Home remedies.

The cough bug has bitten our house recently.  Kyra had it first, then Teagan and now I have been the latest victim.  It is annoying and I cannot figure out how to stop it.  I tried one of the old tricks of Vicks Vapor Rub being rubbed on my feet and pulling socks over them before bed.  It actually worked for a little while!  Josh has done it before and it hasn't worked for him so I really do think it is hit or miss. However, if you've got a cough and need to sleep, it's worth a shot! 

11 months. Almost not a baby!

Our dear sweet Kyra Mae is 11 months old today!  I can't say "time with the second goes by doubly quicker with the second one" enough.  I can't imagine how fast a third baby must grow (DO NOT GET ANY IDEAS!)!  

This last month has definitely brought on Kyra's personality even more.  She is thriving! Kid is WALKING! I mean, really? Walking? She'll be running before her first birthday, which much to my dismay, is only a month away.  

I will sit down soon and do an update post on the girls, but I felt Kyra needed a happy 11 month special shout out! How cute is this girl!?!

Sidewalk chalk and watching sister play with the "big girls" from the neighborhood.

Feeling good.

Those of you who have been following for a while or who know me outside of the realm of blogger know I have a history of an unhealthy body image that fueled an eating disorder.  For years it haunted me and to be quite honest I was very anxious about my postpartum health.  I was concerned I would be so obsessed with losing the baby weight that I would slip back into that dark place and it would be worse than it was before. Thankfully quite the opposite happened.
I feel better at this moment than I ever have in my entire life.  I am the healthiest I have probably ever been.  I feel great.  I honestly don't even think about my weight and we threw out the scale a long time ago.  I am okay with being me.  To be honest, I think being me is pretty great.  I finally know who I am and why I am here.  Three years ago, those words would have never come out of my mouth or been a thought even creeping through my head.  Even a year and a half ago.  It just would not have happened.  
I have finally accepted and taken to heart the verse that David speaks and writes in Psalm 139:14.  "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."
This was a verse I read over and over when I was in that unhealthy place but I could never wrap my head around it.  I was constantly questioning whether or not God made a mistake with me, that he must have just forgotten me.  What in the world was I thinking?!?  God has never abandoned me.  He has never made a mistake.  It just took me time to get to this place.  It took me time for the Lord to work in my heart, in His time and not mine.  His time.  Not mine.    

The things she says...

The other day at the dinner table Josh and I were talking about an upcoming baby shower for one of our friends at Exodus.  Hilarity ensued...


Me: Don't forget I have Pamela's baby shower on Monday.
Josh: Okay, that's fine, what time?
Me: I will leave after we put the girls to bed.
Teagan: Mommy, I wanna see.
Me: See what, Baby?
Teagan: I wanna see.
Me: See what, Little Bear?
Teagan: Babies.
*then it made sense that she thought it was going to be a shower of babies or something*
Me: OH! No, Baby, there are not going to be babies taking showers and it's not going to be raining babies.  We are just going to be giving presents to Mrs. Pamela and her new baby.
Teagan: Ohhhhhh, okay, Mommy!!


Oh the things she says....

Phone pictures.....

are the best I have right now....but I'm sure I won't hear too many complaints.

I feel like I can actually watch her grow while she sleeps. 

Watch out world...here come the Reid girls!

Love this face! 

Our little bookworm. 

Her favorite sunglasses are Mommy's pink ones. 

Definitely was greeted by this sweet face when I picked her up the other day. 

That is some good sleep. 

Windows down. Hair blown'. Perfect. 

Postpartum depression.

For those of you who know me, you know that one of my passions is postpartum mental illness.  I had postpartum depression with both Teagan and Kyra.  I have friends who suffered from postpartum depression, I have a friend who suffered from probably the most severe, postpartum psychosis.  Some of my friends had a great support system in place and they were able to get the help they needed sooner rather than later.  Some didn't have that support system and were left to flounder around trying to figure out if they'd gone crazy or not.
There are many misconceptions about postpartum mental illness. Whenever I hear an untrue statement about postpartum mental illness I try to educate and explain why that particular statement is certainly untrue and what the truth is.  I don't claim to be an expert, although one day I hope to be, but I'm a mom of two.  I am a mom who suffered.  And I will continue to be an advocate for those moms who are suffering, who might suffer, or who did suffer and had nowhere to turn.  It's inexcusable that we are not helping these women.
I came across an article from Katherine Stone, who is an incredible postpartum mental illness advocate, and thought I would share some of it with you.  This is a list of common statements that are made towards or about women who are suffering with a postpartum mental illness.

This list is by Katherine Stone from the website Postpartum Progress. 

20 Things I NEVER Want to Hear or Read Again, Postpartum Depression Edition

1. Just [go for a walk/go out with your friends/have a drink] and you’ll feel all better.

2. If you just buy this book online, even though we don’t tell you what’s in it, you’ll learn the “cure” for postpartum depression.

3. In a news report on infanticide or any other child murder: She must have had postpartum depression.

4. Magazine or online article headline: 10 Easy Steps To Get Over PPD Now! (None of them will mention, of course, that getting over postpartum depression is not easy, and none of them will mention getting medical help.)

5. Women have been having babies for tens of thousands of years, and they got through new motherhood just fine. Toughen up.

6. I just finished my album/thesis/marathon/political campaign. This must be what postpartum depression feels like.

7. Maybe postpartum depression is God’s way of letting you know you don’t have enough faith. I think you should pray harder.

8. Here’s some information on postpartum depression I’m supposed to give you. You’re probably not going to get it, though, so I wouldn’t pay too much attention to it.

9. Quitting breastfeeding is selfish. The baby’s health is so much more important than yours.

10. I know breastfeeding is really important to you, but you have to quit so you can be treated for PPD.

11. This is the exact medication and dosage I took for my PPD. Just take that and you’ll be OK.

12.I would never take antidepressants. You shouldn’t need that stuff to be a mother.

13. Here’s a prescription.(No mention of side effects. No mention that it may not work. No mention of therapy. No mention of follow up appointments.)

14. You’re just mad the baby is getting all the attention.

15. PPD is just a fad. Only spoiled, Western women get it, and now that it’s “popular” on the blogs, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.

16. Can’t you see how lucky you are? You have a beautiful baby!

17.This will probably go away on it’s own, so don’t worry about it.

18. I wouldn’t talk about this with anyone. You don’t want them to think you’re crazy.

19. You don’t need to worry about your symptoms unless you’re having thoughts of harming your baby.

20. Postpartum depression isn’t real.

Have you ever been told or asked these questions?  Have you ever asked these questions? What are some questions you've been asked?  Let's think before we speak ladies and gents. You never know how much power words have until you use them to hurt somebody else. 

Things that make me smile.

These two. Yes.