FAMiLY WoRd

I am claiming these scriptures for our family:

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 6:7,8

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you." Jeremiah 29:11,12

We are asking, seeking and knocking....and we are waiting for an answer!

thE NeW NaP TiME

Nap time for Miss Madelynn has long gone. When she turned 2, her naps became few and far between. There was a time last summer when the only days I could get her to nap was on the car ride home from our beloved Teacher Cindy's swimming lessons. Then we moved into a nap phase that I re-named "Crap Time". (I don't usually use that kind of language, but those of you who know about this particular phase would agree that I have earned the right to use it...just this once:-). The good thing about phases (at least this one) is that they don't last forever. We finally settled on "Quiet Time"...which has worked fairly well until the last couple of weeks. No amount of pleading, bargaining, threatening, or disciplining was working. Something needed to change--had to change, or both of us would go crazy. And today I finally figured out what it was...it was me.

This last week has been extremely tiring and challenging. Madelynn came down with a bad cold and has been up every night for at least an hour. On top of that, Lila was waking up 2-3 times a night. In other words, I wasn't getting much sleep. I had decided to exchange Quiet Time for a movie since (while Madelynn was sick) I knew it would be a losing battle. Yesterday I tried to reinstate Quiet Time and it ended in disaster--tears and tempers flying on both ends. My heart sunk as I knew I was losing Quiet Time, too. I sought encouragement and creative ideas from my mom (as I often do;-), but something deep in my heart told me that I already knew what I needed to do. Surrender. Not the kind of surrender that gives the child control over the situation. This was something much deeper than that. I had to let go of what I wanted to do during that 1 hour of Quiet Time so that I could see what Madelynn needed...Mommy Time. I used to wonder why Madelynn was so darn stubborn. Now I realize that I needed to take a good long look in the mirror. I have been so intent on keeping the Nap Time tradition that I could not (or would not) see what really needed to happen instead.

So today instead of preparing for another battle, I spread a blanket on Madelynn's floor. I set our pillows side by side. I put out books and covered us with a blankie. And without question my daughter snuggled next to me and listened intently as I read. When I finished the story I told Madelynn that I was going to close my eyes for a minute. She laid still next to me for a moment and then quietly sat up, tucked the blanket around me, and gently stroked my face with her little hand. It was by far the best Nap Time ever. It was "Mommy and Daughter Time."

NEW YeARs REsOLUtiONS {and MeRRY ChRiStMAS!}

{MeRRY ChRiStMAS}

From our little family...

*photo by Jodi Mockabee Photography*

...to yours!

And on a totally different note...

{NEW YeARS ReSOLUtiONS}*

*because I really need to write these down NOW, before I forget!

1. Build my Business.

MAddiE Lu'S has been a slightly profitable business up to this point. I want to change that to VERY profitable. A slight make-over, additional handmade products, and expansion are some of the ways I plan on accomplishing this. (I haven't decided wether to sell on Etsy again or not)

2. Blog.

I'm sure by now you all have noticed I've been SLACKING in this department...to say the least.

3. Become a better Photographer...with an iPhone.

Nope, no fancy camera here. Just an iPhone. Somehow I need to figure out how to take better photos with it--a new camera is not in the near future.

4. Bedroom Uplift.

Our master bedroom NEEDS HELP. Small space, huge bed & furniture, no style, totally un- sexy.

5. Begin an "idea" journal.

I'll let you know how I do!

My hUSbANd

My husband is an amazing man.

I love that he is passionate about the outdoors (or "the woods" as we call it in our house)...

I love that he made me a part of this beautiful family...

and even though he made me look like this- TWICE...

I love that he gave me this...

and this...

He is my manly man, my best friend, my solid rock, amazing father to my children, our provider, my shoulder to lean on...

and my lover.

I guess what I am trying to say is, I love my husband.





*Professional photographs by Jodi Mockabee Photography*
(excluding deer-head and prego picture....I'm sure you can tell the difference!)

bittY bAbY ShOES

This is a little sewing project I finished before baby Lila was born:

I bought a baby shoe pattern on etsy for these reversible mary Jane shoes...and I love them! It's too bad baby Lila's feet are too tiny to wear them yet! My favorite part is that they are reversible--a girl's gotta have options, right?

And what pair of shoes is complete without a little coordinating frock? A MAddiE Lu'S onesie was in order:

The shoe pattern also came in larger sizes...I expect Lila will need at least one pair in each size! Maybe a brown tweed for this winter....

PiNkY bLEU

Before baby Lila arrived, a friend of a friend contacted me to do a trade with some MAddiE Lu'S hair clips. I was flattered-then very excited when I saw her PinkyBleu etsy shop! In exchange for a few hair clips I received these darling little ruffle-bum panties for baby:

I love the colors and fabrics!

Please check out her etsy shop...she also has adorable onesies, burp cloths,and bonnets (I don't know how much longer I can resist her bonnets-hmm, maybe for next summer?)


Here is the cutest little model showing off her new fancy-pants from PinkyBleu:
(Photo by Jodi Mockabee Photography)

MEEt LiLA (and the story of her arrival)

Welcome baby Lila!


*Adorable ruffle-bum bloomers from PinkyBleu*



*Amazing photos taken by Jodi Mockabee Photography*

The newest member of our family finally arrived on the 13th of August. I say "finally" but according to my due date-August 29th-I was two weeks early. It just felt like I was overdue! Here's the run-rundown:

12am- woke up feeling kinda funny so I got up to go to the bathroom and WHAMO....my water broke. I was very surprised, as this was not how I expected to start labor.

12:15am- got in the shower, expecting contractions to start any moment...

2am-still NO contractions! I walked circles in the house, got the carseat ready, packed last minute essentials, window-shopped online.

3am-mild contractions began, stronger than Braxton-Hicks, but not what I'd call active labor. I decided to try to sleep.

5am-got a little sleep but began getting anxious about contractions. They were regular, but still not really painful. I was supposed to go to the hospital 4 hours after my water broke and at this point I was putting it off. I really wanted to give birth naturally, and I knew that since my water broke I would be urged to start pitocin to get my labor going.

6am-called Grandma "Yaya" to get Madelynn. Finally called the hospital and of course they wanted me to come in.

7am-arrived at he hospital. Contractions slowed down and sometimes I could not even feel them! My doctor was out of town (I know, so typical!) so I met the on-call doctor...I was not very impressed (even more typical!). At this point I was dialated between 4 and 5 and the doctor suggested I start pitocin to get things going. But I was dead-set on giving birth naturally...even if it took longer. So...I began walking...

11am-...and walking...

1pm-...and walking. Now I was dialated between 5-6. Big Woop! I thought the second time was supposed to be faster! Nothing was going as I envisioned...

2pm-another walk around the hospital.

3pm-I was suddenly very tired and deciced to lie down and try to sleep. I slept in between a few contractions and then BAM! A real labor contraction finally hit. BAM! Another one hit and I was really having to breathe through it. BAM! Ok, this was starting to really get going!
"Jess..." I said to my husband (who had fallen asleep on the chair),"you might want to call my mom and tell her to come back."
"Why?" he asked sleepily.
"Because I think I'm going to have this baby soon!"
As he called my mom I kept having more contractions-each stronger than the last.

3:30pm- Shortly after my mom arrived the doctor came to check on me. I was starting to feel very "pushy." This was a term I remembered all to well from the last time, and I was not very fond of this part. It's the part between painful contractions and actual pushing contractions. It's TRANSITION. The doctor said I was fully dialated and ready to push! (Not that I didn't already know that). I could literally feel the baby moving down with each contraction. I had to grab Jesse's hand. I felt like I had to sit straight up, squat, kneel...anything but lie down at an incline. My nurse raised the back of my bed at a ninety-degree angle so I could face the back of the bed and kneel. There was a steel bar I could hold on to, which was probably a welcome break for Jesse's hand! I could tell that this was going to be quick. I think I gave about 5 or 6 six big pushes and then.........

3:50pm-Baby Lila Nevada McMahon arrived! I can't even explain what a relief it was to get her out! I already felt a million times better. Lila let out a big cry. She was (and is!) absolutely perfect.

My labor was much different than I had expected. I would say that my actual hard labor was about an hour. An hour! But such a strange beginning with my water breaking and slow-starting contractions. My nurse told me that next time if my water breaks I should get to the hospital RIGHT AWAY. Well, we'll see if there is a next time...

For now we are pretty content with our little family of four! Welcome baby Lila!