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My sweetest Squishy,
Oh my goodness, you are growing so fast!  I can't believe you're 3 months old already.
You are such a sweet and easygoing baby. You pretty much just go with the flow of whatever is going on around you. You like to be where you can see and hear people, though.
You love to sit in your bouncy seat and make the lights and music go. You think it's hilarious when we change your clothes or your diaper. Getting dressed or undressed makes you smile like crazy.
You discovered your voice this month and love to talk and coo. You especially love it when we sing. You'll sing right along with me. You also discovered your hands this month. You spend hours on end playing with your fingers, sucking on your hands, and figuring out what they do.
You're not a fan of being strapped into the car seat, and if you're awake you tend to make a fuss about it. You also don't like to be left alone. You want to be around other people. I went back to work this week, so you've been going to the sitter and to Nanny's house. I don't worry about it, though, because I know you'll be a good boy no matter where you are.
You are a boy that likes to eat, and heaven help us if we're late on a feeding. You are growing so big so fast! I had to start putting you in size 6 month clothes.
You love your brother and like to smile at him and watch what he is doing around you. He's finally gotten used to having you around and doesn't beat up on you quite as much anymore.
We are so happy to have you as a part of your family and to watch you learn and grow everyday!
Love,
Mommy

Giving thanks, but not Thanksgiving

As this is the month of Thanksgiving, I've been pondering the giving of thanks (deep, right?). I'm terrible about sending thank you notes. I always have been, and I probably always will be. In fact, I think I've got some still laying around from when I got married 5 years ago.

Anyway, the point:
I've decided to blog a giant thank you note to everyone that has helped me out in the past little while. So, here goes.

Thank you for listening.
Thank you for being a friend.
Thank you for the meals.
Thank you for not judging me.
Thank you for making me smile.
Thank you for watching my boys so I could have some time away.
Thank you for the words of encouragement.
Thank you for crying with me.
Thank you for the hugs.
Thank you for the advice.
Thank you for the naps.
Thank you for smiling at me.
Thank you for telling me it'll get better.
Thank you for reminding me to enjoy today.
Thank you for your patience.
Thank you for enduring my never-ending stream of pictures and stories.
Thank you for letting me talk about nothing but my children.
Thank you for not staring when we're all collectively losing it in the grocery store.
Thank you for holding my hand on hard days.
Thank you for telling me how beautiful my kids are.
Thank you for telling me how beautiful I am.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you again. Words cannot express my gratitude at being blessed by the wonderful people in my life.

The one about hair

Buckle up, kids, there's gonna be a crapload of pictures in this post. So, I've had a few people asking lately about how long it took to grow my hair our, tips and tricks, and a line up of pics. First, we'll do pictures (ignore the growing pregnant belly, tracking my hair growth while documenting my belly seemed like the easiest way to remember to take a monthly picture), and then I'll do tips and tricks at the end. Ready, set, go!

October 2012, my last pixie cut

November 2012, 1 month in

January 2013, 3 months in

 February 2013, 4 months

 March 2013, 5 months

 April 2013, 6 months

 May 2013, 7 months (flat iron waves)

 June 2013, 8 months (Almost looks like I cut it this length on purpose)

 July 2013, 9 months (long enough to tuck)

August 2013, 10 months (Able to do my natural curls) 

 Still August 2013, I just had to show how miserable I looked being hugely pregnant at the end of The. Hottest. Summer. EVER.

 October 2013, A full year of growth

 November 2013, I actually took length off with my last cut. 

It's amazing what a difference a year can make! My hair isn't long, by any means, but it feels long to me. I can feel it brushing the back of my neck and it still takes me by surprise occasionally. 

Now, how did I do it?  Patience. Lots of it. Seriously, though, it was a combination of a couple of things. I have a fantastic stylist that held my hand through the whole process. She made me come in and get regular mullet trims, because for whatever reason the back grows about a gazillion times faster than the front. She worked with me to get me through the 4 months of awkwardness that happened in the middle there. 

Secondly, I only wash twice, maybe three times, a week. My hair is naturally very dry, so the extra oil from less frequent washings kept it nice and strong. If you feel like you're getting too oily, invest in some dry shampoo. Washing with shampoo every day is really pretty bad for your hair. It strips the natural oils and causes breakage. 

I also recommend deep conditioning. I just use plain old coconut oil and do it about twice a month. You just slather it all over your hair, throw on a shower cap, and let it soak in for 30 minutes or so. Then you carry on with washing and styling like normal. Speaking of styling, heat style as little as you can get away with. For me, this meant drying my hair straight twice a week. Once it's like that I can leave it for several days without having to do anything at all to it.

The last thing is nutrition. Make sure you're eating a balanced diet and taking in enough calories. I would also suggest taking a multivitamin, probably prenatal, and a biotin or hair/skin/nail supplement.

So, there you have it, my (totally not a professional) opinion on how to grow out a pixie cut. Seriously the best tool in your arsenal is going to be patience. 

My body IS a wonderland

Ok, all of my delightful readers. It's time to chat. But first, I want to show you a few things:

This is all what is considered "thinspiration." The "nothing tastes" quote is actually available embroidered on pillows, printed on t-shirts, and even as a HUGE vinyl decal to put on the front of your fridge.

I consider it a part of an even bigger, over all, problem. Something known as "body shaming."

"Body shaming is defined as inappropriate negative statements and attitudes toward another person's weight or size. It can also reach into the discrimination against individuals who may be overweight. In particular, there are negative attitudes in the media and elsewhere about celebrities who are "too fat" or who have not gotten rid of "baby weight" in an appropriate amount of time. A backlash against body shaming has resulted in the coining of the term itself and attempts to bring a more positive attitude toward diverse body sizes and styles." (From this site) 

Now let me show you one more thing:

Is it any wonder that we have unreal expectations of beauty? 

This morning I read a post from a female body builder. She mentioned that there are people who have attacked her for her shape, size, and choice to be a body builder. I looked through a few of her Facebook photos and for every positive comment there was a negative one to match. This woman was beautiful, and yet she was getting called ugly over and over again. 

Why? Why is our culture so obsessed with how we, and other people look?  Was this woman hurting anyone with the way she looks? 

We all do it, and I'm no exception. I'll look at people in the grocery store and think, "Really? That was her best choice for what to wear today? She does know that shirt is meant for someone half her size, right?" But it's wrong, and it's mean, and it doesn't help anyone.And yet, how can we expect to accept anyone else for the way they look when we can't even accept ourselves.

 I'm a big girl, anyone who looks at me can see that right away. I don't consider myself fat or ugly, but according to society's standards of acceptable beauty, I am both of those things. I fall into the obese range on the BMI scale (don't even get me started on that can of worms!). My nose is too long. I have carried and birthed two babies, both over 9 pounds, so I have some serious loose skin and stretch marks. I have enormous feet. My hips are wider than my ribcage. I most definitely don't have a thigh gap, visible hip bones, a flat stomach, or toned arms. And all of that is okay!  I have a beautiful spirit and the body that contains it reflects that. This body is mine. No, it isn't perfect, but it is beautiful.    

We are our own worst critics.

So, today, I am sending out a plea to women everywhere. Stop it!  Stop the shame, the hate, and the anger. Love your body, because it is yours!  Take care of it to be healthy, not because you are ashamed of how you look. Look another woman in the eyes and tell her how beautiful she is (and mean it!). And ladies, when someone tells you how beautiful you are, just say thank you. Don't brush off the compliment. Don't immediately put yourself down. Because, you want to know a secret? You are beautiful!  Tall, short, thin, fat, muscular, blonde, brunette, freckled, disproportionate, it doesn't matter. Join the "Love Your Body" revolution.