C-Section Saturday: Take Care of Your Body

Welcome to C-Section Saturdays! I am using Saturdays to discuss, teach, and learn about C-Section recovery. Be prepared, some of the information that we discuss will be graphic, but I assure you that I will do my best to cover each topic with the grace of the true southern lady that I am. With that being said lets jump in! 

Today I want to talk about expectations and reality. Things tend to go one of two ways with postpartum expectations. They usually end up being something like this:

"oh my gosh, my body is going to bounce right back and it is going to be wonderful" 

or 

"I hate everything I am going to fall face first in a box of doughnuts since I'm eating for two now anyways."  

And neither of these are good. 

The reality is, your body won't bounce right back. It takes time to heal from the trauma of pregnancy, let alone birth or worse, a C-Section. Your body will not look the way it did originally, no matter what magazines, advertisements, and fitness gurus tell you. You pushed a human being (or had one pulled) out of you. That changes a body. 

The other option of "I'm nursing so now I can finally eat for two" is not right either. You have to take care of your body. This is not the time to give up on yourself. Take the extra step, make the extra effort to eat real and healthy food. Get up and move your body when the doctor clears you to do so. You can't take care of a precious newborn baby with zero energy. 

In reality your body will be different, and you need to be ready for that. 

In fact, I remember thinking that I was marred for life when I first saw my incision. I cried alone in the bathroom at the hospital, just nine hours after my first son was born. 

If you want to see what a C-section body looks like you can see those images here. 

Be prepared, it isn't always pretty at first. If you don't like where your body is after your C-Section, get up, and change it. 

Put one foot in front of the other. 

Don't quit, don't stop. 

You can do this. 

Psalm 139;19 says that "God knit me together in my mother's womb". 

Isn't it amazing to be a part of the miracle of birth? Isn't it amazing what God made our bodies to do? Your body will look different. Your body will feel different. But your body is incredible and don't you let anyone tell you otherwise.

(As a side note, this has NOTHING to do with your size. I don't care what the label on your dress says. There are plenty of unhealthy size zeros walking around out there. Be a good steward of your body and help it to be healthy, not just thin.)

C-Section Saturday: Managing the Pills

It is C-Section Saturday again! 

As I have mentioned before I will be using Saturdays to discuss, teach, and learn about C-Section recovery. Be prepared, some of the information that we discuss will be graphic, but I assure you that I will do my best to cover each topic with the grace of the true southern lady that I am.

One of the first things that you will have to deal with when you get home from the hospital is the barrage of pills that you will have to take for the next several weeks.

When I left the hospital I had prescriptions for:
Motrin (every 8 hours)
Percocet (every 4 hours)
Prenatal Vitamins (every 24 hours)
Iron supplements (every 12 hours)
Stool softeners (every 12 hours)
Fiber supplements (every 6 hours)

My pill schedule had pills at 4 am, 8am, noon, 4pm,  8pm, and midnight.

That is a LOT!

With my rowdy 6 year old, 5 year old, and 3 year old... plus a newborn, it was hard to keep it all straight. I ended up using one of these 7 day pill organizer (4 time slots for each day) and an additional two (single time) 7 day organizers.

I took my handy label maker and got to work. 

The first of the single day organizers I labeled 8 am. I left this pill organizer beside my sink in the bathroom as most mornings I was finishing up my make-up at 8 am. The second of the single day organizers I labeled as Noon and left downstairs in our kitchen (where my son couldn't reach it!) since most days I tried to eat lunch at the kitchen table with my son and my husband. The organizer with 4 time slots was labeled with the remaining times. Since I was released from the hospital on a Sunday,  I refilled my pill organizers each Sunday.

This system worked well for me and I would strongly encourage any new C-section mama to look in to this system or a similar one for your recovery at home. The last thing you want is to forget to take your pain meds or have your iron pills not be where they should.

C-Section Saturday: Introduction

Welcome to the very first C-Section Saturdays! 

We will be using Saturdays to discuss, teach, and learn about C-Sections. 

I had four C-sections in five years, and there is SO much that I didn't know. If talking about C-Sections can help spare someone from the difficulties that I had it will be worth it!

Each week may cover:

-information about the science of C-sections

-tips for healing

-must have items

-nutrition

-My recovery process, plan, and results

-anything else that I feel like because it is my writing space! 

If C-Sections freak you out, just skip my posts on Saturdays. 

I will get back to writing my normal book reviews and articles as well.

 

One Year Later: 10 Positive Things About Staying Home

One year ago today our family started social distancing and staying home. 

We made the call early, before it was required, because I was expecting Emily and nobody knew if or how Covid could impact a developing baby. It was hard. In fact due to this choice we lost some of the few Pennsylvania friends we had made since our move. 

We have now spent 365 days in which we have zero social interactions except with our closed circle of people (that included my mom, our next door neighbor family, and a single soldier). 

No movies, no museums, no parties, no in-person-church, no in-person-grocery shopping, no play-dates, and no trips out of state to see family.

And it was absolutely worth it. 

I know that the pandemic has been hard and awful. But I don't want to write off an entire year of my life as bad. So I am writing out 10 positive things that happened for our family while we made the choice to social distance so that in years to come I can look back and remember all the positive things that came from spending a year at home together.

1. We slowed life WAY down by cutting out all the unnecessary stuff that we have allowed to fill our calendars in the past.
2. We read a TON of books together as a family.
3. We taught the kids about boundaries.
4. We did a great job of maintaining those boundaries even when it wasn't easy or fun.
5. We hiked a minimum of 2 miles almost every single weekend... with three and then four small children! 
6. We talked about loving like Jesus by doing the hard things to protect others (like their great grandmother) from illness.
7. We did a lot of science experiments with the kids and got to see how they think and solve problems. I can say that 100% would not have been able to squeeze that in prior to the shut downs.
8. We read a TON of books together as a family, discussed them, and inspired the kids to write their own. 
9. We talked a LOT about rules and authority with the kids when it came to government imposed limits and masks. 
10. We spent a lot of time in prayer together as a family. We prayed for friends, family, leaders, scientists, and medial staff. 

I notice that all of those sentences started with "we". Our family spent the last 365 days together. So yes, the pandemic is incredibly hard. 

Having a baby during a global pandemic was one of the most challenging things I have ever faced. Wearing a mask during a C-Section was awful y'all! The uncertainty during the postpartum phase was REALLY HARD.

Being stuck at home was sometimes boring... but we did it. 

I am proud that we made the choice to stay at home and to wear a mask when we go outdoors.  

We will continue to make those choices until vaccines are readily available and the community at large can be safe. 

We will do that because we want to be like Jesus.

Military Monday: Maternity Pictures

Welcome to another Military Monday!

Upon marrying a military man I learned that there is a LOT to know about life as a military spouse. Mondays are my day to talk about the things I am learning, the new language, military news and current events. Sometimes I post encouraging videos, stories, and cartoons as well.

Today I am going to share with you a story that just really pulled at my heartstrings. This military family figured out a way for the husband to be a part of their maternity pictures from half a world away. (And I just love her dress!)

You can read the full story here. 

What a sweet story! 

Be in prayer for this family as they welcome their sweet new blessing! 

Motherhood Monday: Children in Church

Welcome to another Motherhood Monday! This is the day dedicated to all things "mommy" related. Check here each Monday for a new post. 

Motherhood is an incredible blessing. But it is also a huge challenge. Anyone that has experienced motherhood will tell you, there is an incredible shift in your very being when you become a mother. 

We live in a time in which traditional family is being mocked, ridiculed, and reduced to ruin. You can see this happening in magazines, movies, and television shows. This is an issue that many a pastor has hammered home in recent years. 

Why then is the Christian church abdicating its moral responsibility to build up the family? Not only are they not fulfilling their role to encourage families they are in fact actively taking steps in the opposite direction. 

I recently had the unusual experience of watching the church fail families. At three different women's group events in the last month I heard leaders say:

No babies over 6 months

No children in worship

No children in "big church"

This may look simple. It may not seem like a big deal, but that is how sin is... insidious. As mothers we have the awe-inspiring privilege of being God's stewards in our children's lives. We have our children for a very short time. In that time we are to impart wisdom, train them in the way that they should go, and model Christ's unending love. When you remove children from seeing their parents coming before the King's throne in adoration you are removing an opportunity for them to learn about salvation. My husband has spoken often of seeing his parents worship, study the Bible, and pray together as a child. He will tell you that his parent's dedication and faithfulness helped to make him in to the man that he is today. 

So what does this have to do with motherhood? I am not part of the attachment parenting style and it isn't that I want my son to be attached to me at all times. My issue is that when you say, "babies are too distracting to be in the service/program Satan has won. When you teach young moms that they need to "get away" from their kids/home/husband to worship you are teaching them that they cannot worship while they work. 

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God". Babies are not a distraction, they are an incredible gift from God. Yes, they cry. Sometimes they (gasp!) even yell. The Christian church needs to stop treating praise and worship, retreats, and services like performances. They aren't, or shouldn't be. Instead, this is where you come before the creator of the universe and worship. If you can't do that while a baby fusses, we have bigger issues to deal with. 

Billy Graham said, "Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children." Model well for your child by allowing them to see you pour out your heart to the king, even amid fussy babies. You have no idea the impact that may have on them one day. 

Motherhood Monday: "Brelfies"

Welcome to another Motherhood Monday! This is the day dedicated to all things "mommy" related. Check here each Monday for a new post. 

Have you heard that Instagram is now allowing pictures of breast feeding or "brelfies"? I was shocked to see some of my favorite Christian writers immediately post pictures of themselves nursing their kids. When I read through the comments I was even more surprised to see their reasoning. Many Christian women were posting their "brelfies" to help "normalize breastfeeding" in society.

As a nursing mother let me say, I would love to see breastfeeding become a normal thing in society again. I have felt the stares and have seen the odd looks from people as I nurse my son in public. Mind you, I ALWAYS wear a nursing tank under every shirt and I use a cover as well. (None of which is required in North Carolina!) And yet somehow I still get odd looks from people across demographic lines when nursing in public.

Let's be real here. Trying to feed a squirming kid that may or may not be in a good mood is not easy. Add to that the distraction of a cover and you have the potential for a serious battle of the wills. There have been times where I have considered just taking off my cover. After all, nursing is the most natural thing in the world, right?

If you ask the moms posting their "brelfies" it is. If you ask the pediatricians it is. If you ask me it is. However, we live in a culture that belittles and looks down on stay-at-home-moms and families with young children. Is it any wonder that breast feeding makes people uncomfortable?

We live in an age where we are so far removed from the natural way of doing things that people no longer recognize natural as a good thing.  Breastfeeding is an incredibly special time with your child, but it is also frustrating at times. The isolation can feel overwhelming. I can understand the desire to "normalize breastfeeding". But at the same time, is a little discomfort worth damaging your witness?

Stay with me here.

I run a free functional fitness gym with my husband. I am out in the gym (in whatever weather God gives us that day) at least three times a day, five days per week. That is our ministry. We have families, singles, and divorced people that attend our classes. Some of them might be comfortable with me breastfeeding without a cover, some won't. Am I willing to make someone uncomfortable (and potentially leave the gym) just so that I don't have to use a cover?

The answer is no.

Yes, I want people to remember that God designed women to nurse their babies. But that isn't my mission. That isn't what God put me on Earth to do. God put me here to partner with my husband and ministry to military families through physical fitness and mentoring.

Y'all can have your "brelfies" I have bigger fish to fry.

Wife to Wife Wednesday: Motherhood

Good morning! Welcome to Wife to Wife Wednesday, the day that we discuss issues relating to marriage. Today I want to talk about motherhood. 

Motherhood is the craziest thing I've ever done... and I have done some crazy things. 

In the past all of my shenanigans have been purely selfish. If I want to pack up in the middle of the night and drive three hours from graduate school in Dallas to go hang out with friends in College Station, I went. As long as I covered my shifts at work, and did my homework, it didn't bother anyone else. If I wanted to drive five hours to Houston with my sister for a F. O. B. concert and drive all the way back (in a 12 hour period) to be at my bridal shower... It was no big deal. It only impacted me. 

Now all of that has changed. 

When I found out I was pregnant with William, my world didn't change all that much. I had a very easy pregnancy. Three weeks of morning sickness and that was it. I lifted the same weights for the first trimester and scaled back a little for the rest of the pregnancy. 

Birth was a different story. 

I carried William to 41 weeks and 5 days. Then, due to some blood pressure issues, the doctors decided induction was necessary. I went in to the hospital at 3:05 on Wednesday December 3, 2014, for a regular appointment and didn't leave the hospital again until Sunday December 7, 2014. We left the hospital a family of three. 

This isn't the time for a birth story (that will come later). For now I want to talk about coming home with my incredible husband B and our beautiful son William. I remember walking in to our home and thinking, "our lives will never be the same". 

I was right.

Image from Lea Hartman Photography

Only motherhood can take a selfish person and make you a giver.

Motherhood makes you get up for the 4th time that night. 

Motherhood pushes you to get out of bed and walk around the block (even though you are exhausted) because that is the only way your baby will rest. 

Motherhood makes a normally somber woman the queen of silly song and made up rhymes. 

Motherhood makes you stay up just listening to the sounds of your child breathing, to make sure they are alright. 

Motherhood is a huge, impossible, terrifying task that God granted to me. It is the craziest thing I've ever done, and it humbles me every single day. 

William Ezra Farr

Howdy Y'all!

I have to apologize for my long absence from the blog. I have BIG news to share with you! As many of you know at the end of 2014 my husband and I were expecting our first child.

I am proud to announce that  Mr. William Ezra Farr was born December 5th, 2014. He was 9.2 pounds and 22 inches long! Hopefully I will get his birth story written up and posted soon.

B and I are thrilled to have this new little addition to our family. Today he is TWO months old and we are just in love with him. He has added so much joy to our lives. Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

---Morgan

Modest Maternity: Denim Leggings

Good Morning! Welcome to another Modest Maternity!

You can read more about my reasons for wanting to write about how to have a modest (yet stylish!) maternity wardrobe here. As I mentioned previously, the goal of Modest Maternity is to feature one item of clothing each week. I will show you four ways to style the featured piece of the week. I will try my best to tell you where it came from (including a link if possible!) as well as how much I paid for it.

 The article of clothing that I will be featuring this week is my pair of denim leggings! These leggings are awesome. I bought them at the Walmart for $9.00 and they have been a great investment. I love that they fit well under my baby belly and don't cause any abrasions or rubbing, like so many other pants. With that being said, lets begin!  

Denim Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: Old Navy purchased from a thrift store for $1.00

 Denim Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Sweater: No label, purchased from a thrift store for $3.00
Scarf: Purchased from Walmart for $4.00

 Denim Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: No Label, purchased from a thrift store for $1.00
Scarf: Purchased from Walmart for $4.00

Denim Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: purchased from Walmart for $12.00

Sweater: Purchased from a thrift store for $1.00

So these were my outfit ideas for this week's Modest Maternity series. 

I hope that you enjoyed it. 

You can see more of my Modest Maternity outfit ideas here. 

 I will be posting more of these outfit examples often to my blog.
It won't be on a regularly scheduled day, so be sure to check back often!

What did you wear this week?

Are you looking to link up? If so, you should check out all the places I link up. 

You can find them here!

Modest Maternity: Teal Leggings

Good Morning! Welcome to another Modest Maternity!

You can read more about my reasons for wanting to write about how to have a modest (yet stylish!) maternity wardrobe here. As I mentioned previously, the goal of Modest Maternity is to feature one item of clothing each week. I will show you four ways to style the featured piece of the week. I will try my best to tell you where it came from (including a link if possible!) as well as how much I paid for it.

The article of clothing that I will be featuring this week is my pair of teal leggings! These leggings are awesome. I bought them at the Walmart for $9.00 and they have been a great investment. I love that they fit well under my baby belly and don't cause any abrasions or rubbing, like so many other pants. With that being said, lets begin!  

 Teal Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: No Boundaries, purchased from a thrift store for $1.00

Sweater: Target, purchased from a thrift store for $2.00

 Teal Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: purchased from Khols on clearance for $4.00

Sweater: Target, purchased from a thrift store for $2.00

 Teal Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: Motherhood Maternity, purchased from thrift store for $3.00

Teal Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: No Boundaries, purchased from a thrift store for $1.00

Sweater: Purchased from a thrift store for $1.00

So these were my outfit ideas for this week's Modest Maternity series. 

I hope that you enjoyed it. 

You can see more of my Modest Maternity outfit ideas here. 

 I will be posting more of these outfit examples often to my blog.
It won't be on a regularly scheduled day, so be sure to check back often!

What did you wear this week?

Are you looking to link up? If so, you should check out all the places I link up. 

You can find them here!

Modest Maternity: Red Leggings

Good Morning! Welcome to another Modest Maternity!

You can read more about my reasons for wanting to write about how to have a modest (yet stylish!) maternity wardrobe here. As I mentioned previously, the goal of Modest Maternity is to feature one item of clothing each week. I will show you four ways to style the featured piece of the week. I will try my best to tell you where it came from (including a link if possible!) as well as how much I paid for it.

The article of clothing that I will be featuring this week is my pair of red leggings! These leggings are awesome. I bought them at the Walmart for $9.00 and they have been a great investment. I love that they fit well under my baby belly and don't cause any abrasions or rubbing, like so many other pants. With that being said, lets begin!  

Red Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: Motherhood Maternity purchased from a thrift store for $1.00

Necklace: purchased from a thrift store for $0.50

Red Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: No Boundaries purchased from a thrift store for $1.00
Sweater: Purchased from Walmart for $13.00

Red Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: No Boundaries purchased from a thrift store for $1.00
Sweater: Purchased from a thrift store for $1.00

Scarf: purchased from a thrift store for $0.50

Red Leggings: $9.00 from Walmart

Shirt: No label, purchased from a thrift store for $1.00
Scarf: purchased from Walmart  for $4.00

So these were my outfit ideas for this week's Modest Maternity series. 
I hope that you enjoyed it. 

You can see more of my Modest Maternity outfit ideas here. 

 I will be posting more of these outfit examples often to my blog.
It won't be on a regularly scheduled day, so be sure to check back often!

What did you wear this week?

Are you looking to link up? If so, you should check out all the places I link up. 

You can find them here!