For New Moms

As I am a current mom, and God has blessed me to become a mom again, its hard not to think about the differences that are I am experiencing between the 2 pregnancies. The first one was full of people giving me advise. This one, not so much. I remember how much advise everyone wanted to bestow on me with my first pregnancy and have remembered some pointers that I wish I had known, and some advise I wish someone had told me. So, this isn't really advise on how to or not to do anything, really. Its more on a way to do it.

Enjoy!! If your not heaving sick, or having to be hospitalized, please enjoy being pregnant. Compared to your life span, and everything else that you will live through, these short months of being pregnant are wonderful. Hey, there's a reason why guys aren't pregnant and we are. Enjoy the kicks, hiccups and movements-when they don't hurt. If your comfortable, let your hubby, mom, dad or other very close family members feel the little miracle too. It made it more real to my husband when he feels our little one(s) kick him. Its a special little moment. Don't let this pass. The baby will be here soon enough, so enjoy these short few months.

Relax. Okay, Eve had no help giving birth to her kids, so I think we are blessed, no matter how you decide to bring your child into the world, that we have some help. Whatever your choice is, talk about it with those who you trust, and who will be there. If your doctor gives you a green light, go for it. It may not be the same decision as someone else, and that's fine. You have to live through it, so do it the way you feel comfortable. In the end, you and the baby just need to be healthy and safe. That's all that matters.

Find Common Ground. Okay, so EVERYONE has an opinion on, well, EVERYTHING. Especially raising children. Guess what? That's great! Here's my advise; find a couple who has the results your looking for, and talk to them. Yes, everyone on the planet will give you advise. Yes, you will disagree with it. No, you do not have to do what everyone else has done. My husband and I had so many people give us their heartfelt advise. We would talk about it, see if it worked for our family, and then decide if we should follow it or not. One of my friends from high school does babywearing. That's great! For her. I didn't think I should. Another friend did formula feeding, and another did strictly breast-attachment feeding. I pumped. That's what worked for our family, and that's what I felt comfortable doing. Am I a bad mother for doing it that way? I don't think so. And neither do my friends. My husband and I liked the idea of a schedule from day one. Another friend hasn't had her kids on a schedule at all. Oh well. I just found people who did what my husband and I though worked for our family, talked to them, got advise from them, and ran with it. If something doesn't work, figure out why, and adjust or change all together. Your not a bad parent for doing so, and every child is different. Work with the child.

Mistakes Happen. Guess What? Your going to make mistakes. So, fix them and move on. I have seen-and I have too-beaten myself up over the smallest thing that I did wrong. Really? Did beating myself up help in any way? Nope, it was just a one person beat-up-on-myself party. Guess what? My child-and I thankfully!-lived through it. I learned, and we have moved on. Remember, at the end of the day you and the baby's health is all that matters. So what if the dishes are piled up in the sink? Or if the trash needs to be taken out? Can you do those things tomorrow? Yup, just figure out how, and get some rest. Being a new mom is tiring. So, let things go a little longer than usual. You have friends who will come over and clean your kitchen, promise. If you put it on facebook, see how many people respond. Family can help too.

Say Yes To (Some) Help Okay, to pick up from the last point, its okay to say yes to help. People will come and help you do almost anything as a new mom of __ kid(s). Use your judgment however, and let people do what your comfortable with. If someone offers to help with one thing, and you need another, ask. I had so many people who wanted to hold my newborn. I really wasn't comfortable with that, however I asked if they could, load the dishwasher, or pick up a few things from the store next time they went. People-especially women-love to help. Let those who are helpers, help. Its a way for them to bless you.

Find Your Rock. Well, this is touchy, however, I'm going to try this one with grace. Find your rock. In everyone's life there is a rock of foundation for them. Religion is usually the biggest one. So, whatever your faith based religion is, find a steadiness in it. I may not agree with your faith, however, that's you and your families decision. Go to your house of worship, find friends there. If you don't have family living near by, your faith based friends should become like family. Outside of ones family, usually the faith based friends are like family and support you just as much. They also are the biggest source of information too.

DO's & DON'T's Well, there are some absolutes that no matter who you are, they should be on the list.

Do's -Love your child. Hey, they are yours. And they will drive you absolutely nuts. Promise. However, there are moment-more often than the bad ones-that you will enjoy being a parent.
-When you take pictures, organize them. I SO wish someone had told me this. I have so many that I have not a clue when they where taken, and wish I had tackled organizing them when my child was born. I do mine by month & year. Do whatever works for you, I just STRONGLY advise that you do it. You'll thank me later. And back them up.
-Do what is best for you & your child. You and your child's health is the most important thing right now. Listen to your doctor, and pediatrician. If they give you the green light, run with it. You are seeing them, so you should trust them. if you don't trust them, find someone who you feel you can.

Don'ts -This is a personal don't, however, I feel as though everyone should at least highly consider it: don't take advise from non-parents. Here's my reason why; if you haven't LIVED through it, how you really know what to do? I apply that philosophy to every advise I give. Second hand doesn't work either. If they haven't lived through it, then its just good intent. There's something about having to live through a situation and having to look at all the options and decision that have to be made that just an opinion or second hand advise can't give. So, a non-parent telling you what their parent friends did in the same situation, might not get the right message across. Try to talk to the source. You may need to come back to them later, or ask questions that the non-parent can't answer.
-Don't go crazy. Overwhelmed is fine. Crazy is not. Your going to-at one point or another- going to feel overwhelmed. That's fine. Find help. Or a friend that you can vent to at least. Venting helps. Not gossip. Venting. Yes, there is a difference. Sometimes we just need to get things off our chest. So, do it in a safe environment, and please try not to belittle someone. They may have had the best of intentions at heart. And if your a support person for a lady who is pregnant, please be positive. There is a lot of negative things that you would never know that are being said to her. Family should be the biggest, positive, influence on a lady who is going through this time. Especially if its the lady's first time being pregnant. Yes, her life, and those lives around her, are going to change. That's a given. Support her. Be a cheerleader. Let her talk, and vent, without being critical or giving advise. Sometimes she just may want to vent. If she wants advise, she will ask. Family is the biggest influence in anyone's life, and when family isn't being supportive, then it makes it really hard for that one person to see the good in their situation. I have known so many people who have tried for years to have a child, and they finally conceive, only for their family to say rude and demeaning things. Yes, the couple will find out what life is like with a child, and yes their life is going to change. That's a given. However, don't you think they wanted it to? Especially those couples who have tried for any amount time. They wanted that change. Support them. It makes for better Christmases.

I know that there are other things that I will think of down the road. However, they should fall into one of these pointers. I hope this helps someone out there. Let me know what you think.

Thoughts & Companies

I have been praying over some things that have been on my heart. Life has its up and downs. I don't watch the news, and for good reason, it frustrates me. There are to many negative things that go on. However, it seems to seep into twitter, Facebook and daily conversations that its hard not to avoid. I have watched the ups and downs of company's through my short life. Chick Fil A and one other company-which will remain nameless-have been on the front pages for decisions that upper management has made. Yes, it has caused people to become divided. So, as a lady who has been in retail, please let me shed some light. So lets do it in the kinesthetic way. So, you hear about company A and they support over seas production, and they under pay the employees in the factories. You don't like that, so you, and 100,000 other people decide to stop shopping at company A. And then you all start encouraging people around you to stop shopping there too. Within 6 months 1,000,000 people have stopped shopping there. The company's sales have dropped, and they have had to lay off 50 local people. How is that helping? Those people where paying bills, and supporting their family's, and now, they are let go and are left to finding another job, in hard times. How is that helping? The foreign workers weren't let go, local workers where. It's not helping. What if those workers didn't agree with the overseas production either? However, they are working to support their family's. By deciding to not shop with a company due to what the news put on the front page, your hurting more than the major company. Your hurting the local people. When a company sees a stores sales drop, they start to consider shutting down the store. I have been a part of that and if there aren't enough stores around to absorbe the employees, some of them are left to find employment on their own. In most cases, the employees don't find immidete employment. How does that help? It doesn't. And it won't. Yes, support small businesses, that's great-I have one and know several people who do. Yes, it's easier to find and agree with small businesses. However, when you need to go to a larger, corporate business, don't throw a fit. Even though you are shopping at Wal-Mart, or Target, your still shopping local. Local employees, local and customized product, and sometimes local products. Your not going to agree with EVERYTHING a company does. I promise. If you dig deep enough, you will find plenty that you don't like about several companies. The question that you need to ask yourself is if its worth it. Is it worth a friend or family member loosing their job over what you believe. No, what some companies do is not right. Is it ever? However, do you think shutting down one store, or even the whole company is going to help? Another company will take its place. And then it starts all over again. When will it stop? When we are in heaven. It's a battle that we have to fight daily. With God helping us navigate through it all. Sometimes we are put in these decisions to help those who are working for those company's. I'm not saying we can't make a difference. We can. We help with the employees. We lead them. Sometimes enough people internally is what the company needs. Company's listen to customers. They listen to employees too. Hey, think about it. If you didn't like something at work, would it have more weight coming for you and some co workers, or a customer? Employees know what the company is wanting to accomplish, and they can get direction within. We can work together, however protests, and yelling doesn't work. Did it work as a kid with your patents? Think it works now? I love you all, and just want you to think about what you say before you say it. There is more at risk than what you think. Think about those working for the company. They may not like what's going on either. Is it their fault? Nope. Don't blame them. Be a friend. Talk to them. You'd be surprised. Remember the Hobby Lobby situation? The employees may or may not agree with what's going on, however we as a community should embrace the company's in the headlines, and understand that the local workers are going to get enough backlash that weas christians don't need to add to it. Okay, I think I've said enough. Good night all. And God Bless.

Roderick Family update

So, its been a long while since I posted whats been going on with our family. The hubby got a promotion, and our little princess has been making major progress since my last post. Shes a walking talking exploring little bugger . I have been convicted that since it looks like I am home for a long while, that I should be cooking and not depending on others to do it for me. We live very close to the hubby's parents, like across the street. So, I know that one day, we may move to another location, or not. I still should be able to cook and fill my family's tummies myself. So, I tried emealz. I loved it. So of the recipes didn't go over well with the rest of the family. So, I turned to my non-creativity. I decided to put some index cards and Pintrest to work. I am finding that my kitchen doesn't have much room for all the random recipes that I want to try, or keep. So I went to Wal-mart, and bought a index card holder. I came home and wrote a few recipes that I knew were already winners. That way they would be in one place, and not a mess. Then I turned to Pintrest. The hubby loves chicken, so I know about any recipe would be good for him if there is chicken in it. I tried the Sour Cream Chicken first. It went over very well!!I had to come up with sides, which was no big problem. I have a few side dishes that are great too. Then I tried the Veggie Chicken. Talk about a major winner! That made the favorite list, for him and me! Easy and delish! Then last night, I thought I'd try the Crock Pot Oatmeal. Even the little princess loves it! I do want to let you know, I use Sam's boneless skinless chicken breasts. They are larger-and most of the time cheaper-than grocery stores chicken. In my area they are always $1.77 a lb. and are about twice the size of the ones you get from Kroger, Publix or any other grocery store. So, to adjust the recipe, I always cut the breasts into strips to make sure that they cook all the way through, and to make serving a lot easier. I use less chicken too. I will post the recipes below, plus some changes you can do with them.  We will call them Swap Outs! You can always change up a dish and do it different, and not feel like the family is eating the same thing all the time. So, below are the recipes. Follow me on Pintrest to see pictures. I will eventually learn how to put them here too. Bear with me while I learn.

Sour Cream Chicken:
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese grated
1/2 cup sour cream
4-6 chicken breasts
bread crumbs-Panko is best

Preheat oven to 350. Lay chicken in casserole dish and mix sour cream and cheese together. Spread over chicken. Sprinkle bread crumbs over and bake for 25 minutes.

Tips: cutting up the chicken breasts into strips is ALWAYS best for cooking-especially recipes like this and its easier to serve too-to be sure they cook all the way through. If you don't want to check the breasts without cutting them, you take a fork, or knife, and poke the chicken. If it gives any, it's still pink in the middle. If it's firm, it's done. If your not sure, go an extra 5 minutes.

Veggie Chicken:
1 can of green beans-large or small, doesn't matter
3-5 red potatoes about the size of your hand
3-5 chicken breasts
1 stick of butter
1 dry package of ONE of the following seasonings- onion soup, Italian dressing, or ranch dressing

 Preheat over to 350. Get out 1 casserole dish and put the green beans in a row on one side of the dish. Cut up the potatoes into bite sized pieces. I cut mine in half then into 6-8 pieces from each half. Place the potatoes in a row on the other side of the dish. Then take the chicken, cut into strips, and put in a row down the center of the dish. Melt the stick of butter and drizzle over the whole dish. I put more on the chicken and potatoes since the veggies are kinda okay. Sprinkle dry seasoning over the dish and bake for 1 hour.

Tips: to double to recipe-2 dishes-bake for 1 hour 45 minutes on 350, or 1 hour on 425.
Swap Out!-change out the green beans for any frozen, canned or fresh green vegetable. This includes and is not limited to: peas, peas & carrots, peas & carrots & corn, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, broccoli & cauliflower, and zucchini. When I find Swap Outs for the potatoes, I will let you know. I'm going to try sweet potatoes next...

 Crock Pot Oatmeal:

1 1/2 cups of regular oatmeal-not instant.
1 cup of apple juice
3 apples diced into bite sizes
3 cups of water
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
(1/4 cup of brown sugar)-optional

Dump all ingredients into crock pot the night before, set on low. Enjoy next morning.
I did add an extra 1/2 cup of oats and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. We like our oatmeal a little thicker than the regular recipe called for, and sweeter.

That's all for now! Thanks for reading.

Summer

Our Brandy

For those of you who know our little family you know our little dog, Brandy. The little dog with the big personality. Even if you didn't like dogs, you got to like her. She'd greet you with a "I know your here" bark and then want you to pet her. She'd beg at the table, or lay in her bed. She would follow Todd EVERYWHERE, that he would let her that is. She even went down to my in-laws garage door at 11 o'clock one night looking for him. WHY? Because that is the last place she saw him, so he should be there, duh! She drove me crazy, took Todds side when him and I fought, and would growl when I kissed her. Yup, thats our little Booboo. Well, she ahs been sick for awhile and we had done all we could do. This morning right before 10 o'clock, she passed away. Yup. The little dog with the big personality. She hasn't been herself lately. We took her to the hospital and they told us that she had kidney failure and her liver wasn't working well. We brought her home and tried to help her get better. We did everything we could to get her better, and wanted her to get better so badly. She was our little shadow. She was a little overweight.  Just a little. She would bark at anything-and everything. And if you asked her-or even if you didn't-she thought the world of Todd. She had a way of getting into your heart, and never letting go. She would sniff Todds prize animals when he brought them home from hunting, and would help skin them out. Todd and Brandy had a nightly ritual of going out to check the yard before they went to bed at night. She didn't like it when Todd and I went to Cancun last August. She was so mad that we left her for a week, however so happy to see us come home. When Todd got up in the morning, she did too. And she would move from the bed in our room to the bed in the living room to wait for him to come home. She knew when he was going to work, and when he was going out hunting. She knew when he came home, and would wait when he was later than when she thought he should be home. She even picked out her own beds-yes, all 4. Her favorite was the cameo one from Gander Mountain. And she wouldn't settle for the little one, she wanted the one that was 4 times her size. Yup, big personality for our little Booboo. Well, we may have another dog, but they will not hold a candel to our little Brandy. We miss you Booboo.

My Plan B

Well, today is a completely different story. My "plan" for today is very different than what has happened. Yesterday was a great day. Spending time with a friend and talking about couponing-a favorite subject for me!-and then being surprised by Todd coming home earlier than expected! So, I also got my Mary Kay order and that's always a great day!! I Love getting it and I love giving it to my wonderful customers!! So, at 9 am this morning I had a plan. Get Bailey fed, deliver the product and then go to a friends house to help her out for a few hours and then go home, cook dinner, then choir practice. However, God has a different plan for me for today. I was going to leave Bailey with her grandma and drive our older car. My Mother in law wasn't home and the car seat base was not in our old car. So, change that to Bailey is with me and I'm driving our newer car.I haven't delivered all my product, I had to go to my directors house. Then instead of eating lunch by myself, Bailey and I took lunch to Todd. Then we went to Babys R Us, then home, then to my friends house for a few hours. So, what is God trying to tell me???? Well, if I was not driving the Equionex, I would be able to listen to the CD my director gave me when I went to her house. And had I have to deliver my product, I would not have been able to see my husband and take him lunch and then go to Babys R Us afterward. My plan B was His plan A for today. I could do 2 things. I could get mad, or I could accept the change. I'll accept it. God has a very specific plan for me, and I need to be ready to lay my plans down and pick His up. It's not always what I want, think I need or see why, however it is the BEST plan. It's His plan. Patience comes somewhat easy to me, so change is somewhat easy also. I'm just grateful He has my life figured out and I'm learning every day to trust that. No, it's not easy. However the more I do it, the easier it gets. And that's the facts!!

Busy Busy Mommy

Being a stay at home mommy is a very busy life. Clean, wash, play with Bailey, make the beds, put the laundry away. Then to top it off, theres the yard to clean up from the weeds of winter. However, I wouldn't change this job for anything in the world. I just want to keep this job. I do like another job though. Its one where I get to help other women, and have my adult time. Its Mary Kay. Yea, yea, I know, I Know. Its my grandmas make-up. Well, I'm not a grandma, so no it is not. I really enjoy playing with make-up, and learning how to keep my face clean. I am a little bit of a clean freak, so that part is understandable. However, its play and have parties and introduce ladies to Mary Kay, or take a full time job. I'm choosing to give Mary Kay a try to help out with the family budget. Yes, I have been watching what we spend, and using coupons, however, there is more to be done. I am wanting to expand my customer base, and really help other women with their skin care.

In other family news, Bailey is almost able to sit up on her own!! She is also jibber jabbering a whole lot more now, and can pull herself up a little, to where she can stand up. She loves to look at mommys tulips, play with daddy and Brandy. Todd is working very hard at work and is helping out a lot at church. So, as Spring progresses, we hope to have more pretty days, calm nights, and more flowers come up.

How the beginning began.

Well, there are a lot of things that I could write about right now. However, as the line from Alice In Wonderland is mentioned, "Start at the beginning, and when you get to the end, stop" So, here's the beginning...

I had a falling out with my birth mother and I moved in with my grandmother-who lived in Tennessee-on January 28th 2005. I had moved several times before that, however this move was the best one that had ever happened to me, even then I knew that. I was lucky enough to be able to move with my job, Starbucks. So, I moved and then I turned 21. I enjoyed working at Starbucks and that is where I met Todd. From there, I was offered another job and left Starbucks in September of 2005, and Todd and I started dating in October. We got Engaged in June of 2006 and married on September 15th 2007. We enjoyed married life for awhile and then decided to add to our little family and Brandy came into our home on January 1st 2010. Our little doggie was exactly what we needed, then we decided to add to our family yet again. Now Bailey is here and she made a grand entrance on December 13th 2010. So, for now our little family is complete. We have had lots of adventures, which will probably get posted on here at some point in the future. Just know that we love the Lord, each other, our families and lots of adventures.