Things I learned in the first month

I haven't been doing this mother thing very long, but during the short month and a half that I have been a mother I've noticed.

1. Give yourself a break. I don't mean sleep when your baby sleeps. I mean definitely try and do that, but don't be so hard on yourself. When we first brought little Ezra home I was trying to do the most that I could. I was doing my best to be the perfect mom because I had an idea of how this whole motherhood thing should look in my head.After the first 3 weeks I had to do some serious soul searching and I realized that I could not continue putting so much pressure on myself to be the best. I just had to be what Ezra needed.

2.It is okay that your house does not look like it is out of a pinterest picture. Sometimes social media sets these unrealistic expectations of what a mother and homemaker should look like. I must say, that as I sit here typing this. There is laundry in our bedroom right now that has been siting in a basket waiting to be put away. There are Christmas decorations still sitting in the box from 3 days ago that need to go up, and our bed hasn't been made by me since Ezra came home from the hospital. Ladies, it is okay to not have everything cleaned, put away, or looking perfect all the time. You're a human being and you get tired.

3. Treat yourself! This one is my favorite. I would definitely say that since having a baby I've spent less money, but at the same time I have treated myself to coffee (I quit coffee while pregnant). Do not be afraid to do something nice for yourself!

4. Accept help. My mom stayed with us for 2 weeks after Ezra was born and I have to say it helped us out a lot!!! My recovery was rougher than I thought so it was nice to have her here to help us out. Ezra wasn't sleeping and at first he wasn't eating. Having her here for support was exactly what we needed. Ezra had his first evening away from us so we could see a movie and as hard as it was, it was needed. When someone offers to help take them up on it!

5. Don't forget that you are married. Ladies, it is so easy to forget about your husband once that baby comes home. Especially if you are a new mommy. Take a date night, watch a movie he loves, or play that video game he likes. Just don't forget that he is there!

Enjoy some cute one month pictures of little EZ (Tim calls him this).

Isn't hr handsome?

Hard to get a good picture with him because he is always moving. I look psycho!

Parenthood

Parenthood...
Is a job. The one job where you don't get paid in money but in moments and memories, because if there was a salary it would be an obscene amount! Anyways, its been almost a month and I feel that Tim and I are finally making our way off of the struggle bus and are about to board the insomnia train. This first month has been filled with so many struggles and I know that there are more to come. The biggest struggle so far has been the lack of sleep. Baby Ezra enjoys being up at night just like any other baby. But my baby started this practice in the womb. Yesterday, I got the baby carrier out and put on Zumba music and danced him around the kitchen just like
he used to do when I was teaching, he fell asleep. So the baby carrier is a must!

Ezra is one month old! Time please slow down!!!!

Peanut Butter protein Balls

As promised here is the recipe for the peanut butter balls. I did add protein powder to mine to make them more suitable for our needs.

1/4 cup agave
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1 1/4 cup of old fashioned oats
1/3 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup M&Ms
1 scoop of vanilla soy protein powder (milk products don't agree with either of us)

After all ingredients have been put in a bowl. Mix them, roll them into balls and place on a cookies sheet with parchment paper. Let them sit for an hour in the fridge and then they are ready to eat!

ENJOY!!!!

Fall bucket list

I can honestly say that summer is the most enjoyable season for me especially now. Here in our part of Ohio a lot of things shut down after summer because let's be honest once winter hits you're basically stuck inside. My second favorite season in fall! After all, it is the season in which I got my long awaited sibling! Everything about fall is beautiful; the colors, the smells, the things to taste as well. Last year was so busy for us around here with both of us being in school that we did not get to do much, but this year I have a plan. The plan begins and ends with this fall bucket list I've created. I am hoping to get everything done but there is always next year!

~Pick apples. Fall is not fall without a good ole visit to the apple orchard.

~Buy pumpkins. Last year we did not purchase one pumpkin. So I put it on the list so that we get it done and put the pumpkins out for decoration.

Excuse those dead flowers. Tim "says" I killed them... Also we need to fix that lamp!!!

~Smores! Our family loves to make smores over my mother-in-laws house, but I would love to sit around the fire in the fall. Especially this year since our fall has been mild so far.

~Make Apple Cider. Now, I've never done this before but I heard from a co-worker that it can be done. So I found a slow cooker recipe on pinterest. Let's hope that it works!

 Welcome to our humble abode. By the way, these are the MOST comfortable booties that I have ever worn! I literally wear them everyday if I can. I bought them from Famous Footwear.

What are some things you would like to do this fall?

#thisismybeautiful

This was a hard post for me to write and it took me a while to write it. I truly believe that beauty and being comfortable in one's own skin is a personal struggle that everyone goes through at some point in time. Now I've always been skinny or thin and at one point I was way too skinny. For a bit I allowed it to define me and when I turned 21 I started to gain weight. Let me tell you ,when I tried on my pants and they did not fit I was so disappointed. I went up about two pant sizes and I was not sure what I was going to do. A few years later I started working out and was able to maintain my weight but I never got my original pants size back. I LOVE working out now! It is my stress reliever and most people know that teaching Zumba rocks my socks! I know I'm beautiful the way I am and so are you!

The biggest lie we allow Satan to whisper in our ears is that we are not fearfully and wonderfully made just the way God made us. True beauty can be found in Jesus. True beauty comes from the inside and your relationship with Jesus reflects your outside.

I have a plan. I want to make this hashtag into a big one! What is your beautiful? This is mine. Natural hair, brown skin, and all. I would love to see your pictures of what your pretty looks like. So post your pictures and use the hashtag #thisismybeautiful . You can find me on instagram @mydotson88 and on twitter @cutieandthegeek. There are already a few pictures there and two of them are mine. So post your pictures there as well. We all need to be uplifted every now and then. I would love to scroll through and see those beautiful photos.

"For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well."

Psalms 139: 13-14

How do you get fit?

Let's talk fitness..............................................................................................................


Haha no for real. Let me tell you about my relationship with fitness. I've always been "skinny", but let me tell you that just being skinny does not mean that you're fit or healthy. For as long as I've known Tim he has worked out. As a matter of fact the weekend we first met he brought his "perfect pushups" with him so he could work out. After meeting him I wanted to be a better version of myself so I started going to the gym at my apartment complex and I got into Zumba. Now I can't stop working out. What's even better is that I teach Zumba at our local rec center so I am guaranteed to get a workout every week. At the moment, Tim and I average at least 3-4 days a week. Working out is a stress relief for the both of us and when we do not go it is like we go crazy!

Tim lifts weights and I like to do cardio. I do manage to lift some weights every now and then, but I truly enjoy Zumba and running. I am so proud of my family as well. My mom walks with friends, my dad goes to the gym over lunch, and my sister is living her ballet dreams and takes Pure Barre. I wish that I would have worked out a long time ago because it is the best! One thing that we have decided to do is eat better food. Working out is great but you have to fuel your body as well. I want to challenge you to get moving! You do not have to lift weights or run. Just get moving for 30 minutes a day. Walking, jogging, yoga, Pure Barre, dance, whatever tickles your fancy.

Look at this cutie!

Forgive the way we look because we just got back from the gym.

I told Tim to catch me running. Goofy!

How do you get fit?

We're going on a bear hunt

  Timothy and I ABSOLUTELY love camping! Not cabining or rving (words I made up). Camping in tents is the ONLY way to do it. We took this camping trip right before school started but I thought it would be fitting to share them now.

How do you camp?