Mama's Breastfeeding Essentials

There is a lot of work that goes into breastfeeding. It is such a beautiful and rewarding thing though! It took me about 8 to 12 weeks to feel really comfortable with breastfeeding, but now it does not seem as overwhelming as it used to. I honestly thought about giving it up so so so many times in those first few weeks. Breastfeeding is tough at first, but as you and baby learn, and baby grows things get easier and you will both figure out what works for you.

Breastfeeding Essentials

1 | Breastfeeding pillow // No matter what kind you get, you are going to need some kind of pillow to help prop baby. We use a Boppy pillow, I don't love it, but it gets the job done, and we can use it for other things like propping baby and will be able to use it in the future for tummy time.

3 | Lil' buds // Useful beyond breast care, but amazing relief for symptoms related clogged ducts and mastitis. All you have to do is stick them in the microwave (my preference!) or refrigerator. We have the lavender ones & I would definitely recommend them, it makes them extra soothing. Pictured is the Classic Aqua Net

4 | Jumbo water bottle // The first couple weeks I was so thirsty. Almost every feeding I had Josh fill up my 32 oz. jug the hospital provided. Even now almost 4 months later it is still my go to cup!

5 | Grab & go snacks // Babies seem to want to eat right around meal time! So, having handy snacks are useful until you can grab a few bites of your meal. We really like making energy bites, cheese and cracker plates, and having plenty fresh fruits and veggies cut up and ready to eat.

8 | Ottoman // We all need to put our feet up a little bit! I love having an ottoman to put my feet on while feeding our sweet girl, especially when it is 2 a.m.

9 | Coconut oil // The early breastfeeding pain is legitimate. Coconut oil is something most of us keep around the house (I used it on my belly all the time while pregnant.) and is an easy and safe nipple salve. If you're looking to buy one, I recommend Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter

10 | Nursing bra // There are a million and one nursing bras out there. My advice is try on a bunch and figure out what works for you. Also, invest in a few sleep bras, because they are wonderful and I love that you just pull the cup to the side.

2 | Breast pump // Definitely a must if you want to be able to give your babe a bottle when you are away and also if you are going to go back to work. You can read all about the breast pumps I tried here if you're looking for one.

6 | Pump bag and reusable pump parts bag // Going along with #2, you are going to need something to tote your pump around in. The absolute BEST pump bags out there are Sarah Wells bags. I'm eyeing one up for Christmas so I can stop carrySarah Wells also makes a bag calling 3 bags to work everyday. Sarah Wells also makes the Pumparoo which all pumping mamas need to have. It is a breast pump parts bag which is reusable. Stop using Zip-loc bags & get this instead, you'll save money in the long run! Pictured is the Pumparoo in limited edition Floral.

7 | Bottles // Every baby is different and I know some mamas have to try 5 kinds before they find one baby likes, but we like the Avent Natural bottles. We had about 3 smaller 4 oz. bottles and now have 6 larger 9 oz. bottles. This number works well for us!

And of course even almost four months in things get messy so just laugh when you get spit up all over you or your little one has a blow out in the middle of feeding!

Sheard Suppers Vol. 1

Before our baby came, we knew how important meal planning was. On weeks we meal planned we felt prepared, more relaxed, and had more time in the evenings after work. Weeks we didn't meal plan felt frazzled. Several weeks before our due date we prepared many freezer meals to keep us well fed when baby arrived. Even though we had these freezer meals it was hard to remember to get them out to thaw in those early sleepless days and nights so we were still left hanging! I think one of the biggest things I wish we would have asked for is help with meals for the first couple weeks.

Now, we're back to regularly scheduled meal planning and it is even more needed when you have babies than when you do not! Meal planning usually happens on Friday or Saturday then we shop and prep on Sunday. I know there are other mamas out there who feel the overwhelm of planning what your family is going to eat so I'll be sharing our favorite recipes here when I can! Our meals are no where near perfect, we are full believers in balance!

Sheard Suppers Vol. 1

Black Bean Quesadillas

Refrigerator Hash | Essentially we get smoked sausage, and saute it with whatever vegetables are left in the refrigerator at the end of the week. Examples include: green pepper, onion, sweet potato, broccoli. Season with salt and pepper or get creative and use a seasoning blend.

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Pad Thai

Blackened Tilapia | We keep a large Tupperware of the seasoning in our cupboard and always have Tilapia in the freezer for a quick meal option

Grilled Chicken with Zucchini & Skillet Potatoes

What are you eating this week?

Kayty

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Pumping Mama! A Breast Pump Review

Three pumps, many weeks, and a whole lot of milk! Over the past seven weeks I have tried three different breast pumps. Why three different pumps? When I started researching breast pumps before little C was born, I wanted to know the difference between Medela and Spectra. While researching, I found reviews of the pumps separately, but none where anyone compared them side by side. So, I decided to do my own comparison to help other mamas who were in the same boat I was!

Obviously, I included Medela and Spectra, and then we were offered an Ameda to review so we decided to toss that into the comparison as well! The pumps I used were the Ameda Finesse, the Spectra S2, and the Medela Pump In Style Advanced. Over these weeks I've used one pump at a time. Also, I e-mailed the companies various times with questions to be sure my comparison was as accurate as possible! If you have questions that are not answered here please comment, I'd love to help!

Side note: It can take your body up to 3 weeks to adjust to a new pump so if you are switching and getting lower volumes, give your body time to adjust before thinking the pump 'doesn't work as well!'

This post contains a TON of information so hang in there friend! I've given a brief review as well as listed the pros and cons of each pump.

Breast Pump Comparison & Review

Spectra S2

This pump is wonderful. I still haven't found a reason to not love this pump. Number one reason I love this pump: It is a closed system. From KellyMom, "A closed system pump has a barrier between the milk collection kit and the pump mechanism to prevent contamination by bacteria/mold/viruses/etc. An open system pump has no such barrier." The Spectra has a digital screen so you can easily see how long you have been pumping which is really handy if you don't have a clock, your phone, or its 1:30 in the morning and you don't know when you started. The screen also displays your vacuum, speed, AND it saves the settings you had it on last for both letdown and expression mode. This way you never have to adjust dials or buttons unless you want to. The pump starts in expression mode so you have to press the letdown button when you power it on. The only thing I found frustrating about the pump, was the bottles leak sometimes if you do not screw the lid on tight enough. Instead of using those, I just started pumping into the bottles Cora drinks from, which was easier in the long run.

Spectra S2 Pros

Duckbill valve is one single piece, no losing those little white things like with Medela
Everything is dishwasher safe
Closed system
Separate vacuum/speed options--super nice for unclogging ducts!
Nightlight with two settings
Digital screen displays
Timer so you know how long you've been pumping
Auto shut off after 30 min
2 year warranty since many moms pump longer than one year
Rechargeable battery model option (S1)--I have not found that I would need this option yet

Spectra S2 Cons

It is recommended to not use microwave sterilizer bags
Bottles that come with are difficult to get a good seal on, so they leak sometimes, I just pump into the bottles our baby drinks from to solve this issue.

Ameda Finesse

I was impressed with the way this pump presented, but not with actually using it. The pump has separate vacuum and speed options for customization which is ideal for getting your pumping as close to baby's sucking as possible. This pump is also a closed system (see definition from KellyMom above). This pump is fairly quiet when turned up to full vacuum; however, the power of the vacuum is hugely lacking and no matter what I tried during my times using this pump it was not efficient enough in emptying my milk fully. It was also difficult to remember where I had the separate vacuum and speed dials for letdown and expression so I was always adjusting the dials to get it 'just right.' Overall, this pump was not as friendly to use as the other pumps because of the dials, but the information provided with the pump was great.

Ameda Finesse Pros

Everything you need comes sterilized, so you don't need to sterilize before using
Comes with a guide for measuring nipples to get accurate breast shield size
Guide explains the difference between letdown and expression
Pump itself is very compact
Can easily be put into a pump bag you like
Comes with hand pump
Closed system
2 year warranty since many moms pump longer than one year
Separate vacuum and speed options
Decently quiet

Ameda Finesse Cons

Have to adjust speed and vacuum dials each each time you switch between letdown and expressing milk.
Hard to remember exactly where you had dials each time
Noise is annoying to listen to

Medela Pump In Style Advanced

All the moms I know have a Medela, and most of them have said they really like it, so I thought it was going to be a pretty great pump! But I was actually rather disappointed in the pump for many reasons. This pump is not a closed system so the setup of the pump does not prevent contamination of breastmilk (see image here). The Medela pump is also extremely loud. Every time I start using this pump, which is usually at 1:30 in the morning both my dogs come running because they aren't sure about the noise! There were a few nice things about the pump, including that it comes with a bag, and it switches to expression mode manually. The breast shields are designed to pump into narrow neck bottles like the popular Dr. Brown's so you could probably pump right into them. We use Avent bottles which are wide mouth and there is a conversion kit available if you want to pump into wide neck bottles. Overall, this pump was not as customizable as the other pumps and highly disappointing since it is an open system.

Medela Pump In Style Advanced Pros

Can be taken out and used in any bag
Automatically starts in stimulation (let-down) mode
Automatically changes to expression mode after 2 minutes or you can hit a button to manually change to expression mode
Comes with battery pack so you can pump anywhere (batteries not included :))
Comes with cooler bag and ice pack
1 year warranty
Comes with a carrier bag (not as nice as a Sarah Wells bag though, not much can fit inside)

Medela Pump In Style Advanced Cons

Not a closed system
No separate vacuum/speed options, not as customizable
No auto off
Hard to see inside bag when pumping to see where dial is set at
Those little white pieces get lost all the time
I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have about any of the pumps! Feel free to comment below with your questions or e-mail me at simplysheard@gmail.com!
What kind of pump do you use? If you are a mom-to-be what kind of pump do you want? Share below!

[Disclaimer] I did receive two of these pumps in exchange for a fair and truthful review; however, all opinions are 100% my own! Thanks to the weeSpring Parent Panel for providing me with one of the breast pumps!

Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

I don't really create my own recipes. It's very rare that it happens, even more rare that a creation turns out! Anyway, I'm really good at trying other people's recipes though, and comparing different recipes is even more fun. There are thousand of 'Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie' recipes around. The truth? Everyone has a different opinion of what makes a perfect chocolate chip cookie. I'm in the field of crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle.

In the weeks before our little one was born we made chocolate chip cookies a lot. They are a comfort food staple around here and it was always a nice surprise when someone would bring us dinner AND chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate and cookies warm the soul of a sleep deprived mama.

These are the links for our go-to chocolate chip cookies, listed in no particular order:

1 | My Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie by The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 | Coconut Oatmeal Cookie by Lil' Luna -- we add chocolate chips to this one

3 | Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies by Stuck on Sweet

4 | Milk Bar's Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies by Foodie Crush

Do you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe? Share with us below, we'd LOVE to try it & let you know what we think!

Kayty

Cora's Birth Story

Our June 9 due date came, went, and we originally scheduled to be induced on June 14, Flag Day, Josh pointed out. Then I got anxious that we were inducing too soon. I was nervous about all the risks of being induced, the complications that might result from being induced, about the baby not being ready, and my body not being ready. I truly believed my body would go into labor when it was time to do, yet I knew God was in control and wanted to trust Him, so we rescheduled for June 19 giving baby an extra ten days. My goal throughout pregnancy had been to deliver this baby naturally if I could, but if I needed pain meds, or a c-section, or whatever that I would not feel bad, or guilty, or shameful, or less of a woman for not having a natural birth. All I really wanted was a healthy baby and a healthy mama.

Those ten days we hoped and prayed that labor would start naturally. We did what we could to encourage baby to come. We walked about 3 miles every day, I kept doing my 100 squats every few day. But, we also enjoyed our last times as just husband and wife, we went to the lake, got donuts, whatever we wanted to relish those moments. As I had been the whole pregnancy, I prayed daily that God would be glorified in this baby's birth no matter the story of how it was birthed; yet I was still anxious about having to be induced.

The night before our induction we got all the bags together, set an alarm & went to sleep. Around 1 a.m. on June 19 I started having contractions every 10 minutes. Our induction was scheduled for 6:30a.m. I couldn't believe it was actually happening and I waited an hour or so before I told Josh because I didn't want them to go away, like telling him had any impact on that actually, ha! After telling Josh we called the birth center to let them know and ask when we were supposed to come in. They said to come in at 6:30a.m. since we had the induction scheduled & talk to the doctor, see how things were progressing and go from there. The rest of the night I tried to sleep but that was a little difficult as I was excited and thanking God for answering our prayers. At 6a.m. we showered, I always feel way better on a day I shower so even though we had a huge workout ahead of us, I felt more at peace having showered. We grabbed all our gear, I told the pups next time I came home I'd have a brother or sister for them & headed out the door.

At the hospital, after doing a check, I was 2 cm & 75% effaced, they gave us the option of starting induction or going home for 4 hours, then re-evaluating. Opting for the least invasive option & still wanting to do everything without medication we headed home. I kept praying the contractions would keep coming. They weren't painful at all but I did take deep breaths through them as needed to help my body continue relaxing and expand. We went for another walk then I walked around the house. I did more squats. I ate a little food, drank plenty water & kept praying. Towards the end of the 4 hours the contractions started to space out with 20 minutes in between it seemed which was the opposite of what we were wanting to happen. I laid down to try to relax some and around 12:30p.m. we headed out the door again & this time they admitted us when we arrived. We called my mom because she was my org support person I was planning to have in the room. My sister in law works in the birth center and was going to be working in a few hours and we were hoping she would be able to be there for the birth too!

After another check I was 2.5 cm & 80% effaced...small progress but progress nonetheless! They gave us the option of starting Pitocin, breaking my water then doing Pitocin if needed, or doing half a tab of Cytotec, after we inquired about this option. I opted for breaking my water which they did around 1:30pm. After starting to monitor my contractions they were actually coming every 7 minutes so apparently I just couldn't feel all of them. We were able to walk around the hospital as much as we wanted, every half hour or so we went back to be monitored for a bit. During one of our walks we saw a rainbow, a beautiful reminder that God is faithful and keeps his promises. We continued walking the halls as long as possible but then the contractions became so uncomfortable it was uncomfortable to walk longer distances so we stayed in the room. As the contractions started to get stronger I decided to try the yoga ball but sitting down was not comfortable so I kept standing, doing minor walking around the room, and breathing through each contraction. 

The nurse suggested trying the tub to help which I wasn't wild about since I don't like baths to begin with but I said I would try the shower. Hello amazing! This made contractions closer together. It's such a weird phenomenon being in pain, knowing the pain is going to and needs to continue to get worse. After a while in the shower I was so tired so I decided to try the tub so I could sit down. Being in the tub was nice, the contractions didn't come as often but they seemed much much stronger and were terribly painful. I started to feel really warm, like too warm I decided to get out. At 8pm our doctor came in and said he wanted me to be at 5 cm by 10p.m. otherwise he would want to start Pitocin. I was at 4cm at this point. I knew I had to get to 5cm, so this became my goal, whatever it was gonna take to get there so we didn't have to do Pitocin, which was one of my biggest fears. 

The shower had seemed to move the contractions along, it didn't feel THAT amazing but I knew it was making contractions come closer together, which was getting us to the goal, so I got back in the shower and stayed there for about 3 hours. At this point of being in the shower I was exhausted. I remember telling Josh after being in there for a little while I wanted to be done but he kept helping me through each contractions. He stood outside the shower and would hold my hand as I rocked through each contraction in the shower. My mom would read some of the birth affirmations I had written down on cards. He asked me once if I thought I needed to do something for the pain but I told him no. When he asked me I knew I could handle it, I was just exhausted & wanted to be done. At 10p.m. they checked & I was at 5cm! I was so happy and thankful that meant no Pitocin. From then on we just continued to get through each contraction. Josh helped me through almost every contraction, my mom stepped in for a few when Josh was getting a drink of water when one would start. Being in bed was terrible for contractions, every position I tried and had looked up in preparation for labor was terrible, so I stood for all of them and rocked from side to side while Josh held my hands and matched my breathing.

Close to 8cm I felt lots of pressure & wanted to push but they told me I couldn't yet and to keep 'pushing' through each contraction. The contractions were coming super close together & the pain never really went away before it started rising again with another contraction. This was one of the hardest things since I was never sure if I was going to get a break in between contractions. At 12:30a.m. they called our doctor and told him my progress. At 12:50p.m. I knew it was time to push . Our nurse checked my dilation my mom went out to get the nurse and she checked you standing up while I tried to go to the bathroom that's when she felt the head and she had stuck only like a pinky's length of her finger in. Though I totally did not hear her say any of this because I was in the zone. She said that I should go back to the bed and that she would check me again and then she had the other nurse on duty did the recheck. 

At this point the nurses asked each other who wanted to deliver the baby because our doctor wasn't there yet, (he hadn't thought we would go so fast being a first time mom). Again, I didn't hear them saying this, when you're in the zone your in the zone! So, they told me I could start pushing. Pushing was difficult & painful but totally a different pain and difficulty than contractions. I pushed for about 10 minutes, a total of 4 long slow pushes & Cora was born at 1:05a.m. Feeling every inch of her being birthed and come out was totally amazing, one I hope to never forget. My favorite part of having absolutely no drugs was being able to feel everything. Even with the pain, being able to feel everything, being able to feel in control was wonderful. She came out, Josh announced it was a girl (we waited to find out baby's gender until then), they placed her on my chest, and the doctor walked in the door! He got to deliver the placenta so at least he got to do one of the two, and Josh got to cut the cord.

Woofda! God is so SO good! Almost daily I think back to how everything went and I am so thankful how God blessed us with this beautiful baby and this incredible story!

Share your birth story with me below, I love reading them!

P.S. They say you typically follow what happened to your mom with your first baby. I was my mom's first baby, born 13 days late. Fun part is, she also went into labor with me the morning she was scheduled to be induced :)

Lalabu Soothe Shirt

When Cora was born she was only six pounds! So we had to wait a few weeks until we could use our Lalabu Soothe Shirt since it should not be used for babies under seven pounds. Then we found out the day after we used it for the first time she is NINE pounds now! Looks like we could have used it a week or so ago little one, but oh well! She loved it all the same!

The Lalabu Soothe Shirt is essentially a tank top with a kangaroo pouch. It can be used for babies seven to fifteen pounds so it's more designed for the newborn days than other baby wearing things. In those early days and weeks something simple is perfect, complicated is not what you need at all with a new baby!

Everyone I show it too is like, "Woah, way cool!" I had put this shirt on our registry because I thought it was such a neat idea, and so much more simpler than traditional baby wearing. We have a regular cloth baby wearing "sling" too which we love and use often, but what makes this product wonderful is you are already wearing everything you need to wear baby since it is a shirt. Also, you don't have to learn how to tie anything so it is a great place to start with baby wearing. Plus it has a nursing bra built in so you are all set to feed baby when the time comes.

We were gifted it for Christmas from my mother-in-law and it has sat in the nursery closet until now! I figured a trip to the lake was the perfect opportunity to try out this tank. I'm pretty sure this was our first decently large outing where we were gone for several hours, and we totally survived & had fun! We brought the stroller along in case she didn't want to be worn, but she was a happy camper in her perch. Walking along the paths was perfect with C in tow! She just hung out, took in all the scenery and took a little snooze for a bit as well!

They ALSO make a Dad version of the Soothe Shirt, I keep trying to tell Josh he would love it, but he's not so sure. Maybe someday I'll convince him! I also feel like I should point out Lalabu also makes leggings now, which look amazing for postpartum comfort I haven't had the chance to try them yet, but if I do I'll keep ya posted on if we love them as much as the shirt.

What are your favorite baby wearing things? Share below!

Kayty

P.S. We tried to self-timer a cute family photo...

One Month Favorites

Baby girl is now one month old. We took some photos last week on the official day & I'm working on editing those, as well as finishing writing up her birth story! Since C was born we've started using all our amazing goodies we were blessed with at our baby showers and by friends and family.

We've come up with a list of some products we have loved having over the past month. Some are mama postpartum favorites that were just temporarily used and others are things we will keep using for months to come!

Boppy // Chicco Lullago // Gerber Kimonos // Earthmama Angel Baby Nipple Butter & Bottom Spray // DIY Padsicles // Purell // Halo SleepSack® Swaddle // Dohm Sound mMachine // Keekaroo Peanut Changing Pad // Waterbottle

One Month Favorites

1 | Boppy Pillow // A nursing pillow of some sort is a must in my opinion, at least to start. It's been helpful to get baby in the right position to get a correct latch and to give mama's arms a little rest. I wouldn't say I'm in love with the Boppy, the pillow doesn't really fit right where I want it to, but it gets the job done and there are plenty of uses for it down the road.

2 | Chicco Lullago // Big crib or tiny baby? In our case, tiny baby! The first couple weeks we had C sleep in this bassinet next to our bed. She wasn't happy with the largeness of the crib, and it was nice to be able to see her right next to our bed. She's still in our room, but she's transitioned out of the bassinet now.

3 | Gerber Kimonos // C lived in these and sleep and plays for the couple weeks until her cord fell off. These are much more breathable and don't irritate the area as much as regular Onesies. Highly recommend them!

4 | Earthmama Angel Baby Nipple Butter and Bottom Spray // I love both these products so I couldn't pick just one. I had heard some ladies liked this one over Medela and Lansinoh's versions so I had picked this up before C was born to be prepared and I definitely like this better. It might just be a preference, but I like the way it goes on and it's not overly 'greasy.'

5 | DIY Padsicles // Again, I made these up about a week before our due date and I love them. After we were home from the hospital I ended up switching to these instead of the ice packs they give you because these provided much more relief. The link will send you to the DIY version I used!

6 | Purell // Germs, ick, and crucial to keep out that first month. We keep a bottle of this by the door for when visitors come. Also nice to have at the changing table!

7 | Halo SleepSack® Swaddle // Loving our Halos! Sometimes we swaddle C's arms down, sometimes they are up by her face because she loves her hands. These are easy enough for anyone to understand how to use, plus you can zip from the bottom making middle of the night changes easier.

8 | White Noise Machine // Ahh white noise. We've slept with a fan our entire marriage, but we didn't want cold air blowing on our babe so we turned to this alternative. I'm gonna be a little sad when she leaves our room and we go back to just the fan noise. This is amazing!

9 |  Keekaroo Peanut Changing Pad // Another total game changer. The peanut is a hard foam (kinda like a Bumbo seat) that can easily be wiped down. We had seen one of our friends get these who loved it so we figured it was worth a try. We've had multiple potty accidents right on the changer already & its wonderful to just wipe it up!

10 | Water bottle // Mama's gotta stay hydrated. Hydroflasks are my current water bottle obsession, mostly because they keep water ice cold for hours and hours! I'm wishing I had this size or larger, but my 18 ounce one works well too, just needs to be filled more often.

What are some of your newborn essentials and favorites? If you are currently pregnant what are you most looking forward to using early on? Share below!

Kayty

5 Things A Week of Parenting has Taught Me

I meant to post this last Monday but life with a newborn is totally unpredictable.  So you're getting this post a week late...

Our baby girl turns 2 weeks old this week! I'm already bawling my eyes that time is going by! But we slept 7 hours straight yesterday so I'm thankful we're maybe making sleep progress?!? We learned a million things over that first week of being parents but here's just a few...

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1 | Make sure you have a change of clothes in your diaper bag // Total new parent oops...went to a doctor's appointment and she went potty all over her outfit. I was beyond thankful the Birth Center was kind enough to dig up an outfit to send us home in otherwise Josh would have had to head home to get an outfit then come back. Lesson learned--watch what you pack in the bag!

2 | Two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward // My husband loves to remind me of this one. Each day has its own triumphs and challenges. When you think you've got it figured out everything changes again and you start all over. The main thing is, keep moving forward. Take it one day at a time and soak up each of those days.

3 | Get dressed...most days // While it might seem appealing to hang in your jams for 12 weeks, I know I feel a lot better the days I get dressed versus staying in sleep clothes all day. I still wear ultra comfy clothes, because, hello if breastfeeding your babe is gonna need easy access to food. But in all reality this helps me mentally & emotionally prepare for the day.

4 | It's okay to do nothing // Per my momma's words, "You have the best job right now and that's taking care of your little girl and that is ultimate productivity." Everyone tells you to sleep when the baby sleeps but they don't tell you how to do it.

5 | Get yourself some snacks ready // Breastfeeding burns calories Girl! I didn't know I would be this hungry, not to mention I might get one normal meal a day. So, stock up on snacks or ask friends and family to bring a healthy snack option when they come to visit.

Kayty

Ready for Baby

We've been growing this babe for 41 weeks now! The excitement in our house is unbelievable. The anticipation, as well as hoping and praying this baby decides to makes its entrance naturally is also at a high level. Every day we have been praying that God continues to bless this baby, give us peace, no matter what happens, and that He may be glorified in all of this.

We'll let you know soon when babe arrives, but for now, here's a fun progression picture for you! Left is the day we found out we were pregnant (at four weeks) and right is last weeks photo on our due date.

Same t-shirt, longer hair, shorter pants, bigger belly---so much love!

Kayty