Beautiful Struggles

Well beautiful we are another month closer to your big first birthday. As we inch closer and closer I seem to remember more and more those first moments with you. Like the moment that I finally made it into post op and they put you on my chest, it was as though all the pain of my c section was gone and time stood still. Or the moment of watching your dad and the nurses give you your first bath, I longed to be there by your side but also loved that it was your daddy with you. These moments fill my heart often, but as often as I long for those first few days I am just as eager to see where you go in this great big world. You have so much personality and drive that I know you are going to be one amazing adult. You are strong willed but never will I say that's a bad thing. You are quiet, observant, cautious, and slow. You don't make a single move without thinking it through. Your smile is contagious and you are still rarely seen without it. You are perfect! This month was fi

Last week we spent the entire week in Cincinnati for the national veterans wheelchair games, which was probably one of the most incredible experiences of my life, but we will save that for a different post. We met great people, had wonderful conversation, and took our sweet girl on her first airplane ride. Being the crazy mom that I am, I stressed about the plane ride for far to long and made way to many mental notes on how to survive it. I asked everyone who had ever flown with a child what to do and received some great advice. My goal is to break it down into the top 10 things you "need" in order to survive flying with a baby! 1. Plastic Bags are Your Friend Prior to heading out to the airport I separated Ellie's diaper back with gallon size baggies. I had all her diapers and wipes packed in one, toys in another, and food in it's own. It made fast diaper changes before take off a breeze, as well as finding snacks in the air. Everything had its place an