…

Valentines Day of this year was not my fave.  Clint and I had been elated over the past weeks by 7 (yes I took 7) positive pregnancy tests!  To make a long story short, the morning of Valentine's Day, I found out that I was miscarrying.  It was miserable, I felt like I had been punched in the gut, and even though the rational side of me knew why these things happen, the emotions took over and I entered a period of grieving.

My husband likes to say, "if we stood in a circle with a bunch of people and everyone threw their problems in the middle, we would take ours back and run like hell."  Point is, we are very fortunate, and I get through the tough days by realizing and enjoying all of the great things that are in my life already, mainly my family, and I focus on enjoying them as much as possible.  And through the time together of enjoying simple things (like snuggling to an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or laughing while the girls jump on the trampoline) I find my way through the day.  And if they happen to be napping or away while things are tough, a quick review of my iphone's photo album always brings me right back to par!

Simple pleasures…

1. Driving to work while blasting hip hop music with my bun warmers on while drinking a Starbucks.
2. Long showers
3. Sleeping in (actually more of a fantasy than reality)
4. Pedicures
5. Date Night

 

Money saving tip…

Zulilly.com, diapers.com, Amazon Prime and Trader Joe's.

Health & Fitness…

A body in motion stays in motion.  If I start my day in sweatpants while sitting on the couch, it usually stays that way.

Health tip of the century: watch "Hungry for Change" once a month

Good read…

loveandlogic.com  (I just started reading their book for toddlers and hear great things about all their publications).

Beauty secret… 

Keep your husband home long enough in the morning to have a chance to get ready, or wake up early and get ready.  If you need true beauty advice, maskcara.com is my favorite beauty blogger!

Recipe…

Winter and Summer are two different deals.  This winter's big hits have been crock pot veggie lasagna and crock pot black bean and spinach enchiladas.  Both recipes can be found here.

Closing words…

"You don't always need a plan.  Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens."   -Mandy Hale