Friday, August 27, 2010
New Blog!
I will hopefully have a Google Friend Follower on there sometime soon so you can follow me like here, but for now, you can Subscribe to my RSS Feed!
Now, follow me to my newest venture at foreverslikeadream.com!... See you there!
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The Baby Book!
I think being a mom has made me procrastinate even more, because I want to spent all of my time WITH him! I thought I would have more time being able to stay at home with LC everyday, but sadly, that is not the case!
So today, I sit starting this baby book with intentions of doing more and maybe one day even actually doing his scrapbook (which would mean I should finish the one of me and Kyle that was supposed to be out at our wedding too, huh?) I accomplished a lot today, what if I could do this everyday? LC would have a baby book/scrapbook for every month of his life!... Okay, now I'm getting carried away.
So here it is... the baby book! Now in 20 years, he will know he smothered poop all over his bedroom when he was 13 months old and laughed for the first time on our family vacation in FL! I must admit, I'm kind of glad I waited so long to do this, because it's been fun reminiscing on his firsts and the first, most precious moments of his life!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Dress your kids in style!
She makes absolutely adorable dresses (I had one made for a friend for her new baby girl, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!) and adorable outfits for little boys too! (Which admittedly, is hard to find!) Stores always have tons of stuff for girls, but never enough for boys!
Anyway, check out some of the absolutely adorable stuff by Daffodils & Daisies!
I can't wait to have a daughter to buy her this dress, I am a HUGE advocate for helping out charities (especially those related to cancer), and Daffodils & Daisies makes this one of a kind dress to benefit a little girl who is battling cancer :
And look at this adorable Jon-Jon! Landyn has more than one in different fabrics! There are many choices!
Are you totally IN LOVE with these adorable children's fashions?? Go to Daffodils & Daisies Facebook page to see more! You can order on the Facebook page if you see something you like (FREE SHIPPING!) Be sure to post on their wall that I (Kelley Crowe) sent you! She is doing an AWESOME contest where whoever gives the most referrals to Facebook, will get a $50 gift certificate!! I can go on a little shopping spree for some adorable outfits for LC! "Like" them on Facebook here :http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Daffodils-and-Daisies-Childrens-Clothing/147008105316370
And you can also check out their website and Blog at http://www.daffodils-and-daisies.com/.
I will leave you with a picture of my cutie pie in one of Daffodils and Daisies adorable Jon Jon's (monogrammed of course!)
With Love,
Friday, July 30, 2010
Footprints
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....
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The inspiration of MY inspiration!
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
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...
With Love,
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
A Mother's Love
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
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
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.
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!
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!
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,
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Platinum First Birthday's??
Landyn showed us what a big boy he truly is, and instead of crying, throwing a fit, or hanging on for dear life, he jumped for joy when Elmo came into the room! It was truly a first birthday to remember...
I want to thank all of the special people in his life (and mine!) who were there to share our special day. Please know how important you all are to us and how thankful and blessed we are to have all of you in our lives!
And a special thank you to Wish Upon a Star children's parties for making the kids so happy that day, to Romp N' Roll in Harrisburg for throwing such a great bash, Nona's Sweet's for making the most delicious cakes, and Bum Bum & Button (whimsical parties for children) for making Landyn's First Birthday unforgettable!
With love,
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
March 10, 2009 10PM
This time last year, I was counting down the days until my scheduled c section. Nothing could make me take my mind off meeting my little man. Everyday I woke up wondering what he would look like, who he would resemble. Would he have my eyes? What about Kyle's nose? I hoped he wouldn't have Kyle's nose!!
Last year at this time, I had already had an amnio test done to check for lung materity and about a million ultrasounds. All of which showed me that healthy, growing baby inside of me. I had dreams of holding him in my arms, sining him lullabies, snuggling him to sleep.
My c section was scheduled on March 13th, my original due date was the 29th, but because of what the ultrasound was showing (a 10lb baby!!!???) We decided to schedule it sooner. Little did we know.. Landyn Carter had a mind of his own.....
At 10pm on March 10, Kyle and I got into bed to get one of our final full nights of sleep! Oh how I used to love sleeping in, in the mornings! Not 10 seconds after we laid down there it came.....
"Ummm... I think my water just broke."
"What!?"
"MY WATER JUST BROKE!"
Then comes the light,.... and I stand up, and I am COVERED in total wetness. What did we do? Call the DR? Rush to grab my bag that I SHOULD HAVE already packed!? No. We laugh. We laugh like there's not tomorrow! Here I am standing in a puddle of amniotic fluid, drenched in this water. And we are laughing to the point of tears! Oh wait.. you think that's funny? Wait until you hear what my adoring and absently concerning husband says...
"OMG! I have to go shower and shave so I look good for pictures!"
Here I am, waddling with towels between my legs, packing my bags, calling very person in my phonebook to laugh about the unpredicted news.
About 45 minutes later, we are ready to go. Instead of being in a complete rush out the door, I stand in the middle of the kitchen and cry my eyes out! This time it's not a laughing cry, it's an "Oh my God! We are going to have a baby and I don't know what I'm doing!" kind of cry.
After waiting in the delivery room all night with contractions (blissfully unfelt!) THANK GOD, we get prepared and ready for the start of the rest of our lives.....
....Landyn Carter Crowe. A year ago at 8:05am on March 11th graced us with his appearance. Coming into a world of chaos and creating something so simple and perfect.
So I sit here right now on March 10, 2010 and I laugh at the moments leading up to your birth and I remember every little detail from that day forward, and I think surely, life can't get any better than this!
Blessings,
Oh what a beautiful morning!
Yesterday, I tried out my new double stroller! I have been too excited to try this out, and the boys had a blast! Landyn held Cooper's hand the whole way... even towards the end when Cooper started to fuss, because he was tried.
On a stroll we go.....
With love,
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Landyn's 1st Haircut!!
He did a GREAT job, except at the very end, he decided it was a good idea to jump out of the little car and made everyone in there jump!
Only 5 more days until our baby boy enters his toddler years with many more haircuts, bruises, and laughs to come.....
With Love,
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Hangin with Mr. Cooper!
Landyn was obsessed with watching him on the video monitor, and loved holding his hand. He wanted to be wherever Cooper was! We have enjoyed having this sweet little man around, that's for sure!!
With Love,
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Snugglies & Wuvvies!
Up until the last few weeks, he has not wanted to snuggle AT ALL, and ever since he was a teeny tiny little man he would NOT sleep on me! It was so sad, because I used to love that time with him.
Well a few weeks ago he had some kind of a stomach bug, and slept on me for the first time since forever ago! And he's done it quite a bit every since!
Today, he didn't want anything but mama, and it was the best feeling in the world!!
Blessings,
Sunday, February 21, 2010
First cupcake from Nona's!
The last time we were there, Miss Dominica gave LC a yummy cookie :
And Saturday when we went in, we got him an orange cupcake with orange frosting from the cupcake bar. Everytime we go in, Miss Dominica gives him a wave and he always smiles back! We can't wait to see the cake for his birthday! (we even got almond flavoring like our wedding cake!! YUMMY!!)
With Love,
Look Mom! I'm not using my hands!
Our baby is growing up!
Blessings,
Monday, February 8, 2010
Love Note
I automatically thought of all of the amazing handwritten letters I have from my mom and how much I miss her and cherish those words in my heart. I realized the purpose of this blog was to do that for Landyn and for myself, but I also realized how important it is for me to hand write letters to him so he has them when he gets older to cherish when I'm not around too. My favorite possession is my letters and photos from my mother so I can remember what an amazing person she was and how much she inspired me and has shaped the person and mother that I am today.
Landyn Carter, you are my joy. You make me smile on days when I feel like there's nothing to smile about. You make me laugh in the morning when I feel too tired to move. You make me proud of what your dad and I have become and what we have brought into this world; and you make me the happiest and luckiest mom in the world. Here is my love note to you...
Dear Landyn,
When I was a little girl my cousin Katie and I used to play "mommy." She always had a baby girl, and I always had a baby boy. I used to pretend change diapers, feed my baby with a bottle, and snuggle that baby to sleep. I had dreams of being a mommy even when I didn't know how much love a mommy could feel. You have made my dreams come true. You have made me feel those feelings of love, hope, joy, and pride. You have given me the most amazing gift, and I look at you; my son, and I cry tears or amazement at what your daddy and I have made. I see what my mom saw when she looked at me, and seeing that makes everything feel alive.
You make me feel alive Landyn Carter and for that I will be forever grateful to you. I look forward to every day with you, and I can't express to you enough how much fondness and love I hold for you in my heart.
Tomorrow may not be the same as today, and a year from now will be different too, but always know, I am always here for you and I will always support you and I hope you can look back on these words and cherish them like I do from my mom. I wish she were here with us today to see the life I have made for myself and to be able to give you the kisses and hugs she used to give to me, I can only hope I can give you the same sense of comfort she used to give to me.
I love you and someday, you will be able to understand and feel that love too.
Your first Valentines Day is like any other first in your life, and your daddy and I will cherish this first just like any other and the 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths and more to come.
I love you monkey, and that will never, ever change.
With Love,
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Almost a year.... Really?
For the last few weeks, we have been planning Landyn's 1st Birthday Party! What!? Really!? My SON is going to be ONE!!!???? ... Yes,... Yes he is!
You know how it goes right?.. "Sunny Days, Clouds all day..." That's right! His party will be filled with Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Bert & Ernie.. the whole gang! And even a SURPRISE visit from ELMO HIMSELF!! But.. Shhhh! It's a suprise!!
Anyway, life has been filled with joys, laughs, sleepless nights, all the good and bad and tiresome of being a mommy, but this last ALMOST 1 year has been the best year of my life! And I promise to share those amazing moments with you more often!
Blessings,