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

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

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,