MOMMYHOOD IS MORE THAN I EVER DREAMT IT WOULD BE....

Friday, July 30, 2010

Footprints


This is my favorite poem of all time. It's no secret I've been through some tough times in my life. I have lost some very important inspirational people who I loved very much. Each time I had to say goodbye, I looked to this poem for guidance. At my mother's funeral. I quoted this poem. Looking back at my experience, I realize I have made my own footprints and learned from others who have left a mark in my path.

Writing is an outlet for me. Writing is something I love to do, and I have been inspired from the beautiful words of my mother and my grandmother. I remember being a little girl, and me meme taking me into work with her and teaching me how to type on a typewriter. I remember getting letters from my mom often, and I used to wonder why she would do this? Why is she writing me these letters and giving them to me when she is right here? Now, I couldn't be more blessed to have those letters to inspire me. I have gotten my gift of writing from two important and inspirational people in my life who I was blessed to be able to be loved by.

Now, I want to mark footprints for Landyn. I want to pave a path of greatness for him so he can look back and remember the first time I took him to do something that inspired something in his life. I want to write for him and give him beautiful words of inspiration and encouragement that I was given. He is my inspiration, and I want to be his.

My favorite quote in this poem is this
"The times when you have seen only one set footprints, is when I carried you."

I can pinpoint the exact times in my life when I needed to be carried. Then I can look back and appreciate all of the times when my mother carried me. When she was my strength and she formed me into the mother I am now. I look back and I am not only inspired by Landyn and what he is doing for me now, but I am also inspired by the amazing women who were in my life and the amounts of love and goodness they put into my heart. I am thankful for the strong women who were a part of my life and I am inspired to be that same kind of a woman now.

I have footprints, experiences in my past that I can look back on and be proud of. I had amazing people pave the way for me and create marks for who I would become, and I had to be carried through them at times to prove how strong I am and how much people love me. The footprints I am laying down now are the most important and most precious ones of my life; the footprints of motherhood. I will walk beside Landyn and pave the way for him just like it was paved for me, and I will forever be grateful and blessed for what I have been given.

Here are mine and Landyn's footprints in the sand....


Blessings,

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The inspiration of MY inspiration!

Everyone always tells me how much they love Landyn's name (Landyn Carter.) Only a few people have asked me if I got it from where it came from.

I thought it would be more obvious that Landyn Carter came from "Landon Carter" in "A Walk to Remember." Nicholas Sparks has always been my favorite author. I knew I wanted strong names for my children, and I have dreamt about what name it would end up being ever since I was a little girl. I used to name my dolls and I would think for days "What is the best name?" Well, of course more thought is going to go into the real thing, right?

Landon was a name Kyle and I were instantly attracted to. But, I wanted to be different, so we went with Landyn with a "y." Done. No questions asked. His name would be "Landyn with a y" and I hoped that this would set him apart from the rest. We thought we had decided on a middle name. It's important for me for my kid's name to mean something; to come from somewhere. So we threw out some family names and for a long time his name was Landyn Lawrence. It flows, it sounds cute, but it wasn't right. I loved the idea of naming him after Kyle's dad and grandfather, but the fact that we kept reading baby books told me it wasn't the one.

One day in the car, I threw out Carter. This was a name I had considered for a long time and I loved, but I never thought Kyle would go  for it, because it came from a Nicholas Sparks book. To my surprise, he loved it! Landyn Carter Crowe. Perfect right? Landyn Carter coming from the character in Nicholas Sparks' "A Walk to Remember" and I couldn't be more excited about it!

No, it's not after a family member, or someone who changed the world, but it's after an author that has inspired me in more ways than one. Nicholas Sparks was my inspiration for the little person that has become MY inspiration.

When Landyn was just five months old, we had the opportunity to meet Nicholas Sparks a a book signing for "The Last Song!" I was so excited! I couldn't wait to meet this person who has inspired me and I admired so much. I couldn't wait to tell him Landyn's name and share this with him!

There we went, walking up to him and I was holding Landyn and I looked at Nicholas and said "And this is Landyn Carter with a Y." He looked up at me and smiled, then looked at Landyn and smiled, and held his hand. It was such a fun moment for me!

Now I can tell Landyn when he grows up he got to meet my inspiration for what has become the biggest inspiration in my life : Landyn Carter.

Check out "A Walk to Remember" here:
A Walk to Remember

My favorite Mommy Products #1

I decided to start blogging about my favorite mom products. As a new mom, I was always looking around for the most convenient thing. The cutest outfits to cover my post baby body, the easier slings to wear my new bundle of joy around the house, the best creams, face wash to help with my pregnancy acne and post pregnancy changin skin, and more!

So, today I am going to share my "post pregnancy glow secret!" I am always looking for something to put on my face and my skin to feel soft for my baby. One day, I came across Garnier Cleansing Towlettes and they are AMAZING!.. Seriously!!

This is the FIRST thing I have used to clean my face that easily wipes off my makeup (even mascara!) and doesn't leave my face feeling dry and full of acne!

So Mom's (and everyone!) TRY THEM!!... You won't be disappointed! Buy them here :



A year of my sweet baby boy...

I realized I never Blogged this video I put together when LC turned 1. He's now 16 months old, and I wanted to share his first year with you all. There truly has never been a better year of my life!



With Love,

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

A Mother's Love

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his. ~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895

People always ask me what my favorite part of being a mom is. I struggle to give them the answer, because there's a list of reason's why I love being a mom. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a mom. I used to play house with my friends, and I used to dream of my baby's name's and what they would look like. Then when it became a reality, those dreams became closer to my heart.

I remember rubbing my belly and talking to the growing person inside of me. I had dreams of his ten little fingers and ten cute little toes. I sang to him and I talked to him and I told him mommy would always be here for him. Then when he was born, all of those dreams became a reality. My list of what my favorite part of being a mom was started, and it will never stop. So here they are. My favorite parts about being a mom.

1.) The open mouth kisses & uncontrollable giggles
2.) The little hands rubbing my arm and the cute little cheeks that never seem to go away
3.) The sleepeless nights (yes, I said sleepeless nights) when you snuggle up so close like when you were just hours old
4.) The way you say "gaga" and run up to me with open arms
5.) The feeling my heart has whenever I think about you
 6.) The feeling of love I hold close to my heart and the realization that my mother once had this same love for me
7.) Reading you stories and watching your eyes glow
8.) The innocence you portray and the dreams that glimmer in your eyes
9.) The feeling of closeness you bring to our family and the hope you have brought into my life
10.) The endless amounts of possibilities you have given me to be a better, stronger, and more loving person than I ever thought I could be

This is just the start of my list. The start of what being a mother has done to my heart. Now, I'd like to ask you the same question... What is your favorite part about waking up the toughest, yet most rewarding job we will ever have? Being a mother is filled with endless possibilities.







Addicted to Cloth Diapers!!!!!

Well, it's happened! I'm a mom, and I am no longer obsessed with cute heels and going out tops. I no longer care more about making sure my toes are painted and my cuticles are taken care of. Yes, it's true.. I'M ADDICTED TO CLOTH DIAPERS!!

I recently started cloth diapering LC for the many reasons (toxic chemicals on my baby's soft bum!?) that disposable diapers are no longer the preferred choice to many mom's, but I didn't think I would enjoy it SO MUCH! Aside from the other reasons why I decided to choose cloth over disposables, they are the cutest things to ever put on a baby's bottom!!!

I bought LC this wicked (yes, I said WICKED!) adorable FuzziBunz polka dotted cloth diaper, and I just love letting him run around and admire how amazingly adorable my little man is!

Check it out, and ask yourself this,.... do you want your child to be exposed to to carcinogenic chemicals listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals? ESPECIALLY when you can buy cloth diapers as cute as this!!!

FuzziBunz Perfect Size Cloth Diaper - Brown Polka Dot, Large


Monday, July 26, 2010

Fun Mommy Reading

A day in the life of being a mommy! Who else to make us laugh than Jenny McCarthy!? I am a huge fan of "easy reads" as I'm sure any mom would be, so check out Baby Laughs! She has a series of other books too, but Baby Laughs is one all of us mom's can relate to!

Who has gone to the store with poop on them? I HAVE! Welcome to life as a mom!... I went to the grocery store, with YES... GASP.. POOP ON ME!!! My life has changed as a mom, but I wouldn't change it for the world!

So check on some easy "mom reading" while the little one is taking a nap or actually sitting quietly playing on his own, and have a few laughs!.. Because, let's face it, we are all mom's and we all can relate!


With Love,

Floating around a sea of possibilities

We at the height are ready to decline.
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.
-William Shakespeare



As we grow up, we change with what happens in life. We become new people, people with morals, people with hopes and dreams, people with anticipations of the future. Everyday we encounter something new that shapes who we are whether it be something as small as letting someone cut you in the grocery line or something as life altering as the birth of a child. All of these opportunities becomes a part of us, who we are, but most of all, they are the stepping stones of who we will become.

Becoming a mother has changed me. It has changed me in ways I never thought I could be changed into. It has turned my heart into something outside of my body so strong, so rare, that I never even thought it would be possible to feel. Being a mother has changed me into a person I am proud of. A person I admire and better and stronger. A person who means so much more to one small human being than anything else. Being a mother is the best and most rewarding feeling in the world.

Everyday I wake up, and sometimes I wonder, "How did I get here?" I look at all of the obstacles I crossed, friends I met, tragedies I experienced and I asked myself "What did I ever do to deserve a life like this?" Then I look down to the smiling face tugging at my feet and I realize, everyone deserves to experience this. Everyone deserves to experice a miracle like this and a love so strong that you never know what you're missing until it's right in front of you and a part of who you are. Then I realize to myself how blessed I am to have changed. How truly lucky I am to have found myself in such an amazing place in my life. I realize that change isn't always a bad thing, and I am blessed to have made this change with an amazing husband and son who I adore.

I wouldn't have it any other way

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

I believe people have to make mistakes. We have to be able to learn and evolve into our future. Everything happens for a reason... everything. People fail. People lie. People cheat. People love. People care. People believe. It's all a part of life. We go through life with different persectives. We start out putting our entire lives and trust into our mothers and our fathers. Then we become more independant, we want to learn things for ourselves. And as we get older, we become even more independant and make our decisions. Then we meet new people and they change us. They shape who we are. Our relationships make us into the people we will become. Then it's like it starts all over again, because you meet the person you love and all of a sudden, you're putting your life into someone else's hands again. You learn to trust, to forgive, to love.

Well knowing at the point in life where I am right now and I have this person putting his whole life, his future into my hands is the strongest thing I have ever felt. Being a parent puts a whole new perspective on things. New priorities come to the top of my list. It's not important anymore where my friends are or what they think. Nothing else is as important as my family, and knowing I have this person who counts on me gives me a strong sense of love and comfort that I have never known.

This is the time to live my life. To take advantage of the slowness instead of running through each day like tomorrow is another day, another chance. Now is the time to sit back and take advantage of all life's blessings God has given me. It's my time to live, to love, and to appreciate everything I have. I look back at the person I have grown into, the things I have experienced, and even though they were not all good experiences, I learned from them all and they have shaped me into the mother, the wife, and the person that I am today.... I can't wait to watch as Landyn goes through life with the same experiences and opportunities and turns them into the bright, rewarding future I hope to give him.

With Love,



Friday, July 23, 2010

Welcome to the world Reed Wesley!

Our best friends Luke & Audra had their second baby boy on Thursday!! Reed Wesley Pruitt joins our crazy little family of boys and we couldn't be more excited!!

Audra and I went to HS together, and have been best friends ever since and Luke & Audra are Landyn's godparent's! Last summer when we spent time with them, Roman was stealing Landyn's pacifier's and looking on as his mommy held baby Landyn with jealousy! Now that he's grown, I bet he will be a GREAT big brother and LC is so excited to have another godbrother to grow up playing with!!

We love you guys & can't wait to meet baby Reed!!


With Love,

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Mommy life is the life for me!

So.. I promised myself I would update this Blog regularly, and unfortunately, that promise has not been kept, BUT, my reasons are GREAT! My little man has been growing so much that all of my time is spent with him, and I would not have it any other way!

Over the course of the last 3 months (since Landyn turned 1!) he has grown in 3 molars, is running EVERYWHERE, and is talking up a storm! (He get's that from ME.. his "gaga"!)

It's amazing how much one little person can consume my entire reason for living. His existence is MY reason for wanting to be healthier and live better, so we have switched to cloth diapering (for more reasons other than the fact that they are totall CUTE!) and I have started making my own laundry detergent & cleaning supplies (my first batch today!) So watch for tips of "green living" and how our family plans to live healthier & safer for the environment everyday.

I'm not even going to try to promise myself I will update as often I would like, but HOPEFULLY we will be back soon!....

Leaving you with a small little dose of what I get to experience everyday and BIG chunk of what takes up my heart!



With love,