Sweet & Sour Kids

sweet-sour-2

You know those Sour Patch kids commercials? “First they’re sour, then they’re sweet.” That’s about what it’s like every day with kids.

My day usually starts around 3:00AM (sour) with a wake up call from my baby Sarah letting me know she’s ready to nurse. I usually groan, hit my cell so I can use it as a flashlight, then get my baby girl and make my way to the couch. As I nurse her, sometimes I’ll scroll through Facebook, sometimes I’ll close my eyes and doze off again, but other times I’ll choose to soak in the moment. I look down at my (sweet) baby girl and realize she will never be this little again, she will never need me as much as she does now again, and I kiss her cute little cheeks before putting her back in her Pack n Play while I crash back in my bed next to my sleeping husband.

Then my alarm goes off at 6:15AM telling me it’s time to start getting ready to take Noah to school. I snooze it a couple of times, knowing Nathan will be up and starting breakfast for everyone (thanks, babe). I finally drag myself out of bed in time to make Noah lunch and see how crazy his bedhead is to fix it. We walk to school, and he chats with me about his new friends and recess (these walks are so sweet). As soon as he walks inside the school doors I realize how freakin’ hot it is at 7:30 in the morning in October, and sweat like a pig on the walk back (sour).

The rest of my morning is filled with watching Tim and Isaac make a huge pile of pillows and blankets to jump on to (sweet) and being a referee when they both jump at the same time and knock heads (sour). Baby Sarah is quick to remind me every few hours to nurse her and will coo and laugh with me (sweet) until she poops (sour), and then laughs some more at me. The amount of diapers I go through a day with 2 littles still in diapers is ridiculous.

After lunch everyone takes a nap. I think most people will admit that kids look the sweetest when they’re sleeping. Some days I nap with Tim (sweet), other days I decide to tackle the dishes or work on the pile of laundry my kids create (sour). Then I wake them up to drive to get Noah (because I’m not walking 2 miles in 100 degree South Texas weather with all the kids). Now, that pick up line is something else: it seems no matter what time you make it in the line you end up waiting at least 20 minutes, and then occasionally our A/C goes out when the Suburban isn’t moving (oh so sour moments).

The rest of the day is a blur. I just try to keep the boys from hurting each other until Nathan comes home, feed and bathe them, and then put the boys to bed. This is usually when baby Sarah wants to tell me about her day so we chat and giggle at each other… These days aren’t glamorous, but they’re mine. These days are demanding and not always encouraging, but I know that even though I have some sour moments, I’m guaranteed some sweet moments too.

How about you? Share some of your sweet and sour moments below!

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WINSday: Fennel Essential Oil Giveaway

Fennel-Plant

It’s that time again… WINSDAY. Today I am giving away a bottle of Fennel. If you are familiar with cooking with actual fennel, then you will be very familiar with its licorice smell and taste, and the same goes for the essential oil. This particular oil can be used aromatically, topically (dilute for skin sensitivity) and internally. (Again, I only recommend one brand I personally use for internal use, and you can email me at info@amandagerber.com to find out more about the brand I trust and love). Personally, I love the smell of fennel and its many benefits. Here are a few:

• Can be added to tea to calm the digestive system
• Soothing effects when used topically during menstruation
• Can help lessen discomfort with minor skin irritation
• Support a healthy lymphatic system
• Help curb your sweet tooth craving (hello? Need I say more? This oil ROCKS.)

These are just a few reasons you will fall in love with fennel, but one reason I love this oil is because when combined with a Mother’s Milk/Increased Lactation tea, fennel can help assist in increasing a mother’s milk supply. This giveaway seemed appropriate since August is National Breastfeeding Awareness month.

BreastFeedingmonth

I have personally nursed (and I am currently still nursing my youngest) 3 beautiful boys. Happy breastfeeding, y’all! To all you moms out there currently struggling with nursing: keep at it! Yes, there are times it hurts. Yes, there are times at 3AM when having someone else feed the baby sounds like a dream. BUT, there are those sweet moments when the world is quiet and it’s just you and your baby with oxytocin flowing and it’s worth every minute of the struggle. You can do it!

So, would you like to give Fennel essential oil a try? Comment below and tell me why you’d like to give this a go, and you’ll be entered to win a bottle of this oil. For an additional entry, follow me on Facebook (link on the sidebar). This giveaway will be going on until midnight Tuesday, August 18, 2015. Have an amazing day!

The proceeding statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products and methods recommended are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information provided here is in no way intended to replace proper medical help. These are simply things that have worked for me personally, and my family and friends.

Congrats to our winner, Sarah! This giveaway is now closed.

Overlooked Miracles

Yesterday in Bible study we started talking about God’s miracles. We talked about the miraculous healings, revelations, and signs and wonders performed throughout the Bible. Some of us had a few personal stories to share of radical healing or deliverance. Then we began to recount some “small” miracles. You can’t really call these miracles “small,” maybe “overlooked” is a more appropriate term. Everyday occurrences that we have come to expect these days, so we tend to overlook the wonder of its brilliance.

For instance, the birth of a baby and all the details that go into that. We had women yesterday with medical backgrounds that were able to spit out medical terms, but I don’t know any of those technical terms, except for the hormone oxytocin. The mother’s body releases the hormone oxytocin during labor and postlabor to assist with bonding with the baby. It’s also released during breastfeeding to further support a healthy bond with the baby. Also, do you know the nutrients in the breastmilk of nursing moms’ changes to cater to the baby’s needs?! Crazy!

I’m always reminded of the miracle of the bumblebee. My sister, Rachel, has a stuffed animal of a bumblebee a beloved teacher gave her to remind her of this phenomena. Based on the bumblebee’s size, its body is too big for its wings and it should not be able to fly, but it does!

bee

Photo credit: omshantiblog.com

My sisters and I are everyday miracles. We were born when my mom was only 26 weeks pregnant, coming in at a strapping weight of 2.2, 2.4, and 2.6 pounds. Rachel’s and my lungs collapsed, Sarah couldn’t breathe on her own, Rachel was on oxygen for so long the doctors were telling my parents she would most likely be blind, I had hemorrhaging to my brain and as a result have swollen lateral ventricles to this day, ect. My parents were told we probably wouldn’t make it, and if we did, they should expect serious mental delays or intellectual disabilities. Needless to say, we all survived and are completely normal functioning adults. That, my friends, is a miracle and a result of the power of praying parents.

sisters   (See, there we are!)

My challenge for you today is to find an overlooked miracle. Comment below to let us know about it!