Wordless {ish} Wednesday :: Maddux's first Word.

Maddux now says his first word... Hi.

Not the normal MaMaMa or DaDaDa... nope just hi or hey. :)

It's super cute and I got him recorded saying it.... Enjoy.

sorry it's sideways... :)

Big Regrets.

I've been a real mom for 6 months now & let me just tell you I have some huge regrets already. 

Regret #1
Trying to dictate my future parenting issues
I was the type of pregnant person that said my baby will do this my baby won't do that...
I plan on doing thing I will NOT do that....
&& let me just say I regret saying any of it because now that I'm here parenting my son there are things that I'm like really Ashlee, your ridiculous.  I regret letting some of the things I suggested out of my mouth--I've realized you can't honestly say what you will and won't do when it comes to parenting until you parent. plain and simple

Regret #2
Never Never Never. Never Never Never.
this can kinda relate to the previous regret. but I said Never a lot. 
my child will never wear disney clothes
my child will never sleep in my bed or with me
I will never give up breastfeeding
this list could go on and on and on....
my son is obessed with Mickey & I buy him all things Mickey
my son slept in my bed from 2 weeks--3/4months
I sadly quit breastfeeding when Maddux was 5 days old (something that still upsets me)
Plain and simple like I said before you have no idea how you will parent until you parent but one piece of advice that I will give all new mommies....
Never say Never.

Regret #3
Breastfeeding Drop Out
I swore up and down that I would breast feed Maddux until at least 6 months.
I didn't have that bonding feeling at all when I breastfed but that's not why I wanted to do it
I wanted what was best for my child and I thought that was it...
Maddux cried all day every day it was horrible--everyone would tell me they thought he was hungry which would really upset me because I would have just got done feeding him so he would just cry-- it wasn't fun and the moment I caved and gave him formula from a bottle he was the best baby ever.  he was like a real newborn he slept so contently... I remember getting a call from the Lactation Consultant suggesting that I keep trying and that I begin to pump I was so upset at the time feeling like a failure and like I had just starved my little baby for the past 5 days that I didn't want to deal with it I just wanted him happy and that is what formula did so I didn't do anything to try to breastfeed instead I did everything to dry up my milk supply. 
Still to this day--I wish I would have tried harder.

Regret #4
Research is for geeks
I wish I would do more research on the things I get for Maddux... this isn't a huge regret but I had 9 months where I could've prepared for what I was going to buy Maddux but instead I just bought the cute thing or the thing that "looked" safe-- I will say I am 100% satisfied with everything I bought for him other than my monitor but everything else has been wonderful.
but next time and in the future I hope I just look up a little bit more information & reviews on the products that my child will use.

Regret #5
Pictures or Lack of...
I didn't take hardly any pictures in the hospital--
I didn't take a single family picture until almost a month after Maddux was born
I didn't take but maybe 3-4 pictures the night Maddux was born
I didn't get real newborn pictures of him taken
I didn't family pictures taken until he was 5 months old
seriously DONT do this TAKE 1000 pictures the moment your child is born I will forever regret this... forever.

Regret #6
I'm Pregnant::Breakdown!
this is the biggest regret of my life... I can never change this and it sucks to even talk about it or admit it but...
the moment I found out the greatest most life changing news I... lost it.
I cried & cried & cried some more...
I ran to my bedroom, shoved my head into my pillow and just cried.
Jayce came in to try to calm me down and he kept telling me it'd be ok &
all that kept running thru my head was I wasn't married I wasn't married I just wasn't married it wasn't suppose to happen like this.
I had no idea what to do... I was just broken.
I eventually came to terms with everything and realized that in just 2 weeks I would marry the love of my life and the father of the child growing inside of me.
I don't know why this has upset me so much lately but knowing that for a split second I "cried" because of the greatest thing God has done in my life.
I regret it. I will never get to change that moment. I hate the way I handled it-- I handled it the way a young single 21 year old would not a mature, practically married woman would have and it sucks. it suchs I don't get to rewrite that moment.


Do you have parenting regrets?
I hope I'm not alone on this one.

Maddux got Dedicated.

On 9/11/11 we dedicated our sweet baby to our lord & saviour

Sadly I only have a video from the day and that's on my parents video camera so... these pictures were taken last week & the stuff he is with are his gifts/cards he recieved :) he is one loved little boy.



6 Months! (only a week late)

Stats

weight: 18 lbs 7 oz

height: 26  1/4 in.

diapers: size 2

clothes: 3-6 pants 6-9 shirts (a lil big) & still 3 month carters

Firsts

First time eating baby food

First time rolling back to belly

Celebrated Daddy's birthday.
First time being babysat by Grandma Bastin
First time trying real people food other than icecream :)
First time sitting up unassisted--you never did the whole tripod thing

First official ear infection

Random Facts

**You got dedicated this month--Momma & Daddy were so proud and are looking forward to raising you in the church. :)**

You are getting better at sleeping--most days

You love your carseat toys

You are still a Mickey addict

You love your jumper

You smile constantly

You aren't that happy when you try new foods

You love love love swinging

You are starting to notice the wrigley & addison--they make you smile

You still act like your teething and you have a couple lumps in there but nothing popping up yet.

You have done awesome in the church nursery

Maddux James we can't believe that you are 1/2 way to being a year old--It's been a fun ride so far we look forward to the little boy you are turning into.  We love you so much. :)

Love, Momma & Daddy.

Momma gets baptized. :)

A couple weeks ago our church had a HUGE outdoor service in celebration of our Acts 4 initiative

Our church wanted us to sell unused items around our house to raise money like the old church.

And the amount we raised was revealed at this service along with baptisms in our pond.

We had a total of 64 people signed up for baptisms & a goal of 10,000 dollars for our Acts 4 initiative offering.(The money raised was to go to our Community Care Fund)

Well the day came & it was beyond gorgeous outside--I was overwhelmed with emotions... I was excited, nervous, calm, happy, anxious, etc.

The service was wonderful & heart warming.  It was amazing to praise God outside with my church family & really be able to be in awe of all his makings. 

The day ended with the baptisms-- like I said 64 people had signed up to get baptized and after all of them were baptized they opened it up to people that were their and felt that God wanted them to get baptized. 

& I'm proud to annouce that...

101 people got baptized!!

that shows just how amazing God is. 

The total raised was annouced at the very end of the service & that total came to...

$14,525.24

This is HUGE we surpassed our Goal that was set & some! :)

In addition to all of that over 1,500 people were in attendence that day! :)

Here are some pictures from that day! :)

don't mind my face here... obviously the sun was in my eyes

This is Laura we have been friends since 6th grade & she got baptized with me!

getting baptized.

after getting baptized

a view of the baptisms

during our worship.

again all of the people. :)

This was a GREAT day!

God is Good!

We Have a... Sitter!

This happened about a week ago...

But big deal at our house

He doesn't do a tripod thing he skipped that and went straight to sitting up great.

He still falls over sometimes but he does really good overall :)

*don't mind the dirty background he was playing*

*Big Boy*

:)

I love you because...

So... my Hubs & I don't have this "perfect" relationship but I do have to say we have a pretty awesome one.  We used to argue constantly about little things and fight a lot-- then we got married & I don't know what it was but it just stopped. I mean we have been together for 8 years now so 14 to 22 yeah I'd say I've grown up, matured, went from a kid to a young adult to an adult & we became parents.  I'm sure our young age had a lot to do with it but I can tell you now we fight on very very rare occasions & argueing doesn't happen much either--maybe a couple times a month.  Now, like I said we aren't perfect we do have our flaws but we are very happy with one another and our relationship there are parts where we could & are working on... to be honest with you he thinks we need to grow closer romantically (like any man probably) & I just feel like I need to be apprieciated a little more and in ways that mean the most to me.  I like gifts, I like compliments I just like to know that I am appreciated.  So this past weekend we were discussing this & we decided that at least once a day we would tell eachother why we love them.  So, here lately we say this a lot...
I love you because...
This is awesome it's just a simple reminder of how awesome that person is and how much they mean to us and it really points out the things that mean a lot to us even if it is simple little things.  I'm sure many of you have seen on Pinterest this amazing idea---

find the details here

well... I bought 3 picture frames and plan to do this exact thing but we will each have our own frame :)

I'm excited to see how it turns out and get to read it everyday. 

Also check out how awesome the Hubs listens to my wants & needs--

this was left for me after a long night with Maddux he got woke up a couple times because Maddux wouldn't quit crying so he knew I was upset/frusterated and so he left this for me to wake up too... he put it in the bathroom where he knew I would see it! It instantly made my day. I'm seriously blessed. :)