Citrus Lane Box for September!

I'm back! And with my first Citrus Lane box opening! I was (impatiently) waiting for this box to arrive, as it was my first, and I was SO excited when it finally got here. 

I had done a lot of research before signing up to receive this box, so I was pretty sure I wouldn't be disappointed...and I was right. 

Let me tell you, Citrus Lane is a wonderful company! They only include the best products in their boxes and they truly care about making baby and mommy happy.

I registered Ava for Citrus Lane and entered her birthday and they sent her a box for her age for this month (four months). She received items that she can actually use, which is really awesome! I'm really looking forward to her next boxes to see what awesome products she gets! 

So, I won't make you wait any longer...here are the pictures!

Yay! I knew I was going to love this company right away because the box was so cute! 

We opened the box to find it neatly packaged and something fuzzy peeking out...and a note!

This note contains a list and description of each item included in the box.

Here's what we got!

The first item I noticed was this super cute Skip Hop Hug & Hide Lamb Chime Ball. Ava LOVES this toy! It is so soft, the perfect size for her, and makes a chime every time she hugs it. She smiles at it each time she sees it. This product retails for about $19.

The next item I pulled out of the box was "123s" by Charley Harper. This book is very different from other children's books I've seen, because the artwork is modern and the animals included are not the typical dog, cat, alligator. Ava also really enjoys this product and it retails for about $8.

The next item I saw was Babytime! Playful Wash which is a shampoo and body cleanser with calendula and tangerine oil. This is safe for babies to use and doesn't sting if it gets in the eyes. This wash smells SO GOOD! I've been tempted to use it on myself! I believe this is a sample size of the product because I couldn't find the price.  

The next things I saw were these trial size tubes of Dr. Smith's Zinc Oxide Diaper Rash Ointment. These are great to put in the diaper bag! 

The last item in the box was a gift for me! It's a Julep nail color. Julep seems like a great company, just like Citrus Lane, because they strive to create awesome shades of polish that do not contain harmful chemicals. The polish I received is full size and is in the color "Coco," which is a deep reddish brown. This product retails for $14.

So, in all, my box's value was $41! I paid around $13 for my first month of Citrus Lane since I used the code TAKEHALF when I checked out, so I would say that's a steal! Boxes are normally $25 per month. 

I really enjoyed this box and cannot wait for next months box to get here!

Ava's First Three Months

Every month, I will be posting an update on Ava that will include some milestones she has reached, as well as our favorite things she uses each month!

This post will include her first three months! I cannot believe three months have passed, and a lot has happened within those months. She has grown like crazy and has started getting her own personality.

When Ava was born:
On May 31st, 2013
She weighed...9 lbs 12 oz
She measured...21 in long

Weight: about 12 lbs
Height: about 22 in
Milestones reached: Can hold up her head for long periods of time
Favorite Products: Ella Bella Elephant Wubbanub, aden + anais Swaddle Wraps from Target , Graco 2-in-1 Glider 

Weight: about 14 lbs
Height: about 25 in
Milestones reached: Smiles, plays, follows with eyes, eats every 2-3 hours, swats at toys
Favorite Products: Ella Bella Elephant Wubbanub, aden + anais Swaddle Wraps from Target , Graco 2-in-1 Glider , Fisher Price Discover 'N Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym

Weight: about 15 lbs
Height: about 26 in
Milestones reached: Laughs, can almost hold her bottle, almost sleeping through the night (yesssss!!!), loves to play with toys, babbles all the time, squeals and squeaks
Favorite Products: Ella Bella Elephant Wubbanub, aden + anais Swaddle Wraps from Target , Graco 2-in-1 Glider , Fisher Price Discover 'N Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym

At three months, Ava is starting to get a little attitude! If I don't make her a bottle fast enough (which is right when she first makes her first peep) then she gets MAD! Then, once I put the bottle in her mouth, she makes the funniest noise like she was starving to death. It's pretty cute. She LOVES to be talked to and will smile the whole time. Usually, she will try to talk back. Now, I can pretty much tell what her cries mean. They all sound a little different. Her hungry cry has pauses in between each cry and her tired cry is long and is followed by a super sad face. Also, she kicks all. the. time. Seriously, if she isn't sleeping, she is kicking. And being kicked in the ribs by tiny feet is not fun, let me tell you.

Check back next month for her Four Month update! Thanks for reading!

Five on Friday!

Yeah! Today is Friday! You know what that means...

1. I'm going to be creating a post, sometime soon, for Ava about her milestones for the first three months she's been alive! I will continue to make these posts every month so I can keep track of all the awesome things she does as she grows. She just keeps growing like crazy and it's hard to keep track, so these posts will help!

latishalyn.com

She was just so small, in this picture, and now she's already three months old and smiling and laughing...what!?

2. Darci from The Good Life recently posted about all these cute Halloween pajamas for kids and I HAD to get Ava a pair of these pink skeleton PJs from Old Navy....so. cute. I LOVE pajamas, as it is, and I cannot pass up cute holiday pajamas...especially if they are for tiny humans. Also, they glow in the dark!

3. My parents are coming into town today for the weekend to celebrate my birthday! My actual birthday isn't until the 20th, but this is the only weekend they can visit. I'm so excited because we always have a lot of fun! We will probably go shopping, go to Sam's Club because they are obsessed and don't have one where they live, and go out to eat. I wish they lived closer, though. Three hours away isn't very far, but it would be nice to have them near by so we could see them more often. Here's the first picture of my mom with Ava...

4. It is so crazy that it is already September! It means Fall is coming, my birthday is soon, pumpkin spice EVERYTHING, and the State Fair! In New Mexico, we always have the State Fair during the month of September, and it's been our tradition for a while now to go to the fair for my birthday. It's usually pretty hot but a lot of fun! I've never been to the fair with a baby though...not sure how that will go. 

5. I made this R for a friend to give to her for her bridal shower, and I think it turned out really cute! I used gray yarn to wrap around a cardboard R I got from Hobby Lobby and then I made the flower out of lace. It was pretty easy to make and it was free! I already had all the materials laying around. If anyone is interested in a tutorial, let me know! I would be happy to make one!

Have a great Friday, everyone!

Liebster Award!

Thank you so much, Rychelly from Foltz Family Life, for nominating me for the Liebster Award! It is an award given by peers to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The Liebster Award is a great way for bloggers to become more active in the blogging world and to meet more people! This all sounds awesome to me and I am so touched that Rychelly nominated me.

The Rules:

1. Link back to the person that nominated you.

2. Answer the 11 questions asked by the nominator.

3. Choose 11 bloggers, each under 200 followers an nominate them for the award.

4. Come up with 11 questions for your nominees to answer.

5. Contact your nominees and notify them of your nomination.

Rychelly asked...

1. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

If I could travel anywhere, I would want to travel to Germany. I was born in Germany, because my dad was in the Air Force, and we left when I was still a baby so I don't remember any of it! Fortunately, Travis is planning on going into the Air Force, so we may have a chance to move overseas at some point!

2. What is your greatest accomplishment thus far?

My greatest accomplishment is graduating from college this past May. I had been in school since I was four and I was SO burnt out! But, I trucked on, and now I have a Bachelors in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Language Arts. I had Ava two-ish weeks after I graduated, so I didn't apply for any jobs. I plan on applying for jobs next year. 

3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I hope to be teaching, having another baby/trying for another baby, living in a house and not another apartment, and hopefully living in Europe (where living in an apartment would be ok)!

4. Who has been the greatest role model in your life?

My greatest role model is my mommy! She is a super strong woman who can do anything she puts her mind to do. She can weld, do carpentry, sew, cook, garden, etc. She is a pretty awesome mom and an even more awesome grandma!

5. If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?

If I could meet anyone, I would want to meet my great grandma. She died, before my mom was born, from breast cancer. My grandma always talks about her and tells me how wonderful and loving she was and how she would have loved to meet my mom, me, and Ava. I would love to talk to her about our family history!

6. If you were stranded on a deserted island, what is the one thing you must have?

Oh man, this question is always really hard for me to answer because it is nearly impossible to think of one thing that would be the most useful on a deserted island. Can I say my family? I really don't like being alone and I think having my family there would help keep me at least a little sane. 

7. What is your favorite book?

My favorite book(s), at the moment are the Divergent books by Veronica Roth. I LOVE Dystopian Literature and the Divergent series is FANTASTIC! If you haven't read them, check them out! The female protagonist is awesome!

8. What is your favorite blog post? Link to it so we can all read!

My favorite blog post is Ava's birth story!

9. What has been the greatest moment in your life?

The greatest moment in my life, hands down, was giving birth to Ava. It is still surreal to think that she was actually inside of me and came out of me. So. Weird. Seriously, I still can't believe it. Ha! It's a pretty crazy story, so check it out at the link above!

10. What is your favorite hobby?

My favorite hobby is photography. I know, I know...everyone and their grandma do photography, but I've always been into photography. Ever since I can remember, my dad has done photography. So, naturally, I started wanting to get in on it too! It's really fun and is my creative outlet. 

11. Who is your favorite blogger?

Well, Rychelly, of course! Seriously though, she is pretty awesome and I really love reading her posts and looking at pictures of her sweet baby girl!

I nominate...

Glori at Glori Online

Sylvie at The Chronicles of Motherhood

Lindsay at Life With the Rashid's

Cortney at Our Fishy Family

Carrie at Huggies and Heels

Seanna at This Happy Home

Megan at Heartbeats and Little Feet

Ashleigh at Life With the O's

Christi at The Chapters of Our Lives

Kathryn at The Burton Family

Jen at Down With The Dearmore's

Questions for my nominees...

1. If you could be a Disney princess, which one would you be and why?

2. What/who are you most thankful for, today?

3. What is something that is on your bucket list?

4. What is something that happened to you, in the past, that still makes you laugh when thinking about it?

5. What is your greatest accomplishment thus far?

6. What is your greatest moment in your life?

7. What is your favorite blog post? Link to it so we can all read!

8. Who is your favorite blogger?

9. What does a perfect day look like, to you?

10. Besides blogging, what is your favorite pastime?

11. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Nominees:

Sorry if you have already been nominated! I would love for you to leave a comment here, when you are done answering these questions, so I can read them! Or course, you are not obligated to do any of this, but it would be awesome if you have the time!

Five on Friday!

Hello again! It's Friday! Woo woo!

1. Baby girl is 3 months today! I cannot believe it! She has been growing up so fast and it's pretty bittersweet. She laughed for the first time the other day and it was AMAZING! So cute. Happy 3 month birthday Ava Kae!

2. I finally got a chance to go to Sephora and pick out a new foundation! When I got there, an employee matched my skin using their new Color IQ system, which was pretty cool! It only took a few minutes and I was given my skin number. I decided to try the TARTE Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation in Ivory. I like it ok, so far. It's a little drying after wearing it all day, but it does have good coverage and it's buildable, which I like. 

3. Halloween is just around the corner and I am so excited to make/buy Ava her first costume!! I'm thinking I will dress her as Little Red Riding-hood, I will dress as the grandma, and Travis will dress as the Big Bad Wolf! It's going to be AWESOME! 

newangusstudioblog.com

4. We just ordered our first month of Citrus Lane, which is a fun monthly box filled with goodies for your child, ages 0-3 yrs. I'm pretty excited to receive our first box in September! Citrus Lane boxes are $25 per month and are a different theme each month. For instance, the theme in August was "Back to School". When you sign up, you put your child's birthdate and gender and they start sending boxes that are geared towards your child's age. Ava will be getting a box for four month olds. I also used a coupon code to get my first month half off: TAKEHALF

5. My husband and I are going to attempt to start the Insanity workout tomorrow. I've tried it before, so I know how intense it is. Lately, I have wanted to try to get into shape but have had NO motivation, whatsoever. I'm just tired of feeling like I look horrible and I want to do something about it. We already own the program, so why not use it!? Hopefully I keep up with it.

Have a great Friday!!

Five on Friday!

This is my first Five on Friday post! I'm excited to link up with this project every Friday and talk about five things that I've been thinking about, talking about, loving, etc.! so, here it goes!

1. I am in the market for new foundation! I REALLY want to go to Sephora soon to check out some new makeup because my acne has returned since being pregnant. It's super weird that it went away while I was pregnant but came back with a vengeance after I had Ava. Makes me a little sad. But I'm interested in a few different types of foundation, such as Clinique Even Better Makeup SPF 15, TARTE Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation SPF 15, and BENEFIT COSMETICS 'Hello Flawless!' Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation.

2. I've been working on new headbands for my Etsy shop, Little Voice Designs! They are really cute and really affordable! I am just starting this shop so there are only a few things listed, but soon there will be more!

3. Ava Kae has been smiling up a storm and I am loving it! She is so happy all the time and I just know she is very close to laughing. She does this funny cough noise when she wants attention and it is the cutest thing ever! 

4. I know I'm not the only one who is ridiculously excited for this one. I am OBSESSED with pumpkin flavored everything! Pumpkin Spice Chai, pumpkin pie, pumpkin flavored coffee...YUM! I'm so happy Fall is almost here. I can feel it in the air sometimes! 

5. Speaking of Fall...my birthday is in September and my parents recently asked me what I wanted for my gift. I have NO IDEA. Maybe money for a date night with Travis? Or a chance to get away for a weekend? Or a gift card? I don't know why it is so hard to think of something when someone asks you what you want but it is very easy to think of things you want when it's not your birthday or a gift-giving holiday. After having Ava, I almost feel guilty getting anything. Anyone else feel this way, too?

image found at babsdraws.deviantart.com

Have a great Friday!

Ava's Birth Story Part Two

Continued from Ava's Birth Story Part One

Travis finally showed up (my Aunt got a hold of him while I was being checked) and I was wheeled into a delivery room where they hooked me up to some more monitors. One nurse tried to put my IV in, but I was writhing in pain so much that she blew my vein. I was finally allowed to push and I pushed with all my might! What felt like an hour of pushing was actually three hours, which I later found out when talking to Travis about what he witnessed. (The entire thing, from the first contraction to Ava being born, was around 4 hours. I've heard this is rare since she is my first!)

Then, with one final push, out she came at 9:06 pm weighing 9 lbs 12.3 oz and measuring at 21 inches long! No, that's not a typo, she really was almost 10 lbs. She squeezed right on out of my body and into the doctors arms. She cried as soon as she came out, which was wonderfully loud! Ava was plopped onto my chest and Travis cut the cord after we waited for it to stop pulsing. Everything was so surreal and it all felt like I was watching someone else go through it.

She was perfectly healthy and beautiful. I was neither of those. I was pushing so hard that my eyes became swollen and bloodshot from burst blood vessels. I couldn't see straight for at least two hours after the birth because I was squeezing my eyes shut so tightly with every push. Ava came out of me so suddenly, that she gave me a 4th degree tear, which is about as fun as it sounds. I won't go into detail about what exactly tore, but let's just say that it is the worst tear you can get. My doctor even told me that I had the definition of a 4th degree tear. Fabulous. Anyways, she stitched me right up and we went to our room to recover. We stayed there for two nights and it was amazing. The nurses and staff were so helpful!

It was an amazing experience and a little traumatic for me. Many things did not go as I "planned" but I wouldn't change any of it! Truthfully, I am planning on waiting at least three years before I get pregnant again. Ava is now almost three months old and is wonderful!

Daddy holding Ava

My mom taking a photo of Ava

Holy moly that's a big baby!

She had HUGE cheeks!

Sticking her tongue out at the camera.

Sweet baby :)

She makes the funniest faces!

Thank you for reading!

Ava's Birth Story Part One

I have wanted to write Ava's story for a while now and I figured, what better place to do it? I love reading birth stories and I've realized that each are so wonderfully different and special in their own way. Ava's story is no exception. I still cannot believe how it all happened. So, here it is! It's long, so I've written it in parts. Here is part one:

Thursday, May 30th, 2013:

My husband, Travis, was working and my grandparents came into town to keep me company while we waited for Ava's arrival. I had been feeling pretty down because Ava was already four days late and I felt like she was never going to come out. I would sigh and tell Travis, "She is never going to come out of me!" and he would sarcastically reply, "Nope. She's going to stay in there until she's one and she's probably going to have teeth!" Anyways, my grandparents came up to stay a while and my aunt was flying in the next day. I was not having any contractions and I felt like I was going to be pregnant forever, which would not even be a little bit fun.

Friday, May 31, 2013:

I had my 41 week appointment with my midwife. My grandparents came along with us since Travis was going to have to leave early to go to work. When we arrived I peed in my last cup, was weighed, and asked the same old questions. My midwife measured my belly and listened to the heartbeat like she had for every other appointment. She then asked how everything was going and I told her that I hadn't really felt Ava move that day. She was a little concerned and told me I needed to get an ultra sound just to make sure Ava was ok. So, off we went across the hall, where we waited for half an hour to be seen. By then, Travis had to leave to get to work so my Grandma came in with me to get the ultra sound done. Ava looked great! She was breathing and everything looked fine, but she still wasn't moving much. My grandparents and I went back to my midwife and gave her the results and she still wasn't satisfied. She told me to go downstairs and eat and drink something sugary and then head over to Labor and Delivery to be hooked up to monitors and see what the issue was.

One of the last pictures of me pregnant. 

I went and got some Subway and my grandparents left to go pick up my aunt from the air port. I was exhausted by this time! I was 10 months pregnant and I had been walking all over that hospital! But, I trekked on! After I finished eating and calling my mom to help calm my nerves, I went to Labor and Delivery and got hooked up. A friend, who is a nurse in Labor and Delivery, was actually working the front desk and came and talked with me and that helped me keep calm. I was given fluids and then the Doctor came in to look at the monitoring and talk with me. She said I was dehydrated and the fluids would help perk Ava up. My grandparents and aunt had arrived, by then, and I was ready to go home and rest!

When we got home, everyone wanted to go shopping but I was so tired from the days somewhat unnerving adventure, that I took a nap. They came back around 5:00 pm and I heard them come in so I grunted and moaned out of bed and I felt something go POP!POP! but nothing came out so I thought it might have been more of my mucus plug. So, I hobbled down the stairs to meet them. We talked for a bit and I needed to do some laundry, so I hobbled back up the stairs! When I leaned over to put the clothes in the washer, I felt a horrible cramp. I went back downstairs and told them what I felt and both my Grandma and Aunt thought I was having contractions but said to wait a little while and see if I had another one. Sure enough, I had another cramp that was twice as painful as the first. I believe I have a pretty high pain tolerance, and when I had that second contraction I was in tears. It was BAD. I started timing the contractions and they were about 7 minutes apart, so I called the doctor I had just seen earlier that day. She told me to wait to go to the hospital until the contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. Not even ten minutes after I hung up with the doctor, my contractions were two minutes apart. By this time, I was in the bathroom, on the toilet because I was leaking fluid, crying my eyes out. My Aunt was telling me, through the door, "Madison, we need to go. Come out, we need to go to the hospital. Come on!" I was so scared and in SO MUCH pain, it was unbelievable. My body was pushing Ava out and I could NOT stop it! In my sudden insanity, caused by the pain, I rushed upstairs to get my last minute items (which I never used) and my Aunt followed me wondering what the heck I was doing. She still makes fun of me for doing this! Ha!

Off we went! We all piled into my grandparents car. Lucky for me, I was the only one who knew how to get to the hospital, so I had to give my Grandma directions while having contractions every minute, trying not to push, and trying to call Travis to tell him what was happening. Let me tell you, it was not easy! We eventually made it and my Aunt helped wheel me up to Labor and Delivery, where they greeted me with, "Weren't you just here?" (By the way, the elevator ride up was about as awkward as could be. Just imagine me having contractions in a full elevator with people trying not to stare at me while I was crying and trying to keep the baby in.) The nurses could see that I was in a lot of pain and took me to the triage room to check my cervix. A nurse brought me into the bathroom to change into my not-so-lovely gown, but I couldn't even get out of my clothes before Ava was trying to push out of me again. She was visibly shocked when I told her I was pushing and rushed to get me changed and onto the bed. Another nurse checked me and exclaimed, "Oh, you're already at an 8 or 9!" I immediately knew what this meant....I was NOT getting an epidural. I was devastated. I was in SO much pain and just wanted it to go away. Before this day, I didn't even really want an epidural. I wanted to try for a natural delivery, but I was still open minded and knew I would get an epidural if I needed it. Well, I was out of luck. I still proceeded to beg the nurses for any kind of medication, but they refused because I was already so far along and it could hurt the baby. Tons of nurses flew into the room as soon as they heard I was so far along.

Part Two!

Hello!

I've started this blog to help document what goes on in my family's life. Hopefully, I can keep up with it but, who am I kidding, being a momma is HARD! It is a daily struggle and a daily blessing. Even after almost three months, it is weird to think that I am in charge of another human being. I have the responsibility of taking care of this person, molding them and teaching them how to live a good life. I am constantly thinking how crazy fast my pregnancy went. I cannot believe Ava is already almost three months old! She's smiling, almost laughing, and I think she's already showing signs of teething!

She's pretty amazing!

I really want to use these posts to talk about what being a mom is like. Hopefully, I can help other moms (or soon-to-be moms) with tips that I come across. I would love for some tips, as well! Also, I LOVE to be creative, so I plan on posting DIY projects, recipes, organizing tips, you name it!

I hope that this blog helps me gain confidence in being a mom. I have been struggling with actually having confidence in leaving the house, since Ava was born. I am not naturally a person who is comfortable being by themselves. Yes, I know I am not technically alone. Ava is ALWAYS with me, but it's different. She doesn't talk to me. I talk to her all the time, but it's still different. Also, it is not easy lugging all of her stuff around, even with my husband helping. Anyways, I want to be able to go out and explore the world with her! I really want to walk to the park or go to stores. I just haven't mustered up the nerves to do so quite yet. I think I'm just scared that she will have a melt down while I'm out and I will be overwhelmed. But, being overwhelmed is ok sometimes, right?

Lastly, I really would like to use this space to motivate myself to lose this baby weight...and a few extra pounds from before I was pregnant, too!

So, I hope you will join me! I will try to post as frequently as possible!