Little Mommies

We took the girls to play over at Nana and Pop's the other day. Sophie rode her bike and she let Selah play in her car.

She loves dolls lately!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Going for a walk.  I said she loves them, not that she's always gentle with them=)

Sometimes she drags them by the hair.

Sometimes she loves on them which gives me hope that she can learn to be "gentle".

Check out those lashes.

She gets them from her Daddy.

Funny face.

Driving tips.

Sweet Big Sister.

Had to post these chubby legs!

Would've posted more Sophie pics but she kept saying, "no more pictures mommy."  She is a little camera shy lately!

Citizen's Arrest -Crazy Drama!

Something crazy happened today that I thought might be blog worthy!

Trey and I took the girls to Whole Foods to get a pumpkin and as we were leaving and getting onto 280 the light turned green but the cars in front of us never moved (we were way back in line). 
Then the guy in front of us starts backing up and trying to go around the car in front of him which was not moving.  We followed his lead, but just as we were passing the stopped car, I looked over to see a girl in the driver's seat slumped over like she was unconscious!  I screamed and Trey stopped the car.  I immediately jumped out and ran over to her window. 

"The guy" in front of us had stopped too.  He was already standing by her car staring at her limp body through the window.  I looked at him and asked, "Is it locked?" He shrugged, so I pulled on the door handle and it opened.  I guess she was passed out against the door because as I opened it she woke up, lifted her head and looked at me in a very confused way.  A cloud of funny smelling smoke also hit me in the face right about this time.  Not to jump to conclusions, but my first thought was, "this chick is either drunk or high".  It did not appear she was having some kind of medically related episode.  She looked ROUGH and when I say rough I mean rough.  After one look at her, I turned my head to "the guy" and told him to call the cops, which he promptly did. 
I asked her if she was okay and she mumbled something about being tired and having company over this weekend.  I guess it's possible she "fell asleep" but it looked more like "passed out" to me, just sayin... At this time I noticed that not only was she mumbling and disoriented, but she was shaking pretty bad in her hands and legs.  I asked her if she had any medical conditions and she told me she had anxiety.  I told her she should get out of the car and she kept saying her boyfriend lived closeby and she'd just drive over to his house.  To which I responded, "Um sweety, you were just passed out in your car, I don't think you should be driving."  She started to become agitated and nervous and I could tell she wanted to get out of there.  She kept saying she was fine and started fumbling around in her car for something.  But I was not about to walk off and tell her to have a nice day.  It really seemed like she was on something and I was afraid she was going to hurt someone or herself.  I asked her if she could call someone to pick her up and she told me her boyfriend was on his way to pick her up.  (Sorry sista, I've been standing here the whole time, you haven't made any phone calls to your boyfriend).  She said, "Well I'll just move my car over there."  I told her that was a bad idea and asked her if I could move her car for her.  She looked at "the guy" and said to me, "Who is he talking to?"  I said he'd called 911 to get a paremedic which was partially true.  At this point I was just stalling because I wanted the police to get there and figure out what was going on.  She started to get panicky and you could tell she wanted to get the heck out of there.  Thankfully we had a nice traffic jam keeping her blocked in.  As the light turned green again, cars started moving and she closed her door and started backing up the turn lane.  When she couldn't go any further, she put it in park, put the hazards on, grabbed some stuff out of the car and walked very briskly towards the front of Whole Foods.  Thankfully the police came swooping in at that exact moment with full lights and sirens.  They were just in time to get a peek of her going around the corner in front of Whole Foods. 
"The guy" had been slowly backing away from the car and had been on the phone the whole time with 911(had gotten her tag number in case she bolted) and had been telling the police what was going on.  Once I saw the police round the corner to Whole Foods I looked at him and told him I was leaving.  He waved thanks and stayed on the phone. 
In the end, I didn't get to have to make my citizens arrest after all.  But I am glad the police arrived quickly and hopefully caught her before she did any damage.  I so wanted to drive back around though to make sure!  But I knew Trey wouldn't go for that.  The rest of the car ride, we got to answer a LOT of questions from Sophie who I am sure was wondering what in the world mommy was doing!  I think we ended up explaining something about bad medicine and adults making bad decisions...

***In case you were wondering, Yes! my husband was sitting in the car watching all of this unfold. He later told me that he had been trying to move the car out of the way of traffic and by the time he had moved it, he looked up and she was awake and talking, so he decided she was fine and to stay put in the car with the kiddos. I guess the "super nurse"(LOL) in me had beaten him to the scene, but the "discerning doctor" in him told him she did not need medical attention. ***

gDiaper Success=)

We got our gdiapers yesterday and Selah was so excited to test them out, she decided to IMMEDIATELY poop in the first one.  Hmmm... I had hoped to do a wet one first, but we dove in head first with the poopy.  Actually it wasn't too bad.  I do see the need for a "system" though.  I wasn't sure where to put my dirty wipes (thankfully I had an empty box i was about to throw away sitting nearby so I used that).  Then, it was kinda hard to get the poop off the insert simply by dunking it in the toilet, I think I need to get the sprayer thing?  I threw it immediately in the washer because I don't have a designated trash can for diapers yet, but I will need to get one soon I am sure.  One with a lid I might add.  The best part so far though is that she slept in oneall night and it didn't leak at all!  I was very happy about that. 
I am about to order the gDiaper cloth inserts (I got the bum genius inserts from diapers.com because they were cheaper but they don't fit perfectly in the gdiaper cover, not that  i can complain because no leaks so far!)  However, Courtney says the gdiaper inserts fit/work better, so I am going to get some of those.  I also think I am still going to use regular diapers when I am out running errands, at least until I get comfortable at home with them, and then we'll see...  All in all, So far so good=)

gDiapers

I ordered some cloth diapers last night, Yikes!  I promise I am not turning into a hippie tree hugger=)  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  As a matter of fact, I think we could all be a little more natural minded! 
I have never considered cloth diapers because of a bad experience I had while babysitting.  However, "modern" cloth diapers, are not nearly as scary.  My reasons for trying it:
1.  Selah has oh so sensitive skin and we are always dealing with a diaper rash of some kind
2.  I like the thought of putting something more natural and less chemical on her bum
3.  They are super cute!  I know... that's not a good reason, but it's still true

I ordered some gDiapers from diapers.com.  I only ordered two diaper covers and 6 cloth inserts because I am not even sure I can do it.  Trey agreed to let me order a few and just see how it goes.  They should get here Wednesday, so I'll let you know if I have any success!  I am excited!

Sleepless nights

I have had a lot of sleepless nights lately!  Ugh, i feel like a new mother almost with the number of times I've been getting up at night. 
I worked Saturday night so, of course I was awake at work all night. 
Sunday night Selah decides to wake up and scream bloody murder at 2 am until I went and fed her a bottle.  Monday night Sophie woke up and came downstairs to tell me she "wet the bed."  So I changed her and stripped her bed, put her on the sofa at 2 am only to realize as I tucked her in that she was BURNING UP with fever.  Gave her some motrin and water then went to bed.  Then Selah woke up at 5:30 am screaming for another bottle which I eventually obliged so I could get some more rest ( i seriously wait until they are howling to get up because we don't want to start any bad habits).  Sophie is at 103 that morning so we head to the doctor only to find out she doesn't have flu or strep.  And even if she did have flu, they wouldn't treat it. 
Last night we let Sophie sleep on the sofa because she likes to be closer to us when she is sick.  So she wakes me up at 11pm (45 minutes after I went to bed) to tell me she's thirsty.  I take her temp..104.4 axillary, more motrin.  Trey goes to the sofa, Sophie gets in bed with me and proceeds to wake up every 30 minutes to tell me how bad she feels.  2am, Sophie wakes up to tell me "Mommy, I need to go potty."  Only problem, she already went "potty" in my bed.  So wierd, because she NEVER wets the bed, so two nights in a row is CRAZY.  I wake up and change her, strip my bed, change the sheets.  She keeps saying my side hurts, pointing to her kidney, so I am thinking Kidney infection.... Guess we'll be going to the doctor again.  Eyes roll.  But she's my baby and I hate it when she's hurting!  6:15 am - Selah wakes up bright and early.  Now it's 9:30 am , Selah's taking a nap and Sophie is still asleep in my bed...  I actually am not tired at all.  I think God is giving me some supernatural mama strength to keep me going.  Thank you LORD!!!! 
Praying for some sleep tonight though because I am working tomorrow night (if I get called in). 
Hope you guys are sleeping better than me!!!

Peekaboo

So, I tried to have a somewhat "secret blog" where I could post labor and delivery type stuff. But, I changed my mind and am going public with it. I'll just have to be a little more careful with what I post...
Check it out at http://www.naturalbirthnurse.blogspot.com/ I just posted about my sweet friend Rachael's birth story (with her blessing of course)! It is amazing!!! I'd love to hear any other birth stories you have to share!

Enter at your own risk...

We got a security system yesterday which I am SO HAPPY about especially with Trey being gone so much. I have never felt the need for one before, but recently I have wanted a little extra security.
We got a great deal from ADT with a $49 installation and only a 1 year contract. I am very relieved that it is now installed and fully operational.
However, as a cheaper alternative, Trey seemed to think placing this sign outside would have been just as effective. Beware intruders! We do have a double barrel shotgun and apparently Trey isn't afraid to use it.... HAHAHAHAHA=)

Sweet Riley

I am excited about having some sister time this weekend!

We'll be seeing this shining face tomorrow!

Maybe she'll do the robot for us.... She is way too good at it!

The last time we were all together was in NYC in July!

I am sure there will be lots of this going on!


We'll surely have some photo ops...

and we'll be hearing lots about this place!

Shop by Color

I am very drawn to color everywhere I go. When I shop, I definitely shop by color! I've had a green kick, an orange kick, and now I am on a yellow kick. These are a few of my favorite yellow finds this summer. It's not much of a Fall color, so I may have to move onto something more seasonally appropriate, but with the weather we're having, I think I can hang onto my yellow a little while longer=)

(I know I need a pedicure!)

The best thing about these two articles of clothing is that they were both less than$10! The bright yellow cardigan surprisingly goes with almost anything. It's not too matchy, but it just "works" with most of my clothes. It's from the Ann Taylor clearance rack. My yellow sandals were a New York find for $9.99. Gotta love that=)

You're Welcome Pottery Barn

For the record, I had these BEFORE Pottery Barn

If you've been to my house in the past 2 1/2 years, you've seen my window treatments. I found a great fabric at King Cotton downtown and had drapes, a valance and a roman shade made for our living area. I love it so much and can honestly say I am not tired of it at all. I get so many compliments on these window treatments!
(these are pictures of my curtains and roman shade)



So you can imagine my surprise when I open up a Pottery Barn recently and see MY special wonderful beautiful fabric in their catalog under window treatments. While I am flattered that I apparently have good taste, I am not thrilled that my lovely and unique window treatments will now fill the houses of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Anyway, if you like mine, then you can go get them at Pottery Barn. And don't worry, they have bedding and throw pillows to match!
(these pictures are from http://www.potterybarn.com/)

More booster info..

I found some more info on carseat law and thought i'd pass it along, mostly because I didn't know any of this a few weeks ago. And my pediatricians office did NOT tell me the Alabama Car seat law of 5 years old and/or 40 lbs when I called and asked about putting Sophie in a booster at 36 pounds, they just told me to go by what is on the box...

So, I have been considering getting Sophie a booster seat because she is 36 pounds and some of them start at 30 pounds as the minimum weight. I've been thinking about it and going back and forth for a few months about it. I just keep thinking "how can a booster seat be as safe as a carseat?" I have no experience with all of this and haven't heard from many other moms who've made the transition to booster seats, so I just have been researching things on my own. I even called the pediatrician and they basically told me to go by what is on the box of the carseat. So, since it's Sophie's bday, we were going to take her to Target and get her a booster seat.
However, right before we are about to walk out the door and, I came across this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ
So as for me, I think we'll be stickin with a carseat for a while longer....I am glad I came across this information when I did because this information was convincing enough for me to change my mind and get another 5 pt harness carseat.
Here is another similar video made by parents urging others to leave their children in a 5 pt harness as long as possible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04&feature=fvw

Here is some info I found on http://www.about.com/ about alabama carseat laws...

Alabama Car Seat Law Changes
Friday November 3, 2006
I've had a few questions lately about car seat laws in Alabama. The state law changed in July 2006 to require forward-facing car seats until age 5 or 40 pounds, and to require booster seat use until age 6. Alabama is one of many U.S. states to make car seat law changes in recent years. Federal guidelines now suggest that children are safest when they stay in a harnessed car seat as long as possible, and then use a booster seat until they are at least 4'9" tall or weigh at least 80 pounds. Often the height and weight recommendations are met around age 8. Several states, including Kansas, have changed their car seat laws to reflect these federal guidelines.

Budget Blues

So, I had a little reality check last night in the budget department! Sigh...
It's "good" to sit down and take a good hard look at the money coming in and the money going out, but it's not fun to think about cutting back in lots of areas. We should probably take the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace seminar, but honestly, I am afraid to. (Not to mention I'd probably be going by myself because of Trey's schedule) I know it is hard core, and I know we're probably not doing things the "Dave Ramsey way."
For instance, I like to think we "need" a bigger house, but I know we don't really "need" it, we just want it. When we bought this house, we assumed we'd be able to sell it whenever we wanted and NEVER intended to stay here longer than 3 years. Well, our 3 year mark has come and gone and we're still here, with two kids I might add and the living space is feeling very claustrophobic. Contentment is a word/lesson that comes to mind a lot lately. It's easy to focus on all the people who have more than you and want to get "bigger and better" stuff, but will it make me truly happier? No. I would love to have a yard that my kids can play in tomorrow but that's not gonig to happen. I know one day we'll have that, but not today, so as for me I'll stay focused on learning to be content in all circumstances and count my blessings! Because I am truly blessed!

It's a Britax...

A Britax Boulevard that is...(and it's pink!)
Thanks to everyone who pointed me in the right direction as far as finding a "good deal" on a carseat. This is what I've finally settled on. If I like it I may order another one so that we can put the other carseat in Trey's car. I am super excited to have something pink since we usually order gender neutral for things like carseats! I found it on albeebaby.com for 189.99 no tax and free shipping! Woohoo! Happy Thursday!

Happy Birthday to my Big Girl!

This picture of Sophie and Trey melts my heart how they are looking so intently at eachother!


I love this picture of Sophie even though she's all swollen and puffy. I just remember getting to experience a "mother's love" for the first time and how overwhelming it was. Children are SUCH a blessing and I can't imagine life without them.

I love you Sophie girl sooooo much. You are sweet, smart, thoughtful, sensitive and so loving. I am so blessed to have you in my life and I really wish you'd slow down on the "growing up" because your little life is flying by too fast for me! I pray for you daily that God will mature you into a woman who is after His heart and that He will use you to further His kingdom. You are so loved! Happy Birthday to my wonderful 4 year old!
Love,
Mommy

Jesus loves me this I know!

My sweet sweet friend Jennifer gave Selah this bible for her birthday. She told me it had been on Darby's blog (which I LOVE)! So of course I pulled it out to read tonight at bedtime and it is Wonderful, beyond Wonderful!!! I absolutely love it. I was in tears within the first few sentences. I think Sophie thought I was crazy. But I read to her and then we talked about Jesus and Heaven and God. It was one of those conversations you want to burn into your brain forever! She asks questions about God and the bible and Jesus a lot, but I haven't really felt like she was ready to really understand it well enough to actually ask Jesus into her heart, but I am beginning to think she is pretty close. Our conversation was truly precious. Sophie asked me sweet things like "What is heaven like Mommy?" "Will you be in heaven too?" and then the real tear jerker that got me was (talking about seeing God when we get to heaven) "Will He call my name?" Oh my goodness, I am crying just thinking about it. Out of the mouths of babes...

To make this little book even more special, I started reading the commentaries on it and the first review was written by Tim Keller from Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC . Immediately I am impressed because Redeemer Pres is my favorite church in the world besides COTH - I have said the only way I'd even consider leaving Highlands was if Tim Keller moved here and started a church. I've been listening to Tim Keller since middle school and have the utmost respect for him. So I kept reading and I realized that the sweet woman who wrote the book goes to church at Redeemer in NYC! How awesome is that! I can't wait to read more tomorrow night, more tears probably... Sometimes that is what we need in our time with Jesus though, just simplicity and truth.

All of you must go and buy it tomorrow, seriously, not the next day, but tomorrow! It's that sweet! Thanks Jenn! You're the best - I am working on thankyou notes this week=). I have a lot to write...

Here is a little taste

Jesus Storybook Bible Every Story Whispers His Name
Chapter One

So God breathed life into Adam and Eve.
When they opened their eyes, the first thing they ever saw was God's face. He whispered their names to them and taught them who they were.
And when God saw them he was like a new dad. "You look like me," he said. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever made!"
God loved them with all of his heart. And they were lovely because he loved them.
And Adam and Eve joined in the Song of the stars and the streams and the wind in the trees, the wonderful Song of love to the one who made them. Their hearts were filled with happiness. And nothing ever made them sad or lonely or sick or afraid.
God looked at everything he had made. "Perfect!" he said. And it was.
But all the stars and the mountains and oceans and galaxies and everything were nothing compared to how much God loved his children. He would move Heaven and Earth to be near them. Always. Whatever happened, whatever it cost him, he would always love them.
And s ... read full excerpt from Jesus Storybook Bible ebook

(taken from http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/cgi-bin/item/0310717515/Jesus-Storybook-Bible-eBook.html)

***Check out my comments to hear a word from the author, Sally Lloyd-Jones!

Selah - the meaning

I meant to include this in my previous post, but...
For all of those wondering what in the world Selah means, here are a few definitions. My favorite meanings of selah are "to weigh or determine the value" "to pause and reflect" "let those with eyes see and with ears hear"
I love her name even though most people have lots of questions about it and don't pronounce it the way we intended. I love that it is rich in meaning and significance just like her!

From Wikipedia:

Selah (Hebrew: סלה‎) is a word used frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in the Psalms and is a difficult concept to translate.
Selah is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like "stop and listen". "Let those with eyes see and with ears hear" is most concise. The Psalms were sung accompanied by musical instruments and there are references to this in many chapters. Thirty-one of the thirty-nine psalms with the caption "To the choir-master" include the word "Selah". Selah notes a break in the song and as such is similar in purpose to Amen in that it stresses the importance of the preceding passage. Alternatively, Selah may mean "forever", as it does in some places in the liturgy (notably the second to last blessing of the Amidah). Another interpretation claims that Selah comes from the primary Hebrew root word [calah] which means "to hang", and by implication to measure (weigh).[1] Also "Selah" is the name of a city from the time of David and Solomon.[2]
It is translated into today's general language with the meaning: think about it or praise [the Lord]. Other editions just leave it untranslated as "sela" or "selah"
In Islam and in Arabic generally, Salah (also pronounced Ṣalāt) means prayer, and Selah means connection. Both words come from the same original root Sel which means connect.

Selah Rose Warren - One year old!

One year ago today our lives were changed forever by the birth of our sweet little Selah Rose. She is a sweet and spirited little girl and possibly may be my "strong willed child." But, I love her so dearly and I know God will mold and mature me as a mother through learning to parent this precious little girl. Selah, I thank God every day for what a blessing you are to our family and I pray that He will use you for His glory all the days of your life.
My view of birth in general was also changed by the amazing experience of Selah's birth. I am slowly but surely learning more and more about the benefits of natural birth and hopefully the next one will be totally natural without any medical intervention. I have come a long way since then but I still have a long way to go!

Stay tuned for birthday pictures!

S is for Sophie - L is for Luke

First Day of School for our kiddos, so sister and I arrived a bit early to try and snap a few keepers of our 4k cutie pies! I think we got some pretty good ones=) This is becoming an annual tradition for us. Hope we keep it going. I'm sure we'll be glad we did!

God's House

Sophie giving Selah a "bye kiss." Can't wait until next year when they'll both be there!

Of course, Selah wants a name tag too, she just wants to eat it not wear it.

Such sweet buddies! I hope they stay close forever!

Funny face picture, those are much easier than begging for a "real smile."

Boys are so silly!

Deep conversation

Yea! We got a real smile out of her!

Here we go!!!!!

Baby Fever!!!

My head (and my husband) tell me no but my heart is telling me something else! I feel so surrounded by pregnant people right now, not just at work either. So many of my good friends are pregnant. I feel like everybody is pregnant but me! I saw a picture of me pregnant today and almost started crying. Am I crazy? I must be hormonal! (Hmmm... what day is it?)
We cannot be ready for another baby. We are busting at the seams in our house as it is. Selah is a red hot mess right now and I know I have a lot ahead of me this year with both girls. Plus Trey is gone most of the time and when he is home he is exhausted. But I have to say that if I did happen to get pregnant now unexpectedly, I would feel nothing but JOY!
I will admit that about a week ago when I was having a bad day with Selah, I went on and on about how I WAS NOT ready for another baby, but other than a few days like that one, I am mostly really wanting another little one ( and deep down I really don't think it'll be the last one either).
Does anyone have a remedy for this illness BABY FEVER!

VBAC info and our messed up Healthcare System!

This is a very interesting interview to read. It's kinda long, but this man knows his stuff and he is trying to fight for what is right, not what will line his own pockets! Gotta admire that! Enjoy, and hope it makes you think...

http://rixarixa.blogspot.com/search/label/VBAC

Selah's Joovy new toy!

So...I had a mini breakdown this week... Partially because I am still adjusting to Trey being gone A LOT! Partially because my house was (once again) destroyed, and partially because I have a precious little 11 month old girl who is addicted to me. She crawls around after me and screams if she doesn't get what she wants (attention mostly). So, after a good cry, a visit to mom's house and a chat with my aunt (mother of 5). I bee-lined home (minus kids - aren't YaYa's the best)and had a play yard overnighted to my house. Then I cleaned my whole house from top to bottom and went to Smith's where I not only ordered Sophie's birthday invitations (finally) but I also ordered thank you notes for both girls and got Sophie a "tote bag" for school (apparently backpacks are not allowed this year?). They were all a super deal, especially the tote bag 3.99 +extra for a precious pink and brown polka dot monogram!

Thanks to my mom, a very bad day was quickly turned around into a great day! Have I mentioned how thankful I am to live near family! I don't know what I would do without them all!

So here are a few pictures of the girls in the new "play yard." Sophie wanted to get in too, which I had anticipated and that's partly why I ordered the most ginormous one made I think. Unfortunatly, it is not so great for the decor of my house, but it is oh so good for my sanity!

(BTW - If you're in the market, I am very happy with the play yard, especially the oh so soft fitted sheet that comes with it. It was super easy to put up too!)

Abby's Keep your house clean! cleaning schedule

If you've been reading for long then you know how much I hate cleaning and how bad I am at it! I tried the flylady thing and it didn't really work, but I thought maybe I could simplify it and make up my own cleaning schedule. All this is in hopes that I wont have to have these major overhaul cleaning days. I'm going to try it next month and see if it helps. Let me know if you think I missed anything or have any ideas to improve my system.

Abby's Keep your house clean cleaning schedule!

Daily – pick up toys in living room, clean kitchen, water plants

Every Monday – clean bathrooms (scrub sinks, toilets, bathtubs and showers)
Every Tuesday – Wash bed linens and clean outside of my kitchen appliances
Every Wednesday – Dust and Vacuum whole house
Every Thursday – mop kitchen and do laundry (major laundry day)
Every Friday – off day


Week one
Monday – meal plan for the month and grocery shop
Tuesday – clean girls rooms
Wednesday - dust ceiling fans
Thursday – organize playroom
Friday – off day

Week two
Monday – dust baseboards and grocery shop
Tuesday – organize dresser drawers in kids rooms
Wednesday – clean windows inside
Thursday – clean windows outside
Friday – off day

Week three
Monday – grocery shop and iron clothes (yes, that’s right, I don’t iron much)
Tuesday – organize our dresser drawers
Wednesday – dust blinds
Thursday – clean out inside of fridge
Friday – off day

Week four –
Monday – grocery shop and organize cabinets and inventory food in pantry
Tuesday – pull weeds outside
Wednesday – every other month, wash slipcover on sofa
Thursday – clean out car (wash and vacuum)
Friday – off day

Who's out there???

I have been wondering who all looks at my blog and also wanting some new blogs to look at, so if you visit my blog give me a shoutout and if you have your own blog(s), give me the address so I can cut and paste it into my own blog list and keep up with you!

Thanks to those who have commented already. This is so fun and I am trying to add everyone to my blog as you comment. I am terrible about finding new blogs to read, so y'all are making this super easy!