We are back!

So it's been a really long time since I've done a blog post and honestly I have missed it a lot! I have so much fun looking back on previous posts with Jack and seeing how quickly he has grown. So I've decided to jump back into the blogging world if for no other reason than to enjoy looking back at life.

So a brief update to our family....
Jack will be one in a few months (what!??!) I can't even believe it. We have slowly but surly started the planning process and it just makes me want to cry thinking about the fact that my little newborn is such a big boy. Jack is standing up on his own and cruises around furniture like a mad man but still hasn't taken enough steps for me to consider him "walking". Chad and I will sit in the floor with him and see if he will walk back and forth but that usually consists of Jack taking two steps and diving forward into our arms.

He is a major jabber box and loves his "dada" "mama" and "baba". He still only has his two little bottom teeth and we keep swearing that his top two will bust through any day but they still haven't. He is pretty much eating everything now... chicken, beef, fruits veggies, etc. He recently discovered how to feed the dogs and super cracks himself up but it's not great for trying to achieve a full tummy.

Chad and I have officially started trying for baby #2 and I have really contemplated whether or not I wanted to mention this only because we are a few months in a still unsuccessful. I am still breastfeeding and planning on continuing until Jack is 1 so I'm thinking that is playing a role in it. We are trying (even though it is hard) to trust that God's plan is bigger than ours and when HIS timing is right we will get our nugget #2.

I am tossing around the idea of doing a few little "day in the life" videos for friends and family that don't live close to see baby Jack in action. But until then, pictures will have to do.

I don't really want to feel the pressure of blogging as far as attempting to organize themes or have a posting schedule because I want this to be fun and not a burden.

I hope to be posting pretty regularly so be sure and subscribe if you want more Baby Jack in your life :)

Lamb & Ivy Co Review and GIVEAWAY!!

I have always had an entrepreneur spirit. I think this is why I love supporting small businesses so much. I always admire all of the hard work that goes into starting something from the ground up. When I first learned about shopping via Instagram I was a little skeptical. I had no idea there was a whole world of things to buy for baby Jack. Let's just say it was very scary for my husband Chad ;)
 I had found many shops that I seriously fell in love with. I just couldn't wait to take Jack's pictures in all of the cute stuff that he was getting, all thanks to this world I had discovered.

One of the amazing shops that we found was Lamb & Ivy Co. I was FLOORED when I saw how precious all of the things were and completely shocked when I saw the prices! Jack's first shirt he got from Lamb & Ivy Co was the grey deer head infant shirt. When I got it in the mail it was SO incredibly soft and just as cute as the picture. He is really hard to size and this shirt seriously fit him perfectly. It was no question I had to get a pic of him in this. (Beanie: Noxx // Shirt: Lamb & Ivy Co // Harem Shorts: Belbambinos)



We are so excited to be on Lamb & Ivy Co's team as a brand rep now and double excited to team up with them for this incredible giveaway. Enter below and please note we will be double checking that all the rules were followed and entries were honest. Enter daily because this giveaway will be lasting a whole WEEK! Also don't forget to tell all your friends and to go check out their Instagram @lambandivyco and their shop lambandivyco.etsy.com


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note I was personally not compensated for this review and it is 100% my honest opinion!

Becoming a Momtographer: Finding your Creativity

Crash!
Something is broken.
You run into the living room to find your three kids frozen in time with your expensive vase on the ground in pieces.
Immediately you ask what happened to find that each of them had a completely different story. Was someone lying? Nope! They just simply perceived the situation differently.

This is an example to how we as individuals always see life differently than those around us. I believe that we are all born with a little photographer in us because of this very fact. We need to be able to fuel our creativity, recognize perspective and in result create the photo that perfectly represents what we are seeing in our minds.

Fueling Creativity
When you learn a new skill the key is to practice. I recently heard of a super neat challenge to do called the "alphabet challenge". This can even be done with your kids for a fun game! What you do is throughout the day your goal is to find every letter in the alphabet in nature or where ever you are playing the game. The trick is you can't use actual letters. Here is an example of a completed alphabet challenge:

Alphabet by Demi-Plum

Another fun challenge is the color challenge. It's a similar concept except you're trying to find an object of every color. Here is an example:

Challenge Photo by Jules and Joy Bianchi

Doing challenges like these will help you fuel your creativity! You will find yourself seeing the whole world in a different way. Not only will it help you challenge your creativity but it will help you take your photos to a new level.

Recognizing Perspective
Have you ever sat on the ground next to your child and thought how different the world looks from their height? I love finding new perspectives. I am seriously a monkey when it comes to taking Jack's pictures. Standing on top of chairs, tables, laying on my belly, doing it all! This is one tip that I truly believe makes a huge difference in photos no matter what camera you're using. A great way to challenge yourself take your photos to the next level is move around. Even if you just take your iPhone and practice taking a picture of your child in the same pose from a few different perspectives. Here is an example:

Photo Copyright http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/

Creating Photos
Regardless of what camera you are using there are a few things that remain the same in creating your photos. One of those things is the Rule of Thirds. Have you ever noticed the grid that covers your camera? There is even one of these grids on your iPhone if the setting is turned on. The goal of these lines is to help you set your subject in the right place. First figure out what your subject is (or what you want the viewer to look at). Then, place that subject at one of the intersecting lines.

Photo Copyright http://erincobb.com/

Another important factor in creating your photo is being aware of your background and foreground. If you're taking a photo of your child at the park make sure they aren't standing in front of a trashcan or anything that you don't intentionally want in the photo. Take a picture and then review it to see if you want to change anything before you start snapping away. You can also use your background and foreground to your advantage. If you're using a camera that can adjust focus (DSLR, iPhone and select point and shoot cameras) you can use objects that are out of focus to add more to your photo. Here are a few examples of that:

Photo Copyright Terri Cage on http://www.picturecorrect.com/

Photo Copyright http://girlwithknapsack.tumblr.com/

The last thing to remember when creating your photos is to relax! So many times we are so set on getting an exact posed picture that we miss out on beautiful life moments. When you're taking pictures of kids you should definitely not focus on how to make them sit still. Rather, how can you capture moments more effectively. One of the first paid photography jobs I had was of a one year old and boy was he on the move. I learned very quickly I wasn't going to get a posed picture. I noticed he loved to run so I would get far from him and have him run towards me and I got some incredible pictures. When kids want to play, let them! When they want to have their toys with them in the shot-- it's okay. When you go back years from now you will appreciate the little details of their life. When you see the picture of your little girl holding her favorite doll you will love remembering the little things not thinking about how frustrated you were that she would only take a picture if she got to hold her toy.


In the next blog post we will be breaking down different camera types and how to get the best picture possible with each of them. Remember to comment below with your questions and to follow me in Instagram @aubreeshupe . If you do one of the challenges I would love to see them! Post them on Instagram with #becomingamomtographer

Becoming a Momtographer: Introduction

Being a Sophomore in college you are trying to do it all. I was a Broadcast Journalism major planning on becoming the next best reporter on a major network. With the constant search for the best story time for a "real" job wasn't really an option. I always had an entrepreneur spirit so I began to think about what I could do to make extra money while still being able to focus on school. As I brainstormed my favorite things to do I thought to myself why not start doing photography? I loved photography class in high school and I had even had a DSLR camera that my parents had given me. I knew how to create websites and I knew I had landed on my perfect college job.

That was the beginning of what I would consider my ongoing photography interest. I ended up changing my major and earning my degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with an emphasis on Video Production. Though my love for photography I learned I loved the moving subject even more. I loved the idea of being able to tell a story and capture emotions that I didn't feel like a simple photo did justice.

Fast forward a few years and I found myself married with my first baby on the way. I was so nervous because Chad and I had moved to a smaller town and I was desperately searching for a studio to take my newborn to get the "Pinterest" worthy pictures I had my heart set on. But as I searched and researched prices my jaw was permanently on the ground. I had done professional photography and videography and I couldn't believe the prices people were trying to charge. Was I missing something? I hadn't ever taken photos of newborns so was it way harder than I realized? Now, I understand that photographers have to pay their bills but paying thousands for a few pictures seemed like a little much.

So, I decided that I was going to do it myself.

Now... keep in mind I was fresh off the operating table of a c section and barely able to move. But I was not going to let my little nugget not get the newborn pictures I knew he deserved ;)

I wasn't planning on taking a ton. I had a few pictures that were serving as "inspiration" and that's all I really wanted. I began to search everywhere for cute props and also decided I was going to the them at my parent's house where they had tons of huge windows and natural light. I looked over my checklist and had it all--- blankets, mini heater, camera, BABY.... etc etc etc

Upon arrival at their house, Chad helped me get everything set up. I turned my camera on MANUAL MODE ONLY (cue eye roll) and adjusted all of my settings. I got my focus just perfect and went to click and Jack moves his head back a little... my photo was out of focus. Shoot! Okay..try it again. I adjusted my lens to get the focus again and went to click and Jack moves his arm. Super frustrating!

I was so used to photographing senior pictures or family portraits where the subject stayed still. So what do I do? I adjust my settings to allow for a little bit broader focus range and increase my shutter speed and went to click and Jack is in a full on cry.

I was so frustrated that I did "everything" I ever learned to do with my camera. I knew that pictures weren't going to happen at that moment so we packed up and went home.

A few days later we were at our house and I was ready to reattempt the photos I was dreaming of. I turned one of our accent chairs toward a window and draped a white blanket. I put Jack in place and told myself I wanted to ignore everything I learned in school and I wanted to do what had to be done to get the picture. I toggled between aperture priority mode and, yes, auto. I just made sure I was shooting in RAW mode and guess what? My camera didn't blow up and I actually got the picture I wanted.

I learned a lot of lessons from this experience. But the biggest lesson I learned was one that I had already heard once in college. One of my professors used to always say, "Learn the rules so you can break them". I truly believe that! Yes, I will most likely switch back to shooting manual once Jack gets a little bigger but I know it's not the end of the world if I don't.

My goal of this new series is to teach mom's how to take better photos with whatever camera they have. How to look through Pinterest and find the perfect picture and ACTUALLY create it! I want to teach you to spend more time capturing MOMENTS and less time adjusting settings on your camera. This is not going to be a series for seasoned photographers. If you are a photographer PLEASE understand that I am probably going to say things that you don't agree with and that I am probably going to even be flat out "wrong" according to the textbook at times but I'm okay with that.  But, I am confident that by the end of this series you will be able to take a better picture.

Later on I will probably do a series for intermediate and advanced photography tips so if you enjoy this series be sure and look out for that. Also I love hearing from you so if you have any questions please comment below or send me an e-mail.

I look forward to this journey with you!
Aubree

Traveling with a Baby: Our Trip to Idaho Springs

We were finally packed and on the road.

As we get on our way to the little mountain cabin I couldn't help but wonder what we forgot. I was so nervous about not only taking the road trip (which was dramatic because it was only about 2 hours away) but being away from the comforts of home with our little 5 month old. I didn't know how the altitude would effect him or even driving in the car with super windy roads up the mountains. Jack was doing well asleep in his carseat so it allowed me to ease up.

We arrived at the little cabin and immediately were in awe of the incredible view from the windows overlooking the Arapahoe National Forest. We had tons of acres to ourselves-- as far as the eye could see! Eager to get the adventure really going we began to unpack.



Pack and play--check.
Bottles and wamer-- check.
Warm clothes for everyone -- check.
Diapers and wipes-- che--wait a second. This couldn't be all that we brought, I thought to myself.

But I was wrong.

How could I forget to pack loads and loads of wipes and diapers?! Thankfully the mountain town we were in had a Safeway so I knew we would be fine... or so I thought.

The precious cabin was located down a VERY steep driveway and yes it was very snowy and icy. We drove a 15 passenger van because our cars weren't big enough for all of our stuff. We planned to get up the next day and go into town for lunch. So that's what we did. We got in the van and began up the hill. Then we just stopped. Chad put the van in reverse and attempted up the way again. Nothing. There was absolutely no way we could get out. We were stranded.

Thinking through all of the possible scenarios we finally decided there was no other option than to dig out a way for the van... the whole way up. Poor Chad spent the whole next day with an ice pick and shovel trying to get a path for us to get out. But needless to say he did it! The next day we finally were able to get to the main road. Whew!!

Our adventure in Idaho Springs consisted of a lot of things including a fun snowshoeing adventure and exploring the tiny town.

So what exactly is a must have for taking a little getaway with your little one?

PACK AND PLAY! Oh my word this saved our life. It has a changing table attached and is also a bassinet. It was also super helpful that it had wheels so we could bring it to the living room for naps along with the bedroom for night time.

LOTS OF DIAPERS AND WIPES! It's so much better to be safe than sorry. We were only gone for a few days and I felt like we went through a million. Nothing is worse than having any type of stress damper your trip.

TOYS TOYS TOYS! When I first had Jack I had no idea what people meant when they told me to "play" with him. He couldn't even hold his head up what did they even mean?! (Blog post to come ;) ) Well now being 5 months we have found that he is obsessed with flashing light toys and music. Thank goodness for his Vtech "Happy Bear" because the car ride home would have been miserable had that little bear not entertained him. Even at the expense of Chad and I's sanity. That song was stuck in my head for days! "I am a bear a happy bear, a sleepy bear and hungry bear..." YIKES!

TYLENOL! I know a lot of mom's choose to not give their kids medicine but we were almost positive that Jack was in pain from either his ears or something. We would give him a little tylenol and made him able to enjoy the trip with us.

WARM CLOTHES, HATS and FRONT PACK! We loved being able to strap Jack to the front of Chad and adventure around. We had an amazing snow suit that Chad had from when he was little that worked great for keeping him extra warm. If you're planning on doing any adventuring, especially in the cold, this is a must!

I know a lot of these things seem super obvious but definitely make a list, even if you think you'll for sure remember. From experience, I will not go on any type of overnight without doing this! Also, remember that you are taking a small infant on vacation and although you are away from home that the world still revolves around them. Don't make a strict schedule because you won't have any idea how they will react out of their element. Strict schedules only cause stress because more likely than not you won't be able to fit all of the activities in that you want because your little chicken nugget will need a nap or maybe they will decide they just aren't in the mood ;)

I would love to hear any tips that you have for vacationing with your baby! Leave your ideas in the comments below :)

Dear New Mom: Sydney

Dear New Mom, 

Congratulations and welcome to the best part of your life.  Motherhood!

It is the most beautiful, difficult, and emotional experience you will ever go through.  You went from having fears during your pregnancy to fears about all the “whatifs” now that the baby is here.  Try and listen to your own instincts and above all, google less. Hard I know, but it instills other fears that we didn’t have prior.

You will have many “mom experts”  give you advice on what you should do and should not do.  If it is asked for take notes.  If it was given freely, take it with a grain of salt and know that what you are doing is right. 

You will be emotional.  Let it out! It doesn’t matter if you cry alone or in Target, let it out.  Have no shame and you will feel renewed after a good cry. 

One of the hardest things is to not compare yourself to other moms.  Know that you are doing it right and tune out the judgment and trust yourself. 

You are going to be scared and worry about everything.  Are they eating enough? Are they gaining weight?  Are they on the same level as other babies their age?  Let it go.  Switch out your fears with being in awe over what was created with love. 

Your days may go slow but trust me, your years will fly by.  Don’t look for the fast forward button but instead take everything day by day by rejoicing and celebrating your miracle.  

You are on a new journey that is so imperfect and beautiful all at the same time.

Know that it gets better.  All of it gets better.

Love,

Still a Learning Mama

Sydney is married to her husband, Luke and has a son, Griffin who is 9 months old.  They live in Upstate South Carolina where Sydney works at a government office and Luke runs his own Real Estate business.  In her spare time, which is seldom, she likes to binge watch reality TV and make inspiration boards for rooms in her new house.  Her blog, Raising Southern Grace, is a place where she shares about her life as a boymom and planting her roots in her dream house.

Jack's 5 Month Update!!

My little chicken nugget is already approaching SIX MONTHS OLD! I can't even believe it! I was reading through this four month update and I realized I was being a little over optimistic when I thought I could do a weekly update because we've had QUITE the month. It started off super fun with finishing up the holiday's at my parents house celebrating Christmas. Jack was definitely spoiled with lots of fun toys and clothes. But unfortunately a few days after that Jack got sick for the first time :( I know this is probably over dramatic but it lined up perfectly with when we started switching over to formula from breastmilk. This transition wasn't really a choice I was just not producing enough for some reason. I truly believe that God gave us breastmilk because it is what's best for the baby and can build up their immune systems. Jack's temperature got up to about 101 but with lots of fluids and tylenol we were able to prevent having to visit his doctor. But then, I got the flu! Attention ALL MOMS, DADS, EVERYONE-- get a flu shot if you have a little one! I was convinced because everyone said this years shot wasn't effective I didn't need to get it.. boy was I wrong! It was my first time getting the flu and it was awful. I still attempted to maintain my pumping schedule as best as I could since I knew the little chicken nugget needed to get some type of immunity to my flu strain but I was super dooper thankful my hubby Chad was able to stay home from work while I recovered. I was quarantined to my bedroom for 4 days (when my fever had broke for 24 hours) and I cannot tell you how incredible it was to finally hold my baby boy (with a mask still of course). Well it wasn't but a few days after my fever broke we were off to Idaho Springs for a weekend get away in the mountains that we had planned for a while. I am going to do a blog post soon where I will post all the pics, details and tips for traveling with a 5 month old. When we got home from that adventure it seemed to take about a week to get all the house cleaned and laundry done from being sick. I don't know if any mom's can relate but I feel like I was so overwhelmed because it seemed like there were less hours in the day! Needless to say one of the first things to go from that was my blog but I am hoping that this next month will allow for more time to write :)

As far as details of Jack go he is now wearing 9-12 month clothes (little CHUNK!) and we aren't exactly sure how much he weighs because we didn't go to the doc this month but guessing around 17-18lbs. He had a few days where he didn't hardly sleep at ALL through the night and was eating every hour. We just knew he was going through a growth spurt and needless to say he gained 2 pounds in 2 days! At least his pants are fitting better now ;) 

Jack is eating 3oz every 1.5-2 hours. We are trying our best to use as much breastmilk as possible but having to use formula when we don't have enough. Right after I got sick I did a "pumping marathon" where you pump for 10 min and wait 5 and repeat for an hour. This honestly helped pump up my supply from almost nothing to getting a fair amount again. I am doing pretty good with my supply now but might consider doing that again soon. 

Sleeping has been on and off this month. We have a pretty strict bedtime routine now that Jack has transitioned to his big boy crib (he did that right before our trip to Idaho Springs). We feed him 3oz at 7pm and then at 8pm we change his diaper and put on his pjs, feed him 5oz with 1tbsp of baby rice, read him a book then put him in his crib with his mobile turned on and his little bronco that projects the broncos logo and stars on the ceiling. He usually wakes up at least once for his pacifier but typically will wake up a second time for another 3oz bottle. We are eagerly anticipating when he starts sleeping all night again. 

His daytime routine is pretty set as well. We are doing the EASY method which is eat, activity, sleep and "your time" (which the your time is kind of a joke). What this looks like for us is feed (3oz bottle), playtime (look for an upcoming blog post on playtime ideas for you and your baby), and then nap time. His naps are still anywhere from 30 min to 2 hours. The 2 hour nap is usually late in the afternoon if it happens. 

Jack is getting really fun because he is starting to get into the stage where his personality is really showing. He plays super hard but boy when he gets tired he likes to fight it. This can cause for quite the ordeal. But as long as we stick  to our routine and look for the FIRST eye rub we get him straight to his crib or swing for a nap. 

I am really looking forward to him being able to sit on his own. He seems to be so close but who knows when he will actually do super good at it. From what I've read I guess 6 months is the typical month for that so I guess we will find out soon :)

Milestones from this month include-- first baby chuckle (SO cute), better standing with help, better sitting with some assistance. 

Hopefully more blog posts will be coming this month but we will just see. Also, I'm working on organizing my photos so I will be adding pics from the past month soon! :)

Dear New Mom: Jenny

Dear New Mom,

 “A baby changes everything”.  This phrase could not be truer.  Your life as you once knew it is gone.  No really, I know we’ve all heard this and had sweet little fantasies of the magical ways the baby will enhance your life….but I’m telling you:  A baby changes EVERYTHING!!!

Let’s start off with your so-called-life:

Getting ready in the morning will now switch to the afternoon - if you are lucky.  Three meals a day, yah right.  If I can remember to eat in between feedings, diaper changes and spit ups.  Your once sweet pea smell has now been traded in for sour milk with a hint of poop.  Sleep?  What’s that?  You are truly at the mercy of your deteriorating body in the first few weeks.  So with all this negativity (but truth) there is something wonderful in all of this:  We have an amazing God who equips us as mothers to do this.  We function on a level that only He can lead.  It is truly supernatural the way a mother can do what she does for her baby in the first few month as well as the rest of their lives.  

Take rest in knowing God is pouring into you during this hard time of change.  Stand on His truth that he will never leave you. 

Another change will be between you and your spouse: 

You will find deeper love for one another on a level you didn’t know existed and you will find discouragement on that same level.  You will find great joy in watching your husband become a father and loving this little being that is your baby.  You will also find great faults in him.  Remind yourself that you have great faults too, and that neither one of you are perfect in this parenting journey. You will think the way you “do it” (aka taking care of your little one) is the best and only way.  Let him do things the way he does them and don’t try to control everything (your baby will be fine).  Allow him to grow into the father God is molding him to be.  Remember, your baby is a “guest in your house” and your relationship with your spouse needs to come first and be nourished.  The more support you give each other the more united your parenting will be.  Your baby will pick up on this and you will all be more peaceful because of it.  Enjoy watching each other learn and grow into parents and give yourselves a lot of grace.  All three of you are new at this.

The final change will be this overwhelming feeling of love you have for this little person: 

Your baby will become the most precious possession God has trusted to you.  My sister gave me some of the best advice with my first baby, she said “Dishes in the sink can wait….babies don’t keep”.   This time will fly and you will not know where it went. They will make you laugh and cry and they will surprise you every day.  Snuggle them and love them with all you have, even on days when you don’t have much.  Forgive yourself when you have an off mom day…we all do.

You will learn more from them about yourself in the first year than you ever have.  You will learn how selfish you really are. You will learn the power of loving someone more than yourself.  And you will learn to multitask like a badass!  Take pleasure in it and enjoy the Journey!  

Jenny is wife to Paul and mommy to Malie 6 and her new baby girl Delanie who is only 5 months old. Random facts about Jenny include she just started drinking coffee this year (and loves it!) she has never in 11 years of marriage had a bag of flower or sugar in her house (she doesn't bake) and she is fascinated with any kind of dwarfism (it's the medical side of her). Follow Jenny on Instagram @jennyhooten ! 

Dear New Mom: Michele

Hi, my name is Michele and I am a full time Sahm of 3. A little about me: I dabble in freelance makeup artistry and am obsessed with photography. I have a passion for fashion and interior design. The most important thing, for me, in my life was to become a Mom. This past year was one of our most challenging thus far! Growing from a family of four to five was big, ok....maybe not big...it was HUGE!! We moved from Atlanta, Ga, three years ago to Tampa, Fl. It was a very big transition for our family. My hubby started a new job and so our journey  began. My three littles are my whole world!  Aidan is 10. Aidan loves soccer and has played competitively since he was 7. He has enough energy for 2 kids so playing soccer has helped to tame, "some" of that energy! Ava is 6, my little free spirit. She loves to dress up and has the kindest heart....loves all animals, (even frogs and snakes) yes, SNAKES! Liam is 10 months, and is our little prince. He loves exploring and would rather be outside all day! There is just this one thing......Liam is our worst sleeper....EVER! I am breast feeding exclusively and have been since birth.   He still wakes every 2-3 hrs. And sometimes more often, to nurse. I am beyond exhausted, frustrated, overwhelmed, you name it! Did I mention, exhausted?? OH! And the hubs travels 85% of the time!! Therefore, he is now in our bed!
Something I always swore would never happen. His naps have improved somewhat, but I am afraid to leave him alone in our bed so I end up resting with him. He has always associated breastfeeding with sleeping and at this point, I don't see this changing! I know I need to transition him to his crib....but he seems to need me so much! He has severe separation anxiety, even if my husband holds him and tries to comfort him....he will cry/scream until he is in my arms! I honestly don't know where to begin. Even sleeping in our bed is not enough, he wakes often as soon as I put him down, and climbs on me and lays his head over my heart. It literally, is the sweetest gesture .....but this Mama can't sleep!

And for those of you who believe in CIO....I honestly am not a fan, however, we tried it, but I couldn't go past a week and he didn't get any better!

It is my wish to start a blog sometime soon and continue to chart, "The sleeping chronicles of Liam." I hope to hear back from you, Mama's! Any helpful tips or encouragement would be appreciated.;-)

Much love Xx,
(Ig) Lanamichele

Michele Moczarski

Michele Moczarski is a full time stay-at-home mother of three. She loves fashion and interior design and is a photographer and makeup artist. Follow Michele on Instagram @Lanamichele and look for her new blog, "The Sleeping Chronicles of Liam" coming soon.

Dear New Mom: Courtney

Dear New Mom,
Are you tired yet? Whether you are still expecting or have already brought that bundle of joy home, it’s likely you are no longer sleeping like you did before. I remember complaining to my husband in about month 14 of my pregnancy of how uncomfortable I was, and how tired I felt because I wasn’t sleeping! HA! I should have enjoyed that stage, because once my son Hudson arrived I really found out what “not sleeping” meant. Having been blessed with a great sleeper in my daughter four years ago, and completely unfamiliar with this new night owl of a baby, I seriously was Googling, “how long until my baby sleeps through the night” about four weeks into this gig. I kept questioning EVERYTHING!
“Am I feeding him enough during the day?”“Am I stimulating him enough?”“Is he going to bed too early?”“Is it because he’s not in his own room?” “Should I play ‘white noise’ in his room?”
Seriously, I have asked myself all of these questions. Now, eight weeks in, and I can tell you that I still don’t know the answer to any of them. I assume I’m feeding him enough and playing enough. We have added a sound machine, and he does lay in his own bed. That said, I’m still not certain what has helped him sleep better if ANY of these things at all. He’s still not a great sleeper, but every day gets better.
Why am I telling you this story? I know you don’t care about my son’s sleeping habits or my exhaustion...we all have our own to deal with.
I tell you this because if there is anything I can prepare you for on your journey through motherhood, it’s the questions.
You are going to wonder about everything: his poop, his facial expressions, when he should start smiling at you, when he should start holding his head up, how often you can bathe him, how much he can eat at what age, etc.You are going to ask other moms, and probably have Google set as your homepage. You are also going to hear a lot of different answers. You will read things that tell you, “put rice cereal in his bottle at -2 days old” followed by comments like, “NEVER feed your baby rice cereal...even if he’s 20”. Okay okay, that’s extreme, but for real… everything you look at will have an opinion out there to contradict it.
My advice: hone in on that Mother’s instinct. Wrangle it, wrestle it, and own it! Questioning everything is normal. Afterall, we all just want to know our children are normal and healthy, and that we are progressing. BUT don’t let the questions own you. It’s so easy to get caught up in the “right” and “wrong” way to raise a child (just Google ‘breastfeeding vs. formula feeding’ if you need a good example, ha!) But, there is not a “right” and “wrong” when it comes to this. Every single child is an individual, wired divinely different, and in need of completely individual things. Every little one is “custom made”. There is ‘pre cooked’. There is no recipe. There is no winner in this challenge.
So if you want to formula feed, do it. If you want to put him in his own bed from day one, go for it. You want make your own baby food? Cool. You think he needs that extra ounce? He probably does.  Parenting is an extremely tough job physically and emotionally all on it’s own. Don’t contribute to the crazy by driving yourself insane with the textbook answers. Try things, and if they don’t work, try different things until something DOES work for you. This is all just a process of trial and error, and one person’s error can be another’s triumph.
Don’t compare yourself. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Don’t question yourself.
Love God, Love your littles, and enjoy every darn minute of motherhood. Stop worrying about the opinions. The questions will come, but you and your little one get to write your own answers.
Love and Best Wishes,

Courtney Jo FryThe Pink Porch

Courtney is author of the blog The Pink Porch.

She is a wife to her super supportive husband, Ryan, and full time mommy to Caroline (4 years old) and Hudson (2 months). She loves the Lord, photography, writing, blogging, and playing with her little ones (including her fur babies, Ewok the Pomeranian and Lola the cat). Please check out her blog for more! www.thepinkporch.com 

Jack's 4 Month Update!!

I feel like a complete cliche when I say the time flies with a baby. But boy have I learned that's true! Jack is already 4 months old and it's incredible to see how much has changed. If I could offer any advice to a mom-to-be it would be to keep a journal! Or maybe even just start a blog! It is so neat to go back and look at all of the different changes because I have forgotten so much and I love going back and reading all of the different things Jack used to do. Something I have decided that I miss is the weekly updates because it just seems like they change so much over the course of a month that I enjoy the little things from week to week. I've been inspired by another mommy blogger (freshmommyblog.com) to start doing Wednesday Hump Day Dump Day! Basically what it is is I will take the photos that I have taken that week from my phone (or camera if I venture to get it out and brush the dust off) and post them with a short description of highlights from the week. It is not only a neat way to keep photos organized and remember what they're from but to again have an opportunity in the future to look back on all the fun we have :)

So back to Jack!! My little man is growing growing growing! He went to the doctor on Monday and he weighed just under 15lbs but is only a little over 24 inches tall. He is in 9month clothes with the exception to a few 6-9 month outfits. But let me tell you his poor legs get lost in how long they are! Good thing rolling pants up looks cute ;)

Another super fun update is that Jack is now starting his first step towards solids! His doctor recommended we start feeding him 2 tbsp of baby rice a day with a spoon to get him practicing eating for when the real stuff comes (around 6 months according to his doc). It is so precious watching his eyes get huge when the spoon is coming his way he just grabs it and shoves it half way down his throat. I think it's safe to say that he is enjoying it!

Jack is also FULL on teething now. Holy moly he puts ANYTHING and everything in his mouth. He has learned to put his pointer finger and thumb in his mouth at once to get both sides covered. He is also drooling a ton. It's super funny sometimes he will just look at me and yell (not scream) a loud yell and just chomp down on his hand. Poor thing is in pain but I can't help but smile because it is super precious.

Sleeping is going really well for the most part. We still have him in his bassinet but the weight limit is 15lbs so he will be making the move probably in the next week (yikes!). He typically will sleep from about 9pm-6:45am which makes mommy and daddy very happy!

He is talking away more than ever lately and loves to hear his own voice. We like to have "conversations" all the time. He is also super close to being able to sit up on his own but he's still a little too wobbly to fully master that.

Jack had 2 holiday's since his last update! Thanksgiving AND Christmas! Thanksgiving went super well he got a little fussy though towards the end. We are learning that he doesn't do super awesome with tons of people and noise. We've noticed this a lot when we go out to eat-- major over stimulation! Christmas was good too but like most parents we learned that Jack loved the tissue paper and wrapping paper more than his gifts. He got lots of clothes, a new high chair and a few toys. He is eagerly anticipating his last Christmas stop at other Grandma and Grandpa's house! :)

His acid reflux is almost nonexistent now with the help of his new medication and he usually only cries if it's time to eat (we do our best to get his bottle before this time) and if he's getting tired. Our normal routine is to eat, play for about an hour and then he's ready for a nap which typically lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the time of day.

After rereading his 3 month update I can confidently say this past month has been a lot better. We, like all first time parents, are learning the tricks of the trade and what Jack needs to thrive. It's hard because no book or article can prepare you fully because every baby is different. You just have to stay calm and learn on!

Here are our pics from the past month.