elfcreations

[elfcreations]

The Birth Story of Scarlett Mae

We knew we wanted more than two kids even before we got married. We discussed age differences and decided our first two we wanted close together. After our Second baby, Penelope, was born we decided that we wanted to focus on the current kids being potty trained and more self sufficient before adding a third child. Another thing we wanted to wait on was knowing we needed more space to add more kids since our first home was starting to feel cramped with the four of us. In 2019 we were able to sell our first home and purchase our dream home in the spring of 2020. It was cutting it very close in our timeline because we had discussed wanting our third to come in the spring of 2021. Nearing the end of July 2020 we discovered we were expecting our third child due in April 2021.

This pregnancy was so very different in many ways. I had some horrible digestive issues in the first trimester which made it difficult to do much more than stay home. My stomach starting popping out very quickly as well. The biggest change of all was being pregnant during an pandemic. I had limited visits to the birth center and tele-medicine visits as well as having to be alone for all appointments. Just like with our first two we decided we did not want to know the gender of the baby until they arrived. Morning sickness stuck with me throughout the entire pregnancy just like our daughters pregnancy so I was convinced I was expecting another girl. I failed my one hour glucose test and had to return for a three hour test which I thankfully passed (never failed one with my previous pregnancies). At our anatomy scan they measured my placenta being low so I had to go back in 10 weeks to ensure it had moved so I would not have to have a csection. Thankfully my placenta moved out of the way and that risk was removed.

I was told by all the midwifes that third babies are unpredictable and can always throw in a surprise for you. Since I went past 41 weeks with my second and almost hit 41 weeks with my first it was expected that I was go over 40 weeks again. At 39 weeks and 4 days gestation I started having consistent 5 minutes in between lasting one minute long contractions at 11:30am. They continued without easing up all day and around 10:30pm I decided to call the birth center. At that time I was timing them at 3 minutes in between and one minute and thirty seconds long. They told me to come on in and we drove over. When we got there I was checked and I was only 2 cm dilated but thought my water may have broken. They decided for me to rest for a few hours there and they would recheck me. They sent me home at 4am when it was determined my water definitely had not broken and I was still only 2cm dilated. I took some Tylenol pm on the way home and fell asleep. When I woke up at the house my contractions had completely stopped. That day I slept for most of it after such a long day of contractions and no sleep. I was so discouraged and disappointed that it wasn’t time yet. The next two weeks I walked, bounced on my yoga ball, drank red raspberry leaf tea, took primrose oil and stayed busy. Then it was time for my 41 week appointment.

I was 41 weeks and 1 day when I headed into my 41 week appointment at 2:45pm. I was scheduled to have a non stress test and then go to have an ultrasound to check the fluid levels for the baby. I went into the birth center and they checked my weight and then my blood pressure as they always did. The blood pressure monitor beeped and they said it was elevated. I was so shocked because I’ve always had a low blood pressure. The midwife Emily took me down to the birthing suites for my NST. She took me into the peach room which was actually the room I had on my birth plan as my room to birth in. I laid down for the test and we discussed if and when to schedule my induction if I reached 42 weeks. I decided as long as the baby was doing well we would plan for an induction in one week at 42 weeks and 1 day. Emily left the room and Kaitlyn (so sorry if I spelled the name wrong) came in to look over the NST and retake my blood pressure after the test was finished. My NST results looked great and showed I was having consistent contractions. She took my blood pressure and it was still elevated. She decided to wait a little bit longer and retest it with me sitting up in the chair. She took my blood pressure again and it was still elevated so she told me that Emily would have to come back and talk about what had to happen next. I was so shocked that this checkup was changing so quickly. They told me that the concern was that I could have hypertension. In order to confirm I had hypertension I had to have elevated blood pressure after they rechecked me in four hours. If I had hypertension I would not be able to give birth at the birth center and would have to go to the hospital to be induced which they knew I did not want. I was told I had two options, To go to the hospital and get induced or to try a midwife induction at the birth center to get my labor to kick in before the four hours were up to retest my blood pressure. At around 3:40pm I was told to get Stephen in the room so we could discuss it. My head was reeling that this was actually happening. I started that day thinking it was probably going to be a few more days of waiting. I had ensured all of birth bags were placed in the van before we left for my appointment (however I forgot my snack bag and drinks). Stephen and I decided we would get the midwife induction going in hopes we could bypass the hospital. Stephen went to the grocery store to grab some snacks and drinks for me and Emily did a cervical check and a membrane sweep. She told me I 3 cm dilated and she got me to 4 cm dilated. I called my mom around 4:20 pm to tell her what was happening and to go ahead and head to my house to watch the kids.

The next step was to start taking some oil blends that encourage contractions to be strong and productive. After four hours I was having consistent contractions and they had to recheck my blood pressure. It was not elevated so I wasn’t being booted to the hospital but they had to recheck in four more hours. Around 9pm Kaitlyn had to leave (she was so amazing while we had her there!) and Kelly and Jaci (also rockstars) were taking over for the night. They stopped the blends to see if my contractions stayed strong and consistent at that time. At around 10:30pm they checked my cervix and I was 5 cm dilated so they went ahead and broke my water. Jaci told me there was a little bit of late meconium in the water so I would not be able to labor in the tub like I had hoped to (because of my scoliosis in my lower spine I have intense back labor and any heat I can get on my back helps). I’ve never seen so much fluid from my water breaking. This baby had a nice big watery home. Over the next few hours my contractions continued to stay consistent and strong. Around midnight my blood pressure was rechecked and it was slightly elevated again. They told me they would have to recheck again around 4am and if it was still elevated they would have to draw my blood to test for hypertension. After that my contractions really ramped up. They were long and super close together. I barely got a break in between. I was hopeful that this meant some real progress was happening. After over an hour of these intense contractions they did a cervical check. I was 8 1/2 cm so those intense contractions dilated me from a 5 to an 8 1/2. I was discouraged however because I was hoping the baby was about to arrive but I knew it would be soon. I decided to relax on the bed and not return to the birthing ball for a little bit after that time because I was very tired and needed a rest for my back. Kelly went and got a tens unit and placed it on my back to help with my back labor.

After being on the bed for a little bit Kelly said she wanted me to try sitting on the birthing stool and have Stephen sit behind me and help me through the contractions. She placed a mirror on the floor and told me to look down and see how ready my body was getting for the birth of this little one and I was amazed that this baby was definitely close to coming for sure. I labored there for a couple of hours and then they did a cervical check again. I was still 8 1/2 cm dilated and my cervix was no longer low and forward. The baby had moved it high and back. They told me we would need to do something to encourage the baby to push down and stay down to keep things progressing. It was discussed to get the peanut ball out and I would labor for the next hour with that. They let me lay in the bed for a little while before checking back. I fell asleep between the intense contractions because I was so worn out at this point. I had been awake since 6:30 am the morning before and it was nearing 5am. Kelly rechecked my blood pressure and it was back down again. She told me she just wanted me to focus on resting and she wasn’t going to start me on the peanut ball. When Kelly came back I saw the sun beginning to come out and she told me she could tell I was in a lot of pain so she wanted to see if I wanted to get in the tub. I wanted to scream YES! I was so ready to get in and hopefully relieve some of my back pain.

I got into the tub and it felt so wonderful. I of course still had pain but that warm water felt so good against my sore body. Kelly came into the room shortly after and told me she was headed home and that Molly and Carrie were taking over. She left the room and the intense urge to push came over me and I looked at Stephen and he knew what was happening even though I wasn’t able to verbalize it. He went out and told Kelly and she came back in along with Molly and Carrie. I pushed for a while on my back in the tub but felt I needed more leverage. They told me to move to my side but that was very uncomfortable for me so I went back to my back. I pushed a few more times and Kelly told me I should try to move to my hands and knees like I birthed my second child. I pushed there and made some more progress but this baby was still so hard to push out. Carrie said she wanted me to get out of the tub and get on the birthing stool. I got out of the tub which was very difficult and sat down on the stool. They had set a mirror under me on the stool and I could see the babies head. The next push I finally felt the babies head coming through but the contraction ended and the head stayed halfway out. I couldn’t believe the head was just staying there and didn’t go back in so I knew I needed to push with everything I had during the next contraction. I pushed with all my strength and I felt the head break free. I was so relieved. But then I kept pushing to get the rest of the baby out but nothing was happening. The mood quickly shifted in the room and I realized that the babies shoulders were stuck. I didn’t have much time to panic but I did just think what is going to happen if they cannot get the baby out. They quickly had me get on the bed on all fours and Carrie did some midwife ninja magic while I pushed. She then had me get on my back and in less than a minute (it felt like an eternity) at 8:53am after 43 minutes of pushing she had the baby out and laying on me. I was overwhelmed with relief and happiness to meet my baby. I asked Stephen if it was a girl or a boy and he told me a girl. Our little Girl was here!

I gave the baby to Stephen and they checked me out and said I had no tears which I was so relieved to hear. When I got her in my arms she latched on immediately and started nursing like a champ. When they weighed her she was 10lbs and 22in long! I could not believe I birthed a 10lb baby and had no tearing. My first baby was 8lbs 13oz and my second was 8lbs 2oz so I was not at all expecting just a big baby to arrive. Of course my blood pressure was still going up and down during recovery so they took my blood to test for preeclampsia before they released us to go home. Molly came back in and told me I was clear and good to go home whenever we wanted. We left the day she was born to head home around 2pm and I was so happy to get in my bed and see my other kiddos. This birth was a rollercoaster ride for me but the ladies at the birth center were incredible. I’m still in awe of the amazing talent that I witnessed that day from every nurse and midwife. My husband described it best to me of women all empowering each other. He said it was like they were all connected to me giving me strength. I’m so happy to have my baby girl in my arms! Also a huge thanks to our friend and incredibly talented photographer Darby for capturing this day for us. I’m so grateful that she took time out of her life and stayed up with us all night to capture the magic of that day. I will cherish the images forever.

[elfcreations]

The birth story of Penelope Amber

We decided in the fall of 2016 that we were ready to add another child to our family. After two months of trying we decided to take a short break after Christmas. I traveled with my son to Florida to spend time with family for two weeks. On the way home I was feeling sick since we all had spread a stomach virus around and I was the last one to have it. I was 5 days late when I decided to take a test just out of curiosity. I thought I was still recovering from the stomach virus and that it had messed up my cycle. To my surprise the test showed a positive. I was in shock. I took two more tests to be sure and they all came back positive. The one time we decided let's just take a break and not try right now and I wind up pregnant. I told my husband later that day to which he responded "How? You've been gone for two weeks? Is it mine?" Of course he was joking but just as in shock as I was. 

 While I was down in Florida I had actually been researching birth center births and looking for the closest ones to us. I found two birth centers about an hour and a half away from our home and saved their sites. I had discussed having a birth center birth with my mom, husband and best friend. The main concern was distance since our hospital is only five minutes from our home but I knew that it would be worth the drive. When I had my son I had a vision of a natural and calming birth. I researched everything to figure out what was best for me and my baby in the process. I learned breathing techniques and how to get through contractions. I unfortunately did not get the experience I had imagined and was left feeling like I missed out on the experience I wanted which is why I started looking at birth centers in the first place. We went and visited two birth centers. I felt at home at the Women's Birth and Wellness Center and knew it was the place that my next child would be brought into the world. 

During my prenatal visits the midwives made me feel in control of my pregnancy. Everyone was so friendly and helpful and so in tune to what I wanted. On Monday, October 9th I was 41 weeks and four days pregnant and was starting to get discouraged that I was going to have to be induced. I went in for a checkup and I was almost 3cm dilated and 80% effaced. Our midwife Lydia did a very thorough membrane sweep and got me to 3 cm dilated. They went ahead and scheduled me for a hospital induction to be performed at 9 am on Saturday, October 14th and told me to come back Tuesday the next day for a midwife induction. Monday night was full of sporadic contractions, cramping and spotting. I took a Tylenol pm around midnight to help me go to sleep since the contractions were probably going to keep me up. I knew I wasn't in labor yet but I was still trying to hold out hope. I had been induced with my son and was miserable and was hoping that it would not come to that this time. 

 Around 4:20am on Tuesday, October 10th I was awoken by a contraction. This one felt different than what I had experienced before. Six minutes later I had another one and decided to start timing to be on the safe side. They were coming every 6-7 minutes and lasting around 50 seconds. I laid in bed and counted them in between dozing in and out of sleep until 9:30 am when I finally got out of bed. I drank some cold water and started bouncing and doing hip circles on my yoga ball. Still staying at 6-7 minutes for 50 seconds. I was getting so anxious thinking this has to be it. I have to be in early labor. At around 10:20 am the contractions felt a little stronger lasting 50 seconds and were 5-6 apart. I decided it was time to call the birth center to see what they thought I should do. Carey called me back and I told her what was happening. At first she just told me to stay home and rest but I was anxious wanting to know if this was real or not. I told her I was supposed to come in for a midwife induction that day so she told me to go ahead and come on in. I jumped into the shower and got ready to go. I woke up my husband and told him what was happening and that we were going in. At first I don't believe he grasped that I was possibly in labor. He then finally understood and he went and quickly got ready as I finished getting our son ready to go. We hopped in the van and headed to the birth center. I sat in the third row so I could spread out better and we stopped at the easiest place to grab food near our house to get my energy up. 

 My contractions on the way there stayed consistent and strong. Once we arrived around 2:30 pm we entered in downstairs and met one of the nurses who told us the blue room was all ready for us. We went and got settled into our room and our midwife Rebeca came in and hugged us and asked about what had been going on. She checked me and I was 90% effaced and 4cm dilated. I had made some progress that morning but not too much. She stripped my membranes while she did her check and went to get some herbs to help me progress. I was so excited they weren't sending me home. I took two different herbs and then they had me go and walk the staircase. My son and husband came with me for support. It was a hot day so walking up and down the stairs was not fun but I persisted. Rebeca came to check on me and give me more of one of the herbs. My mom, niece and nephew and mother in law showed up while I was walking the staircase. After being outside on the stairs for about half an hour Rebeca had me come inside for a while. I unfortunately have scoliosis so I have very bad back labor. Rebeca wanted to do everything she could to help alleviate some of my back pain I was having during contractions. At around 3:20pm Rebeca put me in a position on my knees and arms with my back and butt up in the air to help encourage my cervix to lower and the baby to move into position and take pressure off my spine. I laid in that position for about thirty minutes and then she had me lay on my side with a pillow under one leg and under my head. These positions did help with some of my discomfort. She also showed my husband where to press down on my spine during a contraction to help with my back labor. 

At about 4:20pm Rebeca had me go back outside to walk the stairs and the side of the side walk to continue to encourage labor, my cervix to drop and the baby to move down. It was a lot harder for me this time around. There was a change as I walked up and down that staircase because I started feeling extremely nauseated. I told my mom who was outside with me that I had to go inside because I was feeling too nauseous to be outside any longer and didn't have the energy to go up the stairs anymore. This was around 4:40pm. I told Rebeca how I was feeling and why I came in already so she told me that was a really good sign and we would hold off on any more herbs. She asked if it would be ok to check me again and I told her it would be. She said my cervix was still pretty high but I was at 5 cm and 90% effaced. Rebeca assured me things were going well. She asked if I wanted to labor in the shower and I told her I would. She went and got the shower ready for me and came back and placed acupuncture seeds on my ankles. 

The shower was like magic. I sat on the birthing ball and when a contraction came I pointed the hot water right on my lower back. It made the contractions so much more bearable for me. I could have stayed in there forever but it started to get too steamy in the room for me to breathe well enough through my contractions so I came out. This was around 6:30pm. I sat on the edge of the bed and labored until around 7pm when Rebeca then had me lean on a birthing ball on the bed and roll my hips on it. She then asked me around 7:40pm if I wanted to get in the tub and I said I did. At this point my contractions were lasting well over a minute and were close together at about 3-4 minutes a part. 

The tub was so relaxing and very warm. I enjoyed the water very much. My two year old son saw me in the tub and insisted on joining me so I let him get in with me for a little while. He stayed in there for about 20 minutes then my husband got him out and Rebeca came to check on me. She put some more warm water in the tub and then I felt a big pop in my stomach that took me by surprise. I wasn't sure what it was so I didn't say anything but then Rebeca asked if I had felt anything. I told her about the pop I felt and she said that she was wondering because it looked like something had happened. She said that was my water breaking. It was getting even more real now and I was getting anxious. My water had broken all on its own and I knew that meant this baby was getting ready to come very soon.

It was around 9:05pm I felt an extremely strong contraction that made me lift my bottom up and moan. It happened so suddenly but I looked at my husband and said someone needs to get my mom now. Rebeca rushed in and checked me and said yeah go get her mom! I never planned to have a water birth. I had been undecided my entire pregnancy so the baby made the decision for me. I started pushing at 9:10pm. I first tried pushing sitting down in the tub but I kept sliding and I didn't feel like I was able to push down easily so we switched to my side. I still felt like I wasn't getting anywhere with that position so Rebeca asked me to get on my hands and knees. I felt more in control in this position. I pushed through the pain and cried a little when I reached the ring of fire because I was getting frustrated that it was taking me so long. Rebeca, Carey and my nurse made me feel so supported and kept encouraging me that I was doing great. I had forgotten how much it hurt to push a baby out and how hard you have to push. I felt for her head to be sure I wasn't imaging that I was so close. I let out a scream of relief after each contraction ended and I had to stop pushing. At 9:41pm I finally pushed my little baby out with one strong push. My husband caught her and handed her to me through my legs as I crouched. I sat down in the tub and was immediately overwhelmed with love and joy. I started crying as I held my little baby close. For a good 2 minutes I held my baby against me and then realized that I didn't know who I had given birth to, was it a little boy or girl? I picked up my baby and started crying its a girl! My little Penelope. Everyone had been right in their guess.

Rebeca waited for the cord to stop pulsating and let my husband cut the cord. They showed me the placenta once I had birthed it and asked if I wanted to keep it. I decided we would keep it to plant a tree for Penelope. Some may think this is weird and thats ok. You can read more about it here http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/pregnancy-health/planting-your-placenta/. I wanted to have a link to what supplied my child with life for 9 months.They handed Penelope to my husband for skin to skin time while I got out of the tub. I didn't want to hold her while I got my stitches. I had a labial tear that had to be repaired. Rebeca stitched me up very well. She even said it looked better than before! I then got positioned in the bed to hold my baby girl. They handed her to me and my husband said she was already searching for my breast when he held her so I tried her out and she started breast feeding very quickly. She was 20 1/2 inches long and 8 lbs 2 oz.

I am still so extremely happy with this birth experience and couldn't of asked for anything else. It was absolutely perfect. Even though it was much longer than my sons 9 hour pitocin induced birth at our hospital five minutes away it was hands down 100% better. All the hours driving over to the birth center were well worth it. They treated me like family and were also so very happy to meet my little girl. I will forever have a special place in my heart for them.

#penelopamber1010

[elfcreations]

William Aarons birth story

It was Monday, September 21, 2015 and it was decision time. After monitoring me and the baby it didn’t look promising that he was arriving on his own and we would need to help. I was 3 days past my due date. The doctor then asked a terrifying question- when do you want to schedule the induction? The thought of it was so scary because up until this point the date the baby was coming was up in the air. I was hoping he’d come on his own but it looked like the best option was to induce. I looked at Stephen for guidance. I froze and could not wrap my head around deciding on the day our baby would be born. The doctor said we could make the decision based on which doctor would deliver and our favorite doctor happened to be available the next day so Stephen chose that day. Reality didn’t really sink in. It was hard to believe we were getting the ball rolling in less than 24 hours.

I slept surprisingly well that night and woke up around 4 am and took a shower. Stephen called the hospital to see when they wanted us to arrive. They told us to be there by 6:30am. I finished getting ready and then we headed out. We found a great parking space near the entrance and then made our way to the emergency room where they told us to go on up to maternity. We got in the elevator, entered the maternity floor and they took us to our room. It was at the end of the hallway so it was nice and quiet. The room was very large and I was excited about how comfortable it felt. They asked me lots of questions and then gave me my gown to change into. When I had changed I went ahead and got in the bed. They first placed the monitor for the baby on me then the one that monitored my contractions. Next they went to place my IV which was horrible since I hate needles. The vein blew at the last second which meant getting stuck again on the left arm to draw my blood. They drew my blood then placed an arm cuff on me to take my blood pressure. The doctor hopped in the room and was so excited to see us! We did not know the gender at this time and she was so excited to find out what we were having. She said she would be back around 8am to start things.

At 8am the doctor came in and broke my water and started the pitocin. I was 2 1/2 cm dilated. At around 8:30 am my contractions begun. Since this was all new to me I had to figure out how to push through the pain.  I was determined to go without pain medication since I had not taken anything during the whole pregnancy.  I really didn't want to expose the baby to any of that if at all possible. I also wanted to be able to fully experience the birth and for my baby to be wide awake when he came. My last reason was i have scoliosis and the curve is in the bottom of my spine. I really had no desire to have a needle around that area. 

I first tried to focus on a sign on the wall but quickly realized I was not relaxed staring at something so I decided to just close my eyes. It worked perfectly. My husband turned off the lights in the room and opened the blinds and curtains so it felt more like I was at home. At first people were trying to have conversations but thankfully everyone went quiet which helped me focus. Stephen put on my Pandora station that I worked on for 3 months and I went into the zone. I never looked at what time it was nor did I care. My focus was on getting through each contraction to the break in between. Many things went through my head during the contractions. Most of the time I kept telling myself contractions are short and the breaks between are long. Just push through the pain and get rewarded with a nice break. It was also important to be as comfortable as possible. I found sitting up in the bed with my left leg bent was the most comfortable. I also focused on tapping my finger on my right hand during the contractions and holding my husbands hand with the other. I kept myself completely relaxed and did not strain any muscles during the contractions so when they were over I felt like I could just drift off to sleep because I was so relaxed. After I was told I was halfway there the song Living on a prayer kept running through my head. Since I was induced I was not allowed to really move around but I could get up to go to the restroom so I went every time I started to feel very uncomfortable.

Contractions started getting stronger and worse so they checked me and I was at 7 1/2 cm so they told me it wouldn't be much longer and to let her know when I felt more pressure. Once the pressure built up I had my husband page the nurse. I could barely speak. She checked me and I was at 9.75 cm. The nurse told them to contact the doctor and we were told she was in delivery with someone else. Once I hit 10 cm the pressure was so horrible and the contractions so intense, They told me not to push yet even though thats all I could think of doing and all my body wanted me to do. They told me to pant like a dog to get through it. Finally the doctor showed up and it was time to get this baby out. It had been a cloudy day until then. The sun had come out to greet my baby!

They scooted me to the edge of the bed, put my feet in stirrups, and pulled out handles for me to grip. When the contraction started Stephen held my right foot and the nurse held the other. I gripped the handles and pushed down as hard as I could. I held my breath during the pushes to focus everything on pushing. I was getting so discouraged thinking I wasn't making progress but the doctor had me touch his head. I could tell the end was near when I felt him crowning. It was a strong burning as he pushed out. After 20 minutes of pushing he popped out and it was almost immediate relief. She held him up and said its a..... and I saw it was my little boy William. He was perfect. They placed him immediately on me and waited for his cord to stop pulsating. Stephen cut his cord and then shortly after they took him away quickly to do everything else needed for him. The doctor delivered the placenta and then stitched me up. I was shaking horribly from the adrenaline and hormones for about 10 minutes after. They brought my little man back to me and I couldn't stop staring.

I had pushed so hard I had busted a blood vessel in both eyes and all over my face. I looked like I had lots of freckles. William did so well our first night. I was so happy with how everything went. My son had arrived and I was so proud of myself and filled with happiness and joy.

https://animoto.com/play/5Y0nNI05aRu30ddSDnIS3Q

#williamaaron922 babyabernathy2015

[elfcreations]

5 things most people don't know about me

So there are a handful of people who know everything about me and nothing comes as a surprise to them, but there are some things people do not know about me. Some I never divulged because they are not amazing things. But none the less they make me who I am. Recently getting married and realizing this man knows everything about me and still loves me unconditionally inspired me to embrace some of my strange quirks! So here it goes:

1) I talk out scenarios and conversations out loud when no one is around.

Sometimes its how I wished a situation went and sometimes its how I’m hoping one will go. I also do this with movies and TV shows-extending the idea that the show had created and expanding on it. My imagination is still running wild at the age of 27 and I don’t have any shame in that fact. Now lets get this straight, I am not talking to myself really, because what I am saying is directed to an imaginary entity, not at myself. It helps to say it out loud so I can get out these thoughts and ideas that are running through my head.

2) I have slight OCD.

Ok yes, when you come to my house to other people it may look messy, unorganized or not perfect, but to me its exactly how it should be. My fridge is organized where everything has its own spot, so if you ever come to my house and want to put up groceries just remember, its better just to let me do it. Our clothes are organized by type of shirt (Short sleeved, Long Sleeved, Sleeveless, Dress Shirts, Works shirts-for Stephen) and then color coordinated so you can first select the type of shirt for the weather outside and then quickly find the color that you need. Towels must be folded a particular way as well as washcloths. My cabinets in my kitchen have a place for everything. I do not like to have to move around things to get to one particular item so most things are separated by the type of item it is. My Living room is set up a way that feels balanced to me. Moving around pillows or blankets on the couches throws off the balance of things. Everything has its place and a way it is supposed to look. Yes, I fix the pillows and blankets EVERY time they are messed up. Decor and things on shelves or on the countertops stay in the same place. Thats where they are balanced and visually look good to me. My chairs at my dining room table are situated where all 4 of them can be pushed in and on the rug. If someone comes and changes even small things it really bothers me. If they come in and move around a lot in my house it causes me to almost have a panic attack. Yes, its that bad. I actually can start to shake and all I wanna do is fix it all. Trust me, there is a place for EVERYTHING! Oh and yes, my husband knows just what to do to make sure I don’t lose it! He never messes things up.

3) I love to prepare and plan things.

The part that a lot of people don’t know about me is if I see something that I know I will need in the future even if it’s far into the future and its a great deal, I will buy it and put it away. This is why a lot of my presents for people are bought far ahead of time. We are not expecting a child anytime soon but I do have things already for it. I just feel like if I know I’m gonna need it, why not buy it now when I can save money! I feel like this has help me be more frugal. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not 100% frugal. Sometimes if I want it bad enough I’ll go for it. But just some things you need to save $$$$$ on! I see it as a great investment to my future!

4) I have a slight fear of heights.

Now don’t get me wrong. I can stand on the edge of a cliff and be perfectly fine, but get me up super high like at the top of a rock wall and I freeze. I can’t handle the tall heights. It’s an irrational fear and I completely understand this, but I can’t help what my brain does. It goes into panic mode even though I’m perfectly safe. I discovered this extreme fear on a ride at Carrowinds, the one that goes up super high and just drops. I was in tears I was so panicked. It was no fun at all for me. My husband pushes me to face this fear but he does know my limits.

5) I have many notepads & post its.

I must have these to write down my thoughts and ideas. Without them my head just keeps spinning with all the things I continue to think about. My mind goes non stop sometimes and I have to have something to clear it out. I will forget some thoughts if I don’t write them down. My short term memory comes in play at these moments. This is why sometimes I talk a lot. If I don’t get the thoughts out of my head I feel like I’m going to go crazy!

So there you go. Makes me feel a little crazy, but hey, I am who I am. Hopefully I’m not the only one out there that has some of these struggles. Maybe this will help someone out there to not feel as crazy as they think they are!

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Weeks leading to my wedding....

I'm so excited! I will be leaving for my wedding weekend in 2 weeks. All the pieces have fallen into place and there are only a few things left to do. I will post all the little details and projects that I did for the wedding once the wedding has come and gone. Lots of great ideas! I cannot wait to see it all come together! I hope time goes as slow as possible on that day. We have a lot of DIY projects, lots of southern & coastal charm, and a lot we are handling on our own.

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Feeding the Pets

Our household has been slowly working towards buying foods with little or no chemicals and more organic, natural foods. Since we were focusing on bettering our bodies, we didn’t see why we shouldn’t better our cat and dogs as well since they are our fur “children”.

We have been researching and trying out all different kinds of foods within the last 2 years and I feel like it has been a roller coaster! First off, we can’t go broke feeding our dogs & cat better than we can feed ourselves, so we needed to find an affordable healthy option. We were feeding the dogs Beneful & our cat was eating Friskies. The pretty colors and healthy looking pictures on the front tricked us. Beneful is not a healthy food for dogs. Secondly, we tried different versions of Blue Buffalo. Some were successful and didn’t upset their tummies, but others did upset their tummies. The cat did fine on any Blue Buffalo product we purchased for her though. After researching that food though, I still was not satisfied because we were paying a pretty penny for the food, but it still had ingredients that I didn’t want my pets eating.

One day while researching online I stumbled upon a newer food called Nutrish. I looked over the ingredients and was sold! Nutrish is a new dog food created by Rachel Ray! Now, I’ve never been the biggest Rachel Ray fan, so I was a little skeptic at first, but the food sounded amazing! Not to mention proceeds from sales of Nutrish go towards Rachael’s Rescue, which is an organization Rachel Ray created to raise money towards organizations like North Shore Animal League America, Bad Rap, ASPCA, & America’s VetDogs. So far money raised has gone toward food, medical supplies and treatments for animals in need. So you are not only bettering the lives our your own pets, but helping contribute to bettering the lives of other pets as well!

From the website: “Working with a team of pet nutrition experts, Rachael Ray created Nutrish Super Premium Food and Treats for dogs and cats. Made with simple, wholesome ingredients like real meat, Nutrish foods are inspired by tasty recipes from Rachael’s kitchen. Nutrish contains no by-products, fillers, or junk ingredients. Plus, Rachael’s proceeds help animals in need.”

The price is another great thing about this food. It is considerably lower than most of the healthy dog & cat foods out on the market today. You can locate the food at your supermarket. Now I can’t guarantee it’s in your area yet as it is a newer product, but you can find it on Amazon if you are unable to locate a store near you.

Well, I hope this helps in the search for healthy dog food for your pets! Way to go Rachel Ray! It’s about time someone made something affordable and healthier for our pets!

See the link attached for the website.

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Happy (Belated) Saint Patricks Day!

Well, I’m a little late, but I just had to share with you all this delicious recipe! It’s now going to be the only recipe we use to make shepherds pie! It was SO good!

I did add a little extra Worcestershire sauce and I used some chicken broth that I had saved previously so I believe that helped kick up the flavor a little! I will post later about how I got that chicken broth and simple it is to save it for later!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Happy Cooking!

Total Time: 1 hr 30 min Prep: 45 min Cook: 45 min Yield: 8 servings Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

For the potatoes: 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes 1/4 cup half-and-half 2 ounces unsalted butter 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 egg yolk

For the meat filling: 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 cup chopped onion 2 carrots, peeled and diced small 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons tomato paste 1 cup chicken broth 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

Directions Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Erin Go Bragh!

(Click on the title for this article to access the direct link)

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Food Finds: Plated I recently was lucky enough to receive some coupons to try out chef inspired meals delivered straight to your home. I have to admit, without the coupons I probably would have never tried it out, but I’m glad I did. The first one we received was from Plated, which is what this article will be about. ORDERING FROM PLATED: Browse & Choose Recipes Each week; 7 chef-designed recipes are featured on the menu. The dishes include 4 healthy meat & fish options and 3 unique vegetarian dishes. Get Plated Delivered Select Your Delivery Day: Delivery days vary according to where you live. Enter your zip code on the menu page to see which days are available in your neighborhood. Cook Plated Enjoy Your Recipes; All of the ingredients you need arrive fresh to your door. Read through your step-by-step recipe cards & get ready to cook up some fun! Our meals were the Pomegranate Lamb Kebabs with Raita and Smashed Potatoes and the Scallion Ginger Roasted Redfish with Bok Choy and Rice. Can you say delicious! They were amazing! I cooked with ingredients that I would have never tempted to cook with before and it was so easy! For Plated I used a coupon that I got me 2 free plates. Now, the minimum purchase is for 4 plates, so I did have to pay for an additional 2 plates, but shipping was free. The total cost ended up being around $30. I have to say, $30 for 2 people to eat not one, but 2 meals that have such amazing flavor and ingredients was a great deal to me! You cannot go to a restaurant and order those meals for the same price. Thats around $7.50 for a meal with Lamb ad side and a meal with fish and sides! Really amazing! A bonus to all of this is I now own the recipe cards for those meals that I can recreate them if I ever choose to (which I do plan on doing)! To try them out, use this link and you will receive 2 free plates! How awesome is that? https://www.plated.com/invites/6959cb .

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“ Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph. – Matt Hardy

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Working on a new project! A few people will get one for free! #excited #lovephotography

#excited #lovephotography

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More photos from our snow day! Here are both of my babies together!

#huskylove snowday

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Went to a free webinar today! Loved it! #continuingeducation #lovephotography #alwayssomethingtolearn

#continuingeducation #alwayssomethingtolearn #lovephotography

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We got a good amount of snow last week here in Asheboro, so I decided to do a snowy photo shoot with my doggies! Here are some with my girl Ketch. She is 13 years old, but still acts like a pup in the snow!

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Snacking Healthy

Stephen and I have really been working to eat more healthy not in just our day to day meals, but our snacks as well. When thinking about “healthy” snacking all I can think of is there probably isn’t much out there that isn’t bland or flavorful. I decided we needed a easy way to be introduced to new snack options that were not only good for us, but tasty as well. That is when I started looking into monthly subscripton based programs. The first one we tried was called Graze. I saw a link on Facebook and decided to check it out. It was a company just starting out and working to expand their business. They have over 90 portion controlled snacks, they deliver to your work or home, and deliver via USPS. Each Graze box cost $6, including delivery. You can cancel at anytime and the payment for the box is taken out a week in advance. You can select to receive the box every 2 weeks, every week, or every 4 weeks. We started out on the 2 weeks plan and moved to the one week plan. The snacks were so good! It is a great way to get yummy snacks at a small price. We ended up canceling our subscription for a few reasons though. Although the snacks were yummy, we had no way of ordering what we really liked to snack on more frequently. The boxes come with randomized food items selected from your taste preference. It seemed we were wanting more of some stuff and less of the other, but couldn’t do much about it. Another reason is we weren’t eating some of the treats as quickly as I thought we would. I ended up having to throw so many away because they would expire. So I went back to the drawing board. I finally came across Love With Food. Love with food lets you discover natural and organic snacks every month. Every box you purchase goes towards donating a meal to feed hungry children in the US. Once you try the food items, you can log onto the love with food website and order more of your favorites at a discounted price! Also, when you review the items in your box, you get credit added to your account which can go towards purchasing the snacks! It cost $10 a month, a you get a generous amount of snacks, as well as coupons thrown in! We have been using Love with food for almost a year now and we love it. The snacks they feature are ones you can go to almost any grocery store and buy! They only choose snacks that do not use chemicals or preservatives and have natural, organic ingredients. I’m amazed at how good some of these things taste and I would have never given it a second look at the store! They not only included snacks, but seasoning packets to add flavor to your food as well as packets to make dips and other yummy treats. I love getting this box each month! Not only am I discovering more delicious snacks than I ever knew I would, but I’m helping feed a child in the US. So Love with food has open our eyes to what delicious and healthy snacks are available out there and we are thrilled with it! If you are interested in checking out Love with Food, use the following link: https://lovewithfood.com/?ref=qcj If you are interested in Graze, please go to the website: graze.com

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A start

Well, I've decided to start a blog! This blog will consist of information pertaining to my businesses, ideas, crafts, and thoughts!