alexysgrace-blog

[alexysgrace-blog]

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[alexysgrace-blog]

[alexysgrace-blog]

Also finally started working out and working with a personal trainer and it sucks but I've already lost 6lbs and it's only been 4 days 🎉 I just better stick with it this time.

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We were in a wedding when Lu was 3 months and I loove this picture of our little family.

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It's been awhile since I've been on here. Lu is almost 5 months and I've just been so happy living life. It's amazing what she has done to me. I started working at Target part time while my husband stays home with our Lu. He just got out of the military and we are just soaking in all of the time with him home before he starts his process of becoming a correctional officer and then I'll become a stay at home mom full time. I can not grasp how much I love this little one. From each of her eyelashes all the way down to her perfect toes. She is my everything and way more.

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I want another baby...even after all the hard stuff. Each and every day I fall more in love with being a mom and I know I want more and I want them now 🙈

[alexysgrace-blog]

3 amazing months with this little one, so scary in the beginning but it keeps getting better and better. The love I have for my little Lu is so indescribable. So many hard days but no matter what I'm always loving being her mom 💕

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I recently asked my Mom if she had insecurities about her body when we she was my age with four kids. She said, “of course.” But thinking back to when I was younger, I don’t remember that. My Mom never talked about her body in a negative way. We took baths together, saw each others naked bodies and I truly think that changed the way I viewed my body all throughout highschool and beyond. A gift we can give our children, especially our daughters, is to LOVE our own bodies. Be naked in front of them. Take care of our bodies and focus on the beautiful parts we have, because we all have them. Embracing our bodies as Moms will teach our children to embrace theirs too, I think.

Here’s a shot by @emilieanneszabo for the series that @littlepeanutmagazine has begun about motherhood and our bodies. The session was no makeup and undone hair, so of course mine is like a half curly-straight haired mess. If look close enough and you’ll most likely see my dark circles around my eyes from being awake with Minoux throughout the night. Follow the eight stories as they unfold through their blog series.

We are giving so much of ourselves to these little hearts and don’t be afraid of self care. Don’t lock yourself up for the entire duration of their childhood and forget that you are also a human. It is not selfish to refuel ourselves and invest in the replenishment of ourselves physically, creatively, or emotionally. Carve out time each week where you blow off the laundry or dishes and make yourself feel beautiful again. Maybe that’s doing a workout and feeling strong again, painting your nails (even though, seriously who has time to let nailpolish dry?), cooking or baking something that YOU like to eat instead of what the kids will eat. I am a huge advocate for promoting active self change and practicing a positive mindset. If you don’t like the way you feel, take action to change it, even if it’s the smallest action ever. Be brave enough to take care of you. Find your most beautiful aspects about yourself and cherish them. It is not selfish to take care of ourselves as Moms. One of the best gifts we can give to our children is to have a happy Mom taking care of them.

[alexysgrace-blog]

Tips for respecting children’s spaces, competence, and general existence from a preschool teacher:

Listen to them

Ask them, “Do you want to say hi to your auntie/grandma/cousin/dad/whatevs” (Hint: they will be honest and this can result in a simple hello or a hug or a silly “No!” depending how comfortable they feel)

If they don’t want to hug you realize it’s not that they don’t love you it’s that they don’t know you/don’t feel like hugging.

Just like every other person who doesn’t want a hug

In the event that you need to move a child EXPLAIN TO THEM WHY and WHAT YOU ARE DOING don’t just move them like PROPS they are CHILDREN and NOT props

For instance, “I’m going to move your chair over so we have room at the table for everyone!”

Or  “Sorry there was a person running by I didn’t want you to get smushed so I had to pick you up!”

Remind them that they are people not objects using your actions

Asking children to do something they don’t want to do but NEED to do often doesn’t work, instead give them a choice, “Do you want to eat bok choy or yams?”

NOT “Do you want to eat your vegetables?”

“Do you want to brush your teeth in the bathroom or the kitchen”

This exercises their ever-growing free will and is especially useful during TERRIFIC TWOS okay TERRIFIC not TERRIBLE they’re TERRIFIC

Children will copy you, MODEL FOR THEM

Being over enthusiastic IS beneficial for them understanding emotional and social competence

“I hung this picture uneven, that makes me sad, hmmm! Oh goodie, I found my mistake! Now I can fix it, I’ll feel much happier when I’ve fixed it!”

You think it sounds ridic yeah well hearing you do that children around you just learned to not get so discouraged by their mistakes and that it’s okay to try to fix them

ADULTS CAN APOLOGIZE TO CHILDREN

You make a mistake that hurt a child, APOLOGIZE and show them how to do it properly and genuinely

Realize children are fully competent and are capable of making meanings from YOUR implications about race, culture, gender, ability, sexuality, EVERYTHING

Many three year olds know what the N-word is, what gay means, can identify which children are visably disabled, and YOUR REACTIONS of their answers of questions about their culture

Children like to talk about themselves so do not ever dismiss what they say about themselves as illegitimate just because it sounds silly or unlikely sometimes it’s true

Stop talking about how you hate children, just leave them alone if you don’t understand them you don’t have to be complete jerks to PEOPLE you’ve never met

I will post more and if people have question PLS ASK ME I WOULD LOVE TO ANSWER WHAT I KNOW

[alexysgrace-blog]

Lemon Blueberry Cake with Whipped Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Really nice recipes. Every hour.

Show me what you cooked!

[alexysgrace-blog]

Funfetti Cake Batter Milkshake!

A festive milkshake that’s only 4 ingredients: creamy ice cream, rich cake mix, milk, and festive sprinkles.

GET THE RECIPE: http://homemadehooplah.com/recipes/funfetti-cake-batter-milkshake/

Really nice recipes. Every hour.

Show me what you cooked!

[alexysgrace-blog]

Scientists Just Completed the First Uterus Transplant in the US

A uterus transplant was just completed in the U.S. for the first time. http://futurism.com/scientists-just-completed-first-uterus-transplant-us/

[alexysgrace-blog]

Slow Cooker Low-Carb Mexican Lasagna Casserole

Really nice recipes. Every hour.

Show me what you cooked!

[alexysgrace-blog]

[alexysgrace-blog]

ME!!!

[alexysgrace-blog]

It honestly feels like a lifetime with you already. It's only been two months since the first time I held you. And it amazes me how I feel like you have always been with me. That I wasn't really living life before you and my real one started the day you were born. It's a bittersweet feeling though. My past still means a lot to me, and sometimes I long for a lot of things. But there is nothing more in this world I would rather do than be your momma. You are the goofiest little goober. Your smile is so contagious and I can't wait to hear you giggle. You are so strong and always wanting to be apart of the conversation. You love to cuddle and I'm so thankful for that, cause you are the best cuddler EVER. You have completely changed my life and it's constantly exhausting and frustrating but it brings so much dang happiness.

[alexysgrace-blog]

2 months of pure joy and excitement