Mama Love

State Fair 2013

So the VERY first time attending the NC state fair we were kidless and we enjoyed ourselves. No wait, actually Gabrielle was born that Sept 2010 and the fair was October so I went with my friend Daneielle from NY and the rest of the family...... Yeah that sounds right. Then 2011, Roger and I went with Gabrielle and a stroller..... Wrong move. We were traumatized. People wouldn't move, ankles were dragged and ran over by my stroller an it was just a complete mess. We purposely skipped 2012. 

But with free tickets this year from the job, we decided to give it a whirl right after work. State Fair Grounds is literally right up the block from Rex and it took us 35 minutes, which normally is 5! 

Talk about needing patience! Anywho, it was a much needed outing with just us 4.  No stroller, just my kangaroo pouch for Braxton Boy and two eager little feet In Ugz Boots

Growing Together in the Lord!

This week at church Oct. 15-18, 2013, Upper Room COGIC is having our annual Shiloh conference.  Yesterday there was an awesome speaker named Maxine Kershaw.  Her message was "Delay does not mean denial".  Also this week was our very own, Patrick Wooden and his message was "Growing in the Lord", just as Samuel did.  The gist of the message was growing and drawing nearer to The Lord and not being in the same place spiritually as we were last year or even last week.

With Roger being out to work on the weekends, he barley gets any church in besides Thursdays and that will change next week with classes starting for me on those days now.  I really wish I could loan him the car for him to get to service, but for now Shawnae will have to take them or he will have to get the word from me bringing home notes, etc.  And with that being said, I had an idea in my head (few weeks ago) that Roger and I should start to study the bible together.  Not physically sitting across from each other but both assigning and reading chapters and later on discussing them and drawing a conclusion of what we've read. 

After service yesterday we all drove home sleepy because service hasn't let out well until mid-night. Yet we still spoke on the message about "Growing in the Lord" and it was such a confirmation that we needed to do this together.  I help him, he helps me!  Rog thought it was a fantastic idea.  We even have hopes of incorporating Gabrielle and Braxton somewhere down the road.  Gabrielle is getting a WONDERFUL foundation already at the Upper Room Christian Academy.  Opening class with daily devotional and prayer and even chapel on Fridays one can only imagine what she'll know down the road.  As parents and Christian parents at that we have a responsibility to make sure to instill the word in our children, especially so they don't stray.  Even when they do, because I myself was not perfect and I still have so much more to go, I always and forever will know Gods truth and who He is. 

I just know that my mom and my sister instilled it in me to always know The Lord and be in his presence EVERY time I had the chance.  It's so funny to see myself preparing for services, especially ones during the week and even on Friday nights.  Like at home in NY, bets believe preparation on Thursdays and Fridays were for parties and now I'm in the pews.  That's apart of growing as the message entailed yesterday.  Not doing the same things as I was before.  Now its time to push the bar even further, but not alone but as a family. 

Dropping Gabrielle off to school this morning, I asked her teacher how was she with her naps this week.  Her response was "ALL the Upper Room kids get their naps in, sometimes falling asleep before nap time".  TheYes sirrrrrrr.

It starts now! I'm just glad I'm in a place where I'm able to show her that this is where you stay out all night in the presence of God or in your case, just for now Gabrielle, asleep on the pews. 

Lord knows my friends and I were on some bodies train station wee hours of the morning coming back from about 4-5 parties, okay TMI!

12-13 Weeks

Braxton Boy, mommy is  sooo late! Please forgive mommy. I've been so busy lately with you and your sister, house work, school work and mommy is back to work now. Let's not forget I mention that you think I'm the kangaroo and you're my little roo. You love to walk around strapped to me while I cook, clean, sit, stand, you name it, you like it as long as you're in my arms. 

Keep That MESS to Yourself Ladies!

Those little snide comment's I really believe should be kept to yourself.  I mean why bother giving someone a complement if you don't mean it.  Normally I would ignore them and just keep talking as if I didn't just hear with a look of disgust on their faces what was said and I for sure wouldn't write about it on my blog.  BUT after the third time in a row yesterday and a few times since being back to work I've come to a point where I have to vent.  Better to vent on the blog than loosing my job. 

So, if you haven't noticed before I was pregnant, I've always been skinny.  I remained pretty slim during my pregnancy as well and I totally understand that some people don't go back to their regular shape after pregnancy, BUT IS THAT MY FREAKING FAULT.  No one gets pregnant to remain in shape or be skinny during and after pregnancy.  YOU'RE carrying a BABY, HELLOOOO!  If you just so happened to put on a few pounds, then loose it or move it. If you can't and I can then blame it on the genes.  It's a genetic matter folks, not that I've been starving myself or tyring to get back down to my figure.  At the end of the day, if your having a baby, hopefully you're married and your husband should embrace a little more curves.  Especially since he helped create them, not just the baby.  Where is this coming from, huh readers.  Well, since being back to work the first thing out of someones mouth was:

"With her skinny self".

 Um hello to you too doll! While it would've been a simple compliment, there's always some underlying HATE going on, that quite frankly I can't help you with.

Another scenario was my sucess at breatfeeding.  I explained to the person how well it went, my over flow of milk, free breastpump, etc.  She had issues breastfeeding BOTH kids.  She said, no lie might I add:

"Arrgg I hate you.  You make me so sick"

Heffa didn't I just meet you.  You asked me!  All I'm trying to do is feed my kid what the Lord blessed me with and save money.  With all that being said, do you have any idea how much it took in preparing mentally, physically and praying  for a success at breastfeeding.  Do you know that the 3 months of supply I had stored all defrosted during a storm while we were in NY.  Do you have any idea of the thrush my son and I suffered from when my milk first came in.  Breastfriend, take a hike before I show and tell you of the sucess I HAVE at popping broads.

GIRRLLLLLLLLLLLL! Dont get me started.

Of course it may not be that serious, but lately it seems to be coming at me left and right.  Some have  nice things to say and then boom, something random comes out their mouths next.  It's like, why even say it in the first place if you dont mean it. 

Here I got another one for you!

"Man your hair is getting so long and thick.  I'm pretty sure its because of pregnancy but once the baby gets here, ALL that is going to fall out!"

Really?

So why am I writing this, well its because it happend to me about 3 times yesterday.  THREE.  When I left yesterday what sealed the deal was a comment about my outfit.

Listen, let me tell you!  I wake up and put on whatever I have available.  I don't put ANY effort into wearing a bunch of flowered, checkered or strip scubs everyday, besides making sure it's ironed.  I may throw on a peice of cosmetic jewlery and that's the extinct to getting dressed.  Forget the make-up schmake up! There comment was:

"Jocelyn you always look so cute!  Look at you with your matching colors!"  AND HERE COMES THE BIG ONE, say it with me readers!   "You make me so sick"

WHYYYYYYYY?

There is however one person, a co-worker in particular who said tons of great things.  What was said was not in regards to physical features or material things, but what I've accomplished in particular.  And she barley knows me from a whole in a wall.  But what mattered the most was her comment that

"My mom would be SO proud of me!"

No one really says that to me besides my sister and my grandmother, or people who really mean it I guess.  Sorry Dad, you're not included on this one either! Hey it is what it is right!  Right, just the Will of God and his Grace and Mercy!

 

Saturday's the new Monday!

My weekends are officially spent with the kids from now on.  Everywhere I go, they must go or we just stay in like we did this past weekend.  We gave up the car for Roger to drive into work and decided to lay back and chill outside.  It's different being back to work and only being able to chill over the weekends.  Then it's even weirder chilling without the hubs around.  Gabrielle enjoyed some arts and craft outside and Braxton looked at his weird surroundings.  We ALL couldn't wait for Roger to come home.  It's doable for now, but once it gets cold and the crock pot turns on early Saturday mornings, Roger will be missed for sure.  

 

But once he gets home, it's like ahhhhh yaayyyy your back!  Gabrielle screams to the top of her lungs and runs in circles.  It's pretty cute and I know Roger things he's the man afterwards, hum!

But all is well.  It seems as though everyone with a family is trying to stay afloat, some with two jobs.  I'm just truly greatful that Roger doesn't have to work two jobs.  I would sacrafice the weekends for him to only work one job.  Luckily he doesn't complain and he's always been comfortable at home so it works.  Mondays are his Fridays and Saturdays is his Monday.  Weird, I know!

Welcome Back!

So we're coming to a close this week!  This week was my first week back on deck at work and it ended well.  Getting a chance to look at how my week went, it actually worked out pretty good with my new routine.  Roger and I have been on a routine for the past 3 years now with our little circle.  It has drastically changed and all for the better of our family.

Looking back when I found out that I was pregnant with Braxton in the bathroom of my job, I was crying more than I was happy. My MAIN CONCERN was daycare.  That was my only concern.  And it's so good to stand here, down the road and visit the same bathroom and be able to look in the mirror and say "God turned it".  My biggest concern is a pigment of my imagination.  God took care of it and more than likley had it taken care off before I even know I was pregnant. The Lord literally opened the door himself and presented an opportunity for Roger to work weekends.  12 hour shifts, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  So only one day a week Braxton goes to a lovely church mother and it's GREAT.  Literally 90% we save of what we thought we'd spend for his daycare.  God is so good. 

My Mondays are RIDICULOUS.  But I have too and will remain to look at it as if the Lord made it this way for a reason.  Otherwise we'd have him in daycare 5 days a week as opposed to 1 day a week.
 Monday Sched

Wake up at 5 all four of us
Take Roger to work by 6
Come back home and get us all dressed
Feed everyone
Take Gabrielle to school
Drop Braxton over by Capital
Go to work
Leave work get Braxton
Pick up Gabrielle
Come back to Rex by 6
Drop everyone home
Go to school by 6:30
Then be home by 9:00

But the Lord wouldn't put anymore on me than I can bare!

How do I know, well in the beginning of the semester I registered for my class to end during the middle of October. The rest of the class will switch to Tuesday and Thursday.  So the Lord knew I would have this Monday as a day where it was busy for ALL of us, especially the kids waking up so early.  So even though this looks like my Mondays for a few years, at least we have a reliable car and I wont have to go to school afterwards!

Otherwise, it's been a breeze knowing that Roger and Braxton are at home relaxing in the comfort of our own home, while Gabrielle is thriving at the Upper Room. 
Pumping at work has been extremely easy as my job has made it more than convienient for me.  BUT, that's all coming to an end after tomorrow.  I've made the decision to stop breastfeeding, more on that later!

Thank God for a VERY productive and a easy transition for us all with our new routine.

Happy Birthday Baby!

Surpriseeeee! I'm so late with this. Baby girl has turned three years old. What better way to celebrate than with a surprise arts and craft party for my new preschooler! I had a budget for this party considering I spent an astonmical amount on my baby shower. I'm not sure how much I managed to save or spend but as long as I saw clearance prices than I had to be saving money right? 

With back to school shoppers already done with their shopping, tons if school supplies were on clearance. I'm talking 24 crayon packs (crayola) for just .25 cents, glue sticks .15 cents, paper, rulers,stickers, paint, you name it, I brought it. I LOVE Target! Speaking of Target, I think I'm going to start posting blogs about my savings there........yeah that's a good one. 

Anyway all was well. We got her to sleep over at Shawn's on a Friday with plans for everyone to arrive by 2:30 the next day! Daddy long legs wasn't there for the party...... More on that a little later.  I spent the morning with Braxton cooking and setting up with him strapped to me Kangaroo style! I'm taking lasagna, spaghetti, 30 cupcakes, decorating all with this boy attached to my stomach in a carrier, I can't deal! 

It worked out fine and the surprise was awesome. She was taken back but wa hyped the rest of the day. Haaaaaa my big girl! 

Happy Birthday Baby 

Welcome to New York, not!

They can have that mess; I'm sooooo over it. Glad to be home where there's order, peace, GRASS, open roads and no corner stores although it housed the best back in the day candies all for 5 to 10 cent. 

No lie, I had a headache each and everytime we hit the road. Talk about everyone having road rage, geesh. I'm sure they're all made because of the limited space or the amount of cars on the road. I mean pile ups where everywhere you turned. I can't even imagine that I too was one of those people who cursed drivers, tail gate cars, and swift in and out of traffic to actually go absolutely no where, especially today since I think I'm so at peace on the road. 

It was just a mess, ratchet girls, ratchet songs on Hot 97 and just a pure mess all around, except for my friends and family of course. They thankfully were enjoyable and worth the visit. The food was good to me as well. Pizza, Caribbean food, White Castle, BBQ's and more Caribbean food, yum. 

Plan ride was smooth with the kids. My Braxton boy was at his best and so was my girl. I actually got compliments of having well behaved kids, who'da thunk it. We took all modes of public transportation and Gabrielle loved it. She got spoiled rotten so much she needed an extra carry bag on the plane for all of her new belongings! 

But anywho, mommas glad she's back home with her family! 

That's my daddy! 

In with the Old out with the New!

Well my dear friend Susie was on her last leg but at the wrong moment of course. My Suzuki Forenza died on me August 21 the day school started. It died just right of the highway with me and my kids in car with the rain. Feeling helpless that day was an understatement. 

Thankfully my sister never let us go a DAY missing out on our normal routine. Roger always got to and from work, then from there Mondays and Wednesdays I got to and from class, church on Sundays, grocery shopping and all. 

It was such as emotional time for me, but  I stayed prayed up, got the encouragement from my circle and The Lord blessed and gave us double for our trouble. Of course we weren't prepared to began with car payment after having paid off Susie long time ago. But The Lord turned EVERYTHING around. The Lord revealed what we needed, how we were gonna get it and afford it. Saturday September 8th, we picked out a 2014 Jeep Patriot! Haaaaaaaa yes! What a blessing and a testimony! 

 

How Good God Has Been

IMatthew 6:25 
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 

Words cannot express how good God has been to my family and I. I just finished giving Braxton his first bottle of formula. Why you ask; well it's for a number of reasons.....most importantly he needs to sleep a little longer and allow  me and his daddy more time to sleep. I honesty don't think my milk holds him long enough throughout the night. With me going back to work in a few weeks, its also imperative. 

It took no mind debating from myself, I merely thought about it and just decided that "hey, tonight he needs formula". An that's when it hit me, when I reached inside my cabinet to grab a can out of 75 cans that I had a choice. Let me began by saying that I had no CLUE how I was gonna afford daycare, milk, diapers, anything for that matter considering Braxton was a complete blessing in disguise or should I say blessing in "surprise"! I had no idea how Roger and I were gonna afford milk since "at that time"' breastfeeding was NOT an option. 

Not only did The Lord change my mind about breastfeeding but he gave me a persevering spirit and all the supplies I needed. It's so easy to say yes that The Lord will supply you with what you need and you think that means you can afford to spend money in cans of milk every week. But I l know that the supply he means is what he blessed us women to have, breastmilk! 

When I think about it and back to my early pregnancy stage, I was really scared. My mind ran one hundred miles a minute debating to breastfeed, formula feed, how to afford it, credit card or start saving, no clue! So I just went along with the flow, continued to enjoy my pregnancy and boom....... It hit me, Jocelyn, you're gonna breastfeed and its gonna work. I got educated, found out my $450 dollar pump was covered 100 percent through my insurance or I should say covered under the blood of Jesus. 

I've pumped so far 3 months of milk, still breastfeeding 9 weeks in and the kicker of tnall is if and I do mean if something goes left while I return to work on also have another blessing from The Lord. For example, I kind of get overwhelmed when it to much going on and I get easily frustrated. I'm no stranger at letting things go so Incan focus on more important task at hand, like sanity. With that being said, once I return back to work full time, that also means that I would pump at work 3 times a day, rush to get home JUST in case the last evening pump should nt occur. Right afte work, school 2 times a week from 6 to 9 and my boobs will be hard as a rock by then.

The whole taking the Manuel pump is one of those "team to much" situations and it would really fustrate me to have to leave class to do this in what, a bathroom. Anyhow, if things start to get hected, and if the whole mirror of "use it or loose it" really happens with my milk and it dries, I have 75 cans of good start formula all expires next year late 2014 sitting waiting for whenever. 

Suppliers are always dropping of samples for expectant mothers at he job, and my office was thoughtful enough to let me share in the goods if I needed it! 

What a blessing! So far so good Braxton's body has been able to accept the milk. And I'm gonna pray that he continues because this milk is not sitting in my house in vein. So looking ahead, Braxton's first year of eating is taking are of without any financial strain on me. Besides storage bags, breast shields, etc. The Lord made it to where I wouldn't have to worry about a THING. 

Two Months Already

I'm not mad at all that you've already turned 8 weeks. It's exiting watching you grow and become more alert each day. Honestly, these next few up comings months, is when it gets really fun. The smiles and laughs, baby talk, the the little baby jar food, teething, crawling. It's gonna be busy, but a fun busy! 

Your sister just can't get enough of you. She wants you wide awake just so she can entertain you. Sometimes when you're asleep, she goes in your face and yells, "Braxton are you SLEEPING", as if your eyes aren't closed. Her whining however has gotten worse, especially at the times I need her to settle down. 

When you're not available however, she does know how to entertain herself! It's funny because sometimes when she gets mistreated or tired of playing with her little friends, she always resorts back to playing by herself, especially if we're home. 

You on the other hand buddy just loves to be held. And you'll fall asleep instantly. Put you down and wide awake! 

The best moment EVER! Naps

Ahhhh yes. This is the life. A total of 2 hours alone, we'll not exactly alone, but you know what I mean. This was indeed a Kodak moment. 2 horses people, two hours. I was totally revived after they awoke. I ate lunch peacefully, watched a few recorded shows and even rested myself..........mmmmmmmm the best. Now back to making diner before Roger gets home and off to school it is!