Finding Joy amongst the Pain

Back Pain that is.

I've done something HORRIBLE to my back.

Like cant hardly pick up my 2 month old bad.

On Tuesday I simply couldn't do it by myself

and my gracious husband called out of work.

He pretty much did everything for E that day.

If he needed changing, Daddy to the rescue!

If he needed to be bounced up and down while being

carried ALLLL over the house, Daddy to the rescue.

Feeding times, Daddy to the rescue!

After E went down for a nap, I convinced Hubbs to go to the nursery

to help me put together the crib and hang the curtains in the nursery.

After that I was feeling a bit better because I had given my poor back a break all morning.

J wanted to go mow the grass while E finished his nap.

It was a beautiful 68 degrees outside so all our doors were open.

E had fallen asleep in his bouncy seat and I had

decided I wanted to work on a few painting projects on the back porch.

I pulled (carefully) the bouncy seat to the door of our back porch.

I put The David Crowder Band on Pandora.

It was glorious.

My back was feeling slightly better,

I was getting to be crafty ( my favorite thing)

Its my favorite season and the weather was perfect.

I could hear the hum of my handy husband mowing

the yard in front of our beautiful home.

I looked over my shoulder and see this..

my beautiful baby boy half asleep/ half awake watching mommy paint

and I'm listening to music praising my KING!

and I think to myself.

This. THIS is the good stuff!

JOY.FOUND.

xoxo,

Momma A

- I have to add that on Wednesday a dear friend ( the same friend who will be watching E once I go back to work in 2.5 weeks..WAAAHHH!!) came over and watched E for a couple hours while I went to the chiropractor. Cheryl, you were where my JOY was found yesterday!!! and the adult girl chat was nice:-)



Finding my Joy at 6am

Its sad to admit but my quiet time with God hasn't been

what it should be over the last 12 months.

I've been totally wrapped up in me, and the craziness that was my life.

Infertility diagnosis, House buying,

adoption process and BAM! Baby.

Over the last few weeks Ive been very deliberate in getting up,

fixing a cup of coffee, reading a chapter in my book "Women Living Well"

and doing my daily devotional time.

all before getting a glorious shower. ( a hot commodity these days)

Yesterday, I missed my quiet time.

The bed was calling my name, and I gave in. After J left for work,

 and since E was still asleep (can I get an amen!?)

 I snuggled back in for another hour and a half.

and woke up in the worst mood ever.

my morning had gotten away from me. E was up and screaming for a bottle.

I had missed my coffee, missed my morning quiet time, and missed my beloved shower.

All day I kept thinking WHY!? WHY DID YOU SLEEP IN!?

You needed that quiet time with God.

He is THE best way to start your day.

This is all your fault.

I kept thinking all day that as soon as E went down for a nap, id sit down and take a few minutes.

And it just didn't happen.

 I was in a funk, and E boycotted naptime yesterday

( you would think that would lead to a super restful night for him right? You are sadly

wrong my friend. Sadly wrong.)

So this morning, as much as I wanted to snuggle back in to my feather pillow.

I got up.

I fixed a cup o' café.

I snuggled into my book.

and I prayed.

Then I took a shower.

and got dressed.

Even put on makeup.

And although today is dreary here in the South.

There's sunshine in my soul.

I found my joy at 6am.

xoxo,

Momma A



Praise JESUS!!

Guess who slept through the night last night?

YEES! E slept almost 7 hours,

woke up, took a bottle,

slept for another 3 hrs,

woke up had a few ounces,

and is STILL ASLEEP!

Its 8am!!!!!

WHOOOOHOOO!

Now THAT is something I can definitely find JOY In!

GO E GO!!

xoxo,

a very rested Momma A

Finding the Joy In our bedtime routine

My Joy these days is heavily centered on the new

squishy babe that has joined our family.

And one of these joyful times is at night,

when I am putting E to bed.

What is it about sleeping babies?

Innocent, peaceful, so relaxed..ahhhh!

Our night time routine has become my favorite time.

While J hold him and tries to keep him awake,

I go upstairs, run a warm bath,

turn my Pandora station to "The Piano Guys"

pull out his night diaper, PJ's, swaddle, 

and his body wash and lotion.

Most night I just bathe E in his baby bath

 but some nights I slip in the tub with him.

This is my favorite.

He loves for me to just lightly hold him in the water

 while he looks around and just floats.

I soap him up, rinse him off, sing to him

and we have a little skin to skin bonding time.

HEY! even I'm more relaxed after that bath!

after bath comes,

a little lotion massage,

into our PJ's,

I swaddle E tight

and then were off to the nursery,

where I turn on the sound machine,

turn on the projector,

feed him a bottle,

burp him and

then lay him in his bassinet and watch his heavy eyelids 

slowly close.

Once hes a bit older I hope to add a bedtime story to this list.

These are the moments I don't want to forget 

and the times where I wish time would just slow down.

These are not pictures of E sleeping at night. (not about to let

a camera wake a sleeping babe!)

but how sweet is he when he sleeps!?

These are E at only 4 & 5 days old!

He is such a peanut!

xoxo

Momma A

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!

 The is the 4th blog I've started. Each blog before this represents a new chapter In my life. First it was a wedding planning blog. Then I married my prince Charming (J). My second blog was a Trying to conceive blog. And then I was diagnosed with Infertility. My third blog was a blog documenting life as we pursued adoption. And then a lot faster than we thought, a sweet baby boy was born and he was OURS! Which leads me to this blog. My life has changed so immensely in the last 3 years that I felt like it was only right to start a fresh new blog to document this journey.:-)

First Ill introduce myself!

 I'm Ashley, 29.

Daughter of the one true king,

Wife to my prince charming, J. and now,

 Mommy to my sweet baby boy, E.

 In that order.

I work as an OB Tech on Labor and Delivery.

I love to craft. I love to event plan. I'm addicted to Starbucks coffee.

I like things to be even and centered (can you tell from the word layout here)

My favorite season is FALL.

My least favorite season is Winter.

My favorite colors change all the time but I'm obsessed with Burnt orange and Navy blue

right now. Fittingly those are the colors in E's room. (which Is still a work in progress)

I'm an introvert.

My circle of friends is not huge but those who are part of it are near and dear to my heart.

I love LOVE.

Now for a bit of my story.

I met J when I was 22 at a HUGE Oktoberfest camp out in north Georgia. Since that event we were pretty  much inseperable and I knew he was my forever.

We dated for almost 5 years when he asked me to be his bride in a simple proposal in our first apartment.

I planned a DIY barn wedding for almost 15 months and in September of 2012 I vowed to love him forever and changed my last name.

After a glorious honeymoon in Jamaica, we started trying to start a family.

We tried for 6 short months, but I KNEW almost from the beginning something was wrong.

After a battery of tests I was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure, and thyroid disease.

We were given a 1 in 10 million change of conception.

 We cried, we prayed, we refused to believe and tried for 3 months to conceive with the

help of herbs, Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

In August  of 2013 we felt like God was leading us to adopt.

In November of 2013 we announced our adoption plans to friends, family and Facebook.

In March 2014 we bought our first home together.

In April 2014 we signed on with Christian Adoption Consultants to help us find our baby.

In July 2014 I got word, through someone I work with, that there was a mother who was looking for a forever family for her unborn son.

In August we welcomed a sweet, adorable TINY 6 lb baby boy into our arms and hearts.

And things have been a whirlwind ever since.

I'm adjusting to being a new mommy, learning what an open adoption looks like,

trying to find time for my first 2 loves, my God & my husband,

and trying to figure out how to fit in time to clean the dishes and do the laundry.

What will this blog be about?

I recently started reading a book called "Women Living Well" by Courtney Joseph.

And I basically stole my tile from the byline of this book.

" Finding Joy in God, your Man, your Kids and your Home"

I'm only 7 weeks into this whole mommy-hood thing and its already proving to be a hard job.

I hope that this will be a place where I can recall and record all of the little moments of  joy that come with the most difficult and rewarding job on earth!

Welcome!

XOXO

Momma A