A new journey, 31!

I recently attended a 31 Party and then decided to host one of my own. 31 gifts have many things that I just adore. 31 was created from the Proverb 31 women and the character and honesty of the company I find rare. The product itself I just l.o.v.e. They have a variety of different purses, bags, organizational and storage totes. Everything can be personalized which makes organizing even more fun! I thoroughly enjoyed both of the parties I had and really love the product. I love the adorable cute patterns and prints and I love that you can personalize it for your own families needs.

 Since I will be staying home with the girls once Avalyn arrives I have prayerfully decided to become a 31 Consultant. As many of my friends would attest to, I am not the biggest fan of at home parties because I hated the pressure I always felt to buy something. I NEVER thought I would ever become a consultant for something because I never would want my friends or family to think I am always trying to sell them something. This was a struggle for me when deciding to become a consultant. However, I truly value the product of 31 and the company's values and product. I loved the idea of the freedom to be able to attend different parties and have some "adult girl time" every once in a while, while still being able to stay home with my girls. I support 31 and their products and I am so excited to begin the journey as a 31 consultant.

If you would like to host a party, or even just a catalog party if you don't have time to do a in person party or don't live by me, let me know! 31 is extremely generous to their hostesses and provide awesome hostess rewards. :-)

http://www.mythirtyone.com/schwei/

Daddy of the Year!

Tim,

I don't think I truly understood how much I loved you until you became the father of our daughter. I have continued to love you more and more since our wedding day, but my love for you took on a new identity when you became a daddy. I could not have prayed for a better husband or a better father to be by my side. You continue to amaze me with how nurturing and loving you are towards Gracelyn. You truly are her bestest friend. I am honored to be able to be in this journey of parenting with you and I continue to pray that as we draw closer to God, and to each other, we would be a strong model for our girls. I am so proud that my daughters have a man in their life from birth that love them for who they are, and will show them their worth and their beauty in Christ all of their lives. I could not ask for more! I am so excited to bring another daughter into the world with you. Thank you for sacrificing daily for our growing family, it does not go unnoticed. Our girls are beyond blessed to have a model of what a loving husband is, and a model for what love and value you hold for their mother. You are my best friend and I am so thankful to be on their journey of parenting with you.  Gracelyn and Avalyn are truly blessed!

Love you always,
You wife

{6 months} ::Pregnancy Update::

How far along? 24 weeks 2 days

Overall Emotion last month? EXCITED and thrilled, so many friends had babies this month and it gets me SO very excited for my birth with Avalyn. I cannot wait to hold her and kiss her and nurse her.

Maternity clothes? Yes,  I can still fit into some pre-pregnancy jeans, but regular tank tops are gone

Sleep: Been pretty tired this month, but overall sleeping well

Best moment this month: My midwive appointment. I seriously love meeting with her. We go to her house, and G gets to play with dolls and toys and I get measured, she feels the babys positon, does weight, and BP. We chat about the homebirth, and concerns or fears I have. It is not rushed or pressured. She is calm and peaceful and calms any fears I have. She is good about helping me relax and not being so hard on myself with my diet. I just love my appointments and I loved being able to see a "doll" of a baby that is Avalyn's exact size and weight for her gestation. Awesome to get a real picture of what she looks like, and makes me excited for her to continue to grow and plump up :)

Weight Gain: +9lbs

Movement: Yes, she is an active little girl and when she is awake she loves to make sure I know she is in there :)

Food cravings: fruit....seriously, I eat more fruit than one could imagine 

Anything making you queasy or sick: chicken and eggs are getting better depending on how they are cooked.

Have you started to show yet: yes, I feel quite a bit bigger than last month.

Wedding rings on or off? still on

Looking forward to: hypnobabies class, attending weddings, working out

One thing I did well this month? I decided I really needed to get a handle on my diet. I cut gluten back out of my diet, and started my supplements back up for my GI. I feel SO much better. My protien intake has exceeded what I need daily, I took all my vitamins and supplements daily (about 30 pills!), I stretched every morning and every night,and ate awesome food and feel AMAZING!

One thing I can work on this month? Continue habits from last month (diet, vitamins, stretching) and ADD prenatal workout.

Bigger/Smaller than last pregnancy: about the same? maybe a bit smaller

Protein intake this month: AWESOME! Thank goodness. I track my foods each day with a great app called "Eating for Two" It is for the Brewer Pregnancy Diet and has helped me to stay on track with what food groups I need each day. Last weeks I got 100 grams of protien each day :D  (Pregnant women should have 80-100grams)

How does body & knee feel? SO.MUCH.BETTER! seriously, cutting out gluten/processed foods is a night and day thing for me, and eating better foods helps me feel SO much more confortable with a growing belly.

Book Currently reading: Rewatched The Business of Being Born movie (HIGHLY reccomended for everyone pregnant, soon to be pregnant, or just interested in birth!), seriously read about 100 birth stories during my slow days at work :)