TRUE FRIENDS & SUPPORT

This past weekend I got to spend some MUCH NEEDED time with one of my dearest and best girlfriends who came into town for a visit with me and my family. We’ve known each other for many years and have been there for each other through heartbreaks, job changes, weddings, births, children drama and much, much more.

And while we haven’t even lived in the same city since 2004, she’s someone who has always been a constant in my life. She’s someone I can ALWAYS count on no matter what to listen, to encourage, to SUPPORT, to comfort, to inspire and MOTIVATE me to be the person I want to be. She knows the true me, understands my VALUES, my goals and holds that higher vision for me at times when I can’t even see if myself. She’s a wonderful person inside and out and I’m so lucky to have her SUPPORT in my life. And when we get to spend time together like we did this past weekend: talking, walking, laughing, reminiscing, eating, drinking, relaxing on top of all the normal family stuff I had going on, it’s just a REMINDER of how important it is to take the time to be with friends and re-connect again and again. And more importantly to have someone in my life who KNOWS ME and is there to SUPPORT me at all stages of life.

What about you, do you have a support person and or a TRUE FRIEND who knows you inside and out? Are you that person for someone else? We all need SUPPORT and a friend new or old is a great thing to have!

Wishing you a great week full of support!

Love,
Angela

Back in the Saddle

Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve been on here but I’m happy to share that I actually practiced what I preach and took full advantage of my maternity leave…..and honestly I loved every minute of it! I definitely missed connecting with my clients and the work that I do with moms but also was able to be really present with my children and tried to soak up as much of this precious time as I could. Good times for sure!

And while I was out, I realized something…….I realized that I have lots of ideas and thoughts on things I want to post on my blog but I also seem to procrastinate more often than not without ever coming through. So I did a little soul searching to try and figure out what has going on and realized I had turned my blog (at least in my head I had) into something bigger or daunting than it needed to be. I kept procrastinating because I was waiting until I had something big and insightful to post but when in reality my intention for my blog all along was that it just be practical, fun and quick & easy to read. And hopefully it too will be insightful, inspiring and motivating for some.

So here’s to getting back in the saddle and trying again. How about you, what are you procrastinating on and might need a little push to get back on that horse again?

Let me know how I can support you!
Angela

3 months & counting.....

Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s already been 3 months….where does the time go? I remember thinking at 2 months I really wanted to check in but the days and weeks just seem to fly by. For us, it’s been a lot about adjusting to a new family of four, dealing with emotional issues w/ my 4 year old and caring for the needs of the baby. Not to mention my sister’s wedding in Vegas last week and just normal life stuff.

The wedding was beautiful with plenty of good times & memories but a trip like that definitely forced us to figure out how to gel as a family even more. I’m not sure I’d ever really given enough credit to what it meant to expand our family (although others told me it can be a challenge at times) until recently when the newness had started to wear off and things started getting a little more real or should I say surreal!

It’s definitely not easy juggling the needs and demands of two kids and some days go smoother than others but slowly we are figuring it out and making the best of it. I wouldn’t change it for the world and on those days when I literally crawl into bed, I thank GOD that I survived and remind myself that at least tomorrow is a whole new day with new adventures awaiting!

How about you, what do you do at the end of a long day to remember the good and re-energize for a NEW day tomorrow?

Overdrive Mornings

Today was definitely a trying to do too much morning if you know what I mean. I started the morning being more tired than usual and from the second I got up my mind was racing with things I needed to get done or “should” do before I took Cole to school. Looking back several hours later, isn’t hindsight great…….that “should” was exactly what got me in trouble.

Instead of realizing I was already tired and just getting Cole & myself breakfast, dressed and out the door (along with feeding the baby) was going to be a stretch in itself, I put this undue pressure on myself to try and squeeze in a few more “quick” things and we ALL paid for it. It was nothing I had to get done right that minute; I simply was just trying to do too much when all I really needed was to surrender.

Surrender to the fact that I was tired, running on little energy and needed to focus on what had to be done and let the other little things go. I try to tell myself often to let it go, it’s not important right now when I start feeling overwhelmed but I was quickly reminded this morning how easily I can fall back into routines of acting like I’m super MOM and trying to squeeze in just one more thing into an already busy day. I’m thankful for the reminder and have given myself permission to let it go today so hopefully we end better than we started!!! How about you, would letting go of the “shoulds” or surrendering sometimes make your life any easier?

Let me know if I can help you in any way! Angela

Celebrating Campbell

Our sweet little Campbell was born, Feb 23rd and officially had her 1 month check up this week. Despite a few projectile vomiting incidents, a little reflux and baby acne, she’s doing great! She doesn’t cry a lot, doesn’t demand much other than to be fed (but who doesn’t) and goes with the flow most of the time. I don’t know if it’s that I’m more relaxed or she’s a more laid back baby than Cole was (probably some of both) but it’s like she is just meant to be a part of our family. Not that we haven’t had adjustment issues or aren’t still going through our growing pains as we definitely are, it’s just that it feels like she belongs and always has....

And the good news it that she and I are both starting to come out of our newborn fog - yeah! :) She’s becoming more alert and starting to smile and respond to us which is soo amazing!! The smiles and the coos are the reminder that the last few weeks of no sleep and feeling so off at times are all worth it!! And with this being my second, I know that even more greatness is yet to come!

Anxiously Waiting!

My house is full of emotions right now as we all anxiously await the arrival of our sweet baby girl!! I’m 2 days shy of 39 weeks and getting really uncomfortable. Just trying to put socks and shoes on this morning seemed like a major production. And walking, well it’s full of excitement as I feel like the baby is about to drop out any second. I’ve got Cole asking every day is today the day my baby sister arrives and Jason at every moan or groan I make checking in to see if I’m having a contraction and if today is the day……its’ all out of love I know in that everyone is so excited but craziness too as I don’t know when she’ll arrive!

And now we are faced with the question of to induce or not to induce. It’s such a personal thing and so many people have so many differing opinions on the subject. Even in my own home, we weren’t in total agreement at first. I was on board because it gave me the much needed planning time to coordinate care for Cole, etc and not to mention relief to my body and emotional state with all this waiting. Jason on the other hand wasn’t too excited to be forcing what’s supposed to be such a natural thing – although I’m already dilated and cervix is thinning. Its generated lots of discussion among us and prompted a close examination into whether or not Cole was induced – it was not a planned induction but I was given pitocin and my doctor broke my water. Jason went with me this morning to visit with the doctor and I’m so glad he did as no matter what the decision ends up being, I definitely want us to be on the same page. As it stands right now, it looks like we’ll be inducing next week but I’m secretly hoping she comes this weekend!

Taking Care of ME!

It definitely was one of those weeks where I found myself struggling to make self care a priority. Between a sick little one, a visiting mom who needs some extra care and assistance as she recovers from a broken arm and just a lot of things to do before the baby is born, I found myself easily putting my needs off for another day. While I’ve practiced self care for a couple years now and fully understand the benefits of it (more patience, less stress, overall happiness, etc), it’s weeks like this where it seems sometimes that it’s easier said than done.

But just like with any weight loss program or anything we truly want to do, I’m reminded that I do have a choice! I can decide everyday on how, when and what I’ll do to make my self care a priority. On days when I have a sick child who becomes my top priority and a ton of things to do, I can choose to find creative or simple ways where I can still make time for ME. It’s not always easy, but in order to get some “me” time in that day, I may just have to let the laundry go one more day, say no to something just so I can relax in the bath while I have help from my husband in the evening , go to bed early or nap when my son naps. Simply stated I can re-energize myself and feel rested when I focus on taking care of me . And while I’m the first to admit that it’s easier to let my self care and my needs drop to the bottom of the list (this week is an example) than it is to make it a priority, I've come to realize letting myself go only makes me more grumpy, stressed and not a lot of fun to be around!

I’m working to continue to make my self care a priority despite a lot on my plate, what about you – what choices can you make today to join me in taking care of YOU?