"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for others, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Posts filed under Happy Mama
Why Organic Cotton Matters for Girls!
I'm a big proponent of organic food. I've been to a couple marches and rallies and I believe food should be our primary concern when it comes to our health.
Cotton I've not been so concerned with until recently. In the past I have thought to myself "why does organic cotton matter?" We just wear it. Truth is, we wear in in more ways than just clothes and for women and girls we need to be aware of the products we put into our bodies too!
Cotton is one of the largest genetically modified crops. Cotton is also in our tampons and feminine pads. We much have forgotten that. Do we want those pesticides and chemicals to be absorbed into our bodies, specifically in the lady areas?
NO, absolutely not! This isn't just a woman's issue. It's also for our girls.
Is it just me or does if feel like girls are getting their periods earlier and earlier? I mean 8 years old? So yeah, this is a girls problem too.
Toxic Shock Syndrome
Cervical and ovarian cancer
Fertility problems
birth defects...
Need I go on?
So make a conscience decision next time you purchase feminine products and go organic cotton! We don't want those nasty chemicals down there so lets be more picky about what we put into our bodies. After all, isn't that what we should be preaching? Do ya get me?
*This post contains an affiliate link which helps support this website
What Sensory Processing Looks Like in Our Home
It's not something that I've mentioned before. I cautiously examine the details I share online about my kids, mostly to protect their privacy. Certain stories are fun to share and the regular mommy bloopers are fine but something as personal as this I have been hesitant with.
One of the reasons I did decide to share is because Sensory Processing Disorder is often missed or mistaken for "just being a kid". This too is what I tried to tell myself at her 2 year developmental screening. It was recommended that we seek further evaluation and I laughed and thought how crazy with just a 10 question survey.
Sensory struggles don't just occur with over-stimulation. In many of our instances it occurs with under-stimulation (Hypo-sensitivity). This means that the child is craving more input than what would normally be needed.
It can come in the form of putting everything in her mouth. This comes with licking cars, doorknobs, feet, and more.
It's in the way that she talks and gets frustrated because we still have a hard time making out her words with her language delay.
It's having to break down simple steps each and every time, such as putting on her shoes, because of poor motor planning.
It's the rough house playing and jumping on a trampoline all day to get her energy out in time for bed.
It's doing things impulsively that shows her lack of safety.
It's the screaming in the middle of the night from night terrors even though she is not awake.
It's the fear that she will one day walk out the front door and get lost.
Sound Familiar? This is just the tip of the iceberg.
As I sit here now, after our 4th meltdown of the day (just before bed is a common meltdown) I can hear her start the nightly unwinding. I can hear the grunting and deep breaths as she slowly wears herself out with her repetitious movement. I hear the little pounding of her feet as she jumps up and down in place with a dead stare up to the ceiling. Then she drops it down for her hand gestures on the ground like she is scratching, which is then brought up to her face. She likes to start a gallop next. Back and forth twice and she starts the routine all over again.
Normally you wouldn't think much of a child hopping up and down or galloping back and forth. It's the hand gestures that people notice. It's the intense look she gives them as she puts all of her energy into that movement. That's what draws their stare. She will do this routine for as long as she needs. Sometimes it's just for a couple seconds other times it will last an hour. There is no stopping this behavior. This is called stereotypical behavior and it doesn't just happen before bed. It happens all day long. It's noticeable worse when we're off schedule.
Schedule is extremely important.
If I had known better, she would have gotten the help she needed. We would have been more educated on how we could help her. We could have changed the way we disciplined her realizing that by not understanding we were only causing more anxiety and self esteem issues in our little girl.
It's a journey and very much a learning experience. I call her my little sensory puzzle as we discover new things about her everyday. It's helpful to understand your child better and realize they are not intentionally careless but their body can't help but be floppy and uncoordinated.
Their actions are not purposefully disobedient.
I no longer repeatedly holler at my daughter to sit up right in the middle of her chair because I can understand that she constantly needs one foot touching the ground to feel secure and sometimes her short little legs can't do that the way I want her to sit. Each night when I check on her before I would turn down, I would always have to pick her up off the floor as her legs would hang over the bed. Now we have a fun tent in the corner of her room as we learned she is more comfortable sleeping on the floor. Hard surfaces help her sleep better through the night.
It's the little things that you don't even think are things until you realize how they can emotionally impact your child's development.
This is why I am sharing with you today because this is often misunderstood and goes undiagnosed. Kids are often thought of as problem children and they don't get the help they deserve. It's even harder when they are school aged. As a parent you know your child the best and if you feel in your gut that something is off don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
I've heard things like...
"just being a kid?"
"In my day we did exactly that"
"She just has a lot of energy"
"All kids are clumsy"
"She doesn't understand boundaries"
"You are not disciplining her enough"
Imagine if you were a kid who did things that no one understood but you couldn't help yourself. Then imagine getting yelled at day in and day out and feeling so alone. Yeah, my mommy guilt set in! When were finally realized I felt so awful for how we were so blind to her needs.
Don't get me wrong, my child is still a bad a$$ tough girl and she is super smart, but she also needs a little help too.
Recommended reading*...
*affiliate links are included in this post that help support the website.
My Natural and Easy Method to Refresh Your Carpets (Household Elf)
Carpet powder is something that I used a long time ago before I had kids and considerate of the chemicals I brought into the house. Most store bought powders have been really irritating to our dogs skin and I would assume the same for kids. Since we have a baby that has recently started to crawl I need to be extra careful about what we use.
Just get started!
Girlfriends!
Who is battling weight or health issues?
All you have to do is take that first step. The hardest thing about working out is putting on those shoes and making the decision to do it.
It's a Name Changer!
I'm really excited for the direction of Mighty Girls Rocks and the shift in the focus. I'm looking forward to ramping up the content and bringing you more of Girl Scout planning and empower #raisinggirl posts! ...
The Unlikely List of Mommy/Daughter Dates
Well... Let's just get right to it!
Rock climbing
Classic Cars or Hot Rod night or construct one yourself!
Water sports- if the weather is right, get out on the water! Rent some jet skis and have a go at it!
Auto maintenance: Learn how to change the oil on your car together or teach her if you already know
Self defense class
Shooting range or Archery lesson
Hiking or cave exploring... okay maybe you have heard this one a million times but I LOVE IT. It's probably the best idea out there because it's cheap, it's not structured and you get the opportunity to discover new things all while in the great outdoors. Kids really do love and enjoy being outside and letting loose.
Mommy Daughter Camping. Check out your local Girl Scouts council if you are not a Girl Scout already. You still can camp there and in my opinion it's generally safer.
Geocaching
Take her to a game: baseball game, basketball game, hockey game....
Build something! Pinterest has an endless supply of DIY ideas. I especially love the plumbing pipe diy
Volunteer because making the world a better place is something we should all strive to do but most importantly a lesson to teach our daughters.
We've had some major changes around here.
Hello everyone! Happy Monday!
Notice anything new on the website?!
We've had a face lift!
I've been debating for some time now as to whether I should switch my hosting sight from blogger. Well, I made the leap and I couldn't be happier! I love this new look and it's been a long process and many late nights but I'm proud to say it's a project I completed all by myself. Feeling proud with my coding skills right now.... Just sayin.
With the addition of our newest baby 8 weeks ago and me returning to my full time job today, I've done a lot of thinking and self-evaluating. I've been with this blog for 5 years now and I wasn't sure if I should continue with all the other obligations I have and if so, which direction I wanted to take it. I prayed and prayed some more. My heart told me not to give it up but I really needed to think what exactly I wanted to express in this little space of mine.
I did want to say thank you and HELLO to all of my recent subscribers!! I'm so excited and over joyed to see the crazy amount of notifications I've received lately with all of you signing up! YOU ROCK! It's clear that this new direction is where I'm suppose to be headed with all the increase in recent support. I hope to bring you more of the girl scout planning ideas. It's seems to be the hot topic here! I'Along with that and I think to compliment GS I really want to dive into the world of raising up girls, perhaps that is why God has blessed me with three of them! Of course, I can't part ways with my party planning and crafty projects so there will be a lot of that too.
Have you been interested in healthy living and changing bad habits lately? Me too, which is why you may occasionally see some healthy recipes and other things along those lines on here too. I hope you don't mind if I share that journey with you. I find that if I am making some major lifestyle changes I really need to jump with both feet in, which is generally reflected in all that I do, including blogging.
Here is a fun picture of what I managed to get accomplished this weekend! The first time in a year since I dyed my hair. Boy, was it needed!
So stay tuned!
XOXO, Katie
6 Week Post-Op and Postpartum Depression
This past week I had my 6 week post-op doctor's appointment to give me the A-Okay to return to work and other things (*wink). I still have two weeks before I have to return to work but it seemed like just yesterday I was being discharged from the hospital. This precious little time always seems to fly.
I'm so blessed that I work for an amazing company that lets me work from home and is so flexible with my schedule. I don't think I could be in such good spirits about returning to work without these two things! I did want to open up to you mamas about my past experiences with postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression can make a Mama feel awful. It can make us feel incompetent and downright crazy. It can make us think and feel things we wouldn't feel in our right minds and it's not your fault. It happens and the best thing you can do for yourself is just admit that you are struggling with it and talk about it. Why does it feel that this is something so taboo to talk about still? It's heavily screened for at the doctor's office and the nurses aren't afraid to ask but why is it so hard to talk about with friends and family? Is it TMI? It's got a stigma behind it and it's not fair. It's not fair to a mother who is already going through so much to make them feel ashamed about it.
I was so sure this time around I was going to have it. Why wouldn't I? After all, I had it with my first two pregnancies. Well, it's still a little early to rule it out and things might change when I do return to work but for the most part I'm feeling really high in spirits, which is much better off than the previous experiences. I will still be on the lookout for it because that nasty old PPD can pop its devilish head out even after a year of giving birth. My second child it did take a couple months and even then I was in denial until about the 6th month mark.
I remember battling it with my first. I isolated myself and was anxious to even pick up the phone to shot the shit with a girlfriend. My daughter had just had heart surgery and I remember the guilt and blame I placed on myself. I didn't admit it back then that I needed help and I kept PPD a secret.
With my second, I was more open and willing to address the situation perhaps because I was downright miserable and decided I no longer wanted to live my life feeling this way. I couldn't be the mama and wife I wanted to be feeling this way. It also helped that I have a very honest and supportive relationship with my husband. He was actually the one who finally pushed me to call my doctor.
It took 6 months to fake a reason to see the doctor. I remember the nurse asking me over the phone what was the nature of the visit.... uhhhhh pelvic pain? When I finally did speak up in the exam room I felt like the weight was lifted off of my shoulders. The doctor was wonderful and made me feel like I wasn't the only one in the world feeling this way. I did get a prescription and was referred to a clinical counselor to hash out my feelings. The doctor called the medicine "a little something to help put my hormones back in balance". It wasn't meant to be permanent.
I filled the prescription and made my appointment and was on track with feeling better.... Yet, there were people in my life, close people, who were judgmental of the fact that I was seeking help for my mental health issues.
Mental health is so important for us Mamas!
This time around there have been somethings that I have tried to do differently to possible ward off the nasty PPD. Do I think these things prevented it? I can't say, sometimes these things just happen but we can only try to take care of ourselves more to feel better. We can't ignore when we are not feeling right and anyone who thinks they are struggling with PPD needs to discuss it with their doctor. Like seriously... make the phone call and get an appointment!
What has helped me fight off postpartum depression
Essential Oils
I can tell you that there was a couple of mornings that I didn't want to get out of bed. I had about 10 things to do before I could even think about doing anything for myself.... change the baby's diaper, feed the baby a bottle, pump breast milk, get the kids some breakfast..... It was a real struggle to get myself up those mornings and I felt pulled in a million directions. With the help of diffused lemon oil, I started at the list of things to do and I felt better. I was happily awakened and feeling energized and motivated. As I sat there feeding the baby while the other two kids ate their breakfast, I thought to myself "I might just clean the whole house today!"
....Did I clean the house that day?.....
....Heck no! This Mama had way more things to accomplish in that day but the point was I was motivated!
Letting go of things
I used to take on everything. I used to believe that if I stayed busy I could make time for it all. I had a lot of plans for this upcoming year and a lot of things I put on my plate. I've had to let go of some of those things and take a second to stop and smell the roses. This will probably be my last baby and I wanted to take some time and enjoy it. I honestly don't remember my other two when they were infants. It's hard to imagine those times and I feel it's because I didn't take the time to take it all in. We miss out when we are too busy and we don't get to enjoy our children.
I've also let go of the idea of a perfect home. It will probably never happen even after the kiddies have fled the nest. Sticky floors and toys everywhere is just my life these days. I can try and keep the house perfect but that will just stress me out some more. So like Elsa says... "let it go!"
Prayer
Although I'm not a regular in the Sunday pews, I have found prayer to be so helpful and encouraging. It's amazing what we can put on Him and what He gives in return. I've spent many mornings praying before I even opened my eyes. Praying for God to give me the patience and love to make it through the day. Being a mama to three young children is very demanding and at the end of the day I want to feel that I loved my kids enough, It's amazing what we can do in prayer.
Yoga
I'm really looking forward to carving out some time for this now that I've got the clearance from the doctor. Yoga is something that I've have really grown to love. It empowers a mama to feel stronger and it's great for keeping a balanced mind.
What are some helpful ideas you can give me to stay healthy and happy? Please leave your suggestions in the comments!!
Baby Introduction and Changes!
This is a little delayed but it's been a crazy month!!
Holy cow, she is already a month!! Who ever said that having a third child is no harder than your second was down right lying.... Sadley, several people were trying to convince me of this. Maybe they were just trying to be nice? It's way harder than I ever imagined.
Here she is folks....
Penelope aka Penny
She is just as precious as she looks! Such a sweet little baby and a great sleeper! She is actually quite the miracle baby! We were preparing and expecting for our little one to need heart surgery in her early days. It turns out she is completely fine! I can't even begin to describe the out pour of emotions I felt when the doctor told us the good news. I had been holding in months of emotions that were all let out in a matter of minutes. Let's just say... I was a mess.
A good mess.
I will say that this being my third c-section, it was actually the one I recovered from the best. I have felt stronger and the pain was much more manageable this time around. There was still the expected freak out on the operating table that I fully anticipated. There is something about surgery while completely conscious that just doesn't seem okay to me. Thankfully my amazing husband came into the room and jumped right into a conversation about our landscaping issues. HAHA! It's exactly what I needed to take my racing mind off of the current situation. By the way, we need severe landscaping help that, with the arrival of our LO, will not get done anytime this year. So if you are looking for gardening updates... that's not going to happen:)
So things are definitely crazy around the Dela household these days. Getting myself and the girls ready seems nearly impossible but I am managing. At the chance of avoiding any post-partum depression, which I have battled with my past two, I have really taken the time to put things into perspective and take a hard look at where I see myself and my family in the next year.
After praying long and hard and reading a wonderful post I stumbled upon at the perfect moment, I've had to let go of some expectations and commitments. If you are a new mama or have recently had another child I strongly recommend reading this post by
titled
"What God Really Wants for Moms with Young Children"
. It was a message from God that hit me right in the heart as I was going back in forth in my mind about things, things I felt so passionately about and I knew I had to give up at this stage of my life. As soon as I accepted that I was okay with these decisions the pressure lifted off of me and I began to feel happy and stress less.
Gentleness
is what we need and I plan on giving my little babies a lot more of that!
With all the shifting of things, I have not given up on my blogging. Despite the fact that I haven't done much of that in the past 6 months, I will be stepping things up! I feel a new direction coming upon this area of my life and I am excited to share and see where it takes me. So thank you for reading along even in this drought and I appreciate you for sticking with me!
You have truly amazed me and I'm excited to meet all of the newest readers that have recently subscribed!