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Happy Mother’s Day

May 10, 2013 by We Are The Andrews Family

Before I became a Mom, I slept all night. The type of sleep I’d imagine bears experience while hibernating all winter long. I could place my head on a pillow and leave all my worries on the nightstand to (maybe) be dealt with the next day.

 

Before I became a Mom, I had an expendable income. I could spend it on whatever I wanted and didn’t need- shoes, Happy Hours, concerts and pedicures.

 

Before I became a Mom, I had weekends. The days you could sleep in, see movies, meet up with friend on a whim.

 

Now that I’m a Mom, I don’t sleep all night. I enjoy the kind of nights when my baby is restless and needs me.  We sometimes snuggle while having sleepovers on the floor in her room, her little body pressed up against mine- my face in her curls. It’s not the “dead to the world” kind of sleep, it’s the “envelope yourself in this moment” blissful sleep.

 

Now that I’m a Mom, most of our money goes to daycare. I don’t always get to buy a new wardrobe every season, but I get to go shopping with my girl and pick out clothes for her and hold them up and hear her say, “ooohhh priddy”.  It’s my favorite song.

 

Now that I’m a Mom, my weekends are days I get to be with my little family. Cherished time away from the grind to slow down and drink it in. I don’t sleep in because there’s fun to be had eating imaginary things my daughter hands to me or reading her favorite book for the 2,047th time.

 

Now that I’m a Mom I have a broken heart. The one I had was not big enough to hold the love I have for my child. It is raw with the realization that I’m forever exposed to the unknown and knowledge that I won’t always be able to protect her from the falls, the skinned knees, the sting of rejection and the bruises failure leaves behind. I won’t be able to shield her from the sorrows from loss and missed opportunities or the pain of her own broken heart if she becomes a mother someday.

 

Before I was a Mom I wondered about God- or whatever you conceive God to be.

Now that I’m a Mom, I’m sure of it, “…a gift so great is only one God could create.”

 

Thank you, Esther, for choosing me. I am proud to be your momma.

 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms.Image

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You Put What, Where?

March 21, 2013 by We Are The Andrews Family

I don’t get much free time to read magazines these days, but when I can go hide from Esther in my closet sneak away, I like to read Real Simple.  I love their New Uses for Old Things. Genius ideas! My post today is in that spirit.

If you been following AFH for awhile, you know that breastfeeding nursing/endless pumping didn’t work out for us. I gave a valiant effort, just never found our groove. For the month or so I gave it a shot, I was hooked up to my breast pump at least 8 times a day for 30-45 minutes each time. Go ahead, I’ll wait while you do that math. Needless to say my nipples (sorry, TMI?) oftentimes felt like they had been put through a meat grinder. To counteract that (and try to prevent it) I’d slather those puppies in nipple cream (still too much??). After giving up the fight, I was left with a practically new breast pump and tubes upon tubes of the good stuff a.k.a nipple cream. The breast pump I cleaned and packed away for baby number 2 and the nipple cream found its way to the back of my mystery storage drawer in the bathroom until this winter.

My lips have been so chapped this winter. They often times split and then feel like I’ve been kissing razor blades. I’ve tried every lip product under the sun. Then one night in desperation I tired my trusted nipple cream. I figured it if worked so well at protecting the girls (and it was safe to eat, since little babies eat it off of momma) then it would also be fine on my own lips. GOD SENT. Why didn’t I think of this sooner! My lips have never been softer. I want to kiss myself! I like to smack my lips together just so I can be reminded of how smooth and moisturized they are.

Try it guys! You won’t regret it. I’m gonna put some on Miss E too since her lips have been a little dry as well. Or, I can just continue to kiss her and some of mine will rub off on her. I mean, who wouldn’t want to kiss this face a kabajillion times a day, right??

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HE Said/She Said Product Review: Diaper Genie

January 25, 2013 by We Are The Andrews Family

HE SAID:
The Diaper Genie (81vxya3-BuL._AA1500_http://amzn.to/Tx2jux)

means well, it really does, but it’s more hassle than it’s worth. And when I say hassle, I mean a huge pain in the ass.

To use the Diaper Genie you need to put the dirty diaper into the opening, twist the bag dispenser and then the venus fly trap plastic mouth sort of eats the diaper. Then it pulls the diaper down in the holding tank of disgusting. Most of the time, I would put it in, do the twist and it would close. I’d then go to do it again and the old diaper would still be in there. I’d check to see if it was full and it wouldn’t be. This would lead to headaches and frustration.

 

 

 

SHE SAID:

I really wanted to like it, I really did. I previously noticed it on everyone else’s baby registry so I thought we HAD to have it too. All the cool kids had one, right!??? Wrong. This was a big, huge waste of money and it sucked all around. I didn’t realize that you had to buy refills (http://amzn.to/WzOsQP 51o0RKx7CVL._SX450_AA450_PIbundle-3,TopRight,0,0_AA450_SH20_) and that each insert was majorly expensive. In addition, I didn’t realize we’d have to pretty much insert a new insert/refill after every load. Meaning we were burning through refills (and money) every other day.

Bottom line: Don’t waste your money on this! Just buy a regular ole “normal” garbage can (like we ended up doing) and call it a day. http://amzn.to/WzRunX

 

regular old can

Posted in family, product review | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

A Letter to Our Daughter: Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes

January 24, 2013 by We Are The Andrews Family

Dear Esther,

It has been an amazing year. I cannot adequately describe to you how honored I feel to be your momma. You bring joy to my soul every day.  It’s a treat to see your smiling face in the morning and it feels like a stolen moment when rocking you to sleep at night. Each time I do I try to savor every minute as I know one day you’ll be too busy, or squirmy to let me even attempt to.

This past year has not always been  rainbows and sunshine. There were the days when you were crabby, or I was tired. There have been days where we both struggled through teething episodes and moments of frustration(s). There have been times when I longed for my single life. A time when I could take random naps and 2 hour baths while reading my favorite magazines. There were moments when I considered trading in my left pinky to just be able to use the bathroom without your little hands banging on the door or hearing your little knees hit the hardwood floors racing me to our bedroom as I attempted to sneak away for just a few minutes alone. I have had a rough time figuring out how to balance being your momma and carving out time for me; the part of me that is just me.  Then, the other night I was looking at one of the many (ok, let’s be honest, probably thousands of) photos of you I keep on my phone and I had what auntie Oprah refers to as an “ahh haa” moment.  I am no longer just me. I am forever linked to you. I am defined by being your mother and wife to your father. We are a family. Our fates are sealed. And you know what; I wouldn’t wish to have it any other way. You and your dad have added color to my life. You give my life a purpose and a meaning. You found me when I was broken and needed a reason to jump into life full force.

I hope that you always will know how much we love you, adore you, and cherish you. You are our Zen, our happy place. I’m so grateful you chose us and I hope we won’t ever let you down (I’m positive there will be time when we will). I’m sure we’ll make tons of mistakes along the way- just forgive us ok? We really will always have your best interest at heart. Also, when mommy and daddy embarrass you for X reason just know that it’s payback for the time you pooped on mommy, or the time when you coughed directly into daddy’s mouth and he got sick for 3 days. Tit for tat. This is how families work. But know no matter what, we ALWAYS have your back.

Esther Irene this year has been magical. I hope that the many years to come will continue to bless us and teach us new lessons. You have taken us to school my girl! On the day you were born, we- a mommy and a daddy- were also born. We have enjoyed getting to know those 3 people this year.

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Esther day 1, mins old.

Happy first birthday bear cub! Here’s to a millionbajillion more together.

Posted in family | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

“Can you make coffee?”

January 22, 2013 by We Are The Andrews Family

This is something Tanisha would ask me every morning when she was home on maternity leave with the Wee Baby Esther. We both love coffee and after a restless night, it’s usually just what you need to get the day started or maintain sanity. That and a giant plate of bacon.

A few years back, I opted for a french press. I like it because it’s simple to use and you can make killer coffee, figuratively. It’s as good as coffee shop but without the smug barista. Also, I recommend grinding your own coffee. It’s an extra step but definitely worth it. Below, you will find links for both a french press and grinder. I’ve also included the step by step instructions for brewing coffee.

1. Boil water.

2. Grind coffee. Medium coarse is recommended.

3. Add 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 6 ounces of water.

4. Remove boiling water from heat. Let cool 10-15 seconds. Steadily pour water into pot to your desired level.

5. Stir the coffee grounds and water.

6. Add lid and let steep for 4-5 minutes. SET A TIMER! (sorry to yell, but it’s important)

7. Push down plunger with steady pressure.

8. Enjoy your coffee.

http://amzn.to/143knNS

Imagehttp://amzn.to/VXWqFS

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UPDATE: And for anyone that wants to discard this advice. Here is a link to a reusable K-Cup filter. This way you can still grind your own beans and it’s less expensive than buying the pre-packaged K-Cups.

http://amzn.to/V7sNhp

Reusable K-cup

Posted in family, Kitchen | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments »

The Kitchen Workhorse

January 16, 2013 by We Are The Andrews Family

This is something that Tanisha brought in the marriage and I’m so happy that she did. This guy works harder than anyone in our house. Seriously. He’s the best.

It’s the 12-inch cast iron skillet from Lodge Logic. I make 90% of our meals with this skillet. You can use for anything and everything, from making french toast (more like freedom toast) to roasting a whole chicken in the oven. It’s heavy and distributes heat evenly, so you won’t have any hot spots or uneven browning. They do have larger and smaller sizes, but I find that most recipes call for a 12-inch skillet and really, if you get something bigger you’ll have to set up some kind of pulley system to get it off the stove.

Honestly, it’s the best tool I have in the kitchen and it won’t set you back that much.

Click the link below to get yours NOW (sorry to yell, I’m just excited).

http://amzn.to/V5mJYf

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Happy 2nd Anniversary!

October 15, 2012 by We Are The Andrews Family

You Are My Home.

Posted in family | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

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