BEAUTY

BABY

NUTRITION

Monday, January 28

Everyday face!

When it comes to makeup, I gravitate towards brands that have the most natural ingredients. Of course the most natural way to go would be without makeup...but I am not one of those girls! I am the kind of girl who cannot leave my house without at least a *little* bit of makeup on. I am hoping to build my confidence to a point where I CAN leave the house without it; but I'm not there yet.

I am a huge fan of the new bare minerals compact! I love the coverage it provides and I also don't find that I am wasting product like before when I used their loose powder makeup. I use ecotools brushes also because they are pretty good quality at an affordable price!

The UD (urban decay) is a makeup setting spray that works incredibly well. I never used a spray like this but I guarantee you, once you try it you will wonder why you didn't try it sooner! It makes it so you do NOT have to reapply makeup for 12+ hours. It's worth the $

I never want to have a 'cake-face' and hate feeling like I'm wearing too much makeup. Wearing a tinted moisturizer with some mineral powder over it gives me just enough coverage to cover uneven skin tone without making me feel like I'm wearing a ton of makeup.


Everyday face


Wednesday, January 16

Abigail's Birth :: September 26, 2012


After waiting 9 long months, our baby girl was finally ready to come earthside. The night before she was born I checked into the hospital where they inserted some cervidil to help soften my cervix. The next morning they started pitocin around 6am and broke my water around 1 or 2, I can't remember. After they broke my water, I started feeling real pain for the first time. They told me that since there was no longer a lot of water surrounding my baby that the contractions would feel a lot stronger, and they were not joking! I wish I could remember the little details more clearly... I don't remember when exactly that I got an epidural...but I definitely got one and am so thankful that I did. I wasn't completely numb but it made it bearable. 

When I was getting the epidural, Ashton called via Skype all the way from Afghanistan. He had left about 6 days before that. The days leading up to his departure were awful. I had spent the weeks before then walking, lunging, bouncing on my yoga ball and doing everything I could to encourage babygirl to come early. I walked around the neighborhood every single day, in 80 degree weather trying desperately to go into labor so that Ashton could be there for our first child's birth. It broke my heart to think of him missing it...and he did. Looking back, I think it was more difficult to anticipate his absence. After he had left it was a little bit easier because I knew the hardest part was over; saying goodbye (for 9 months). 

During the epidural, I almost passed out. I think it was because I had been laying down and suddenly sitting upright made me feel faint. I was shaking from the pain and wanted that epidural more than anything. To be honest I can't even remember any pain from the actual insertion of the epidural....either way, it was nothing compared to the pain of those contractions. I really commend women who go all natural!

So my water broke around 1 or 2 and after a while my contractions picked up so they were back to back. The picture below explains what went on in the moments right before my beautiful girl entered the world:


So yeah, I pushed for less than 30 minutes. In fact, the doctor walked in (he had to drive from his office down the street) JUST in time to deliver Abigail. I progressed really quickly and my body actually started pushing for me. It was a feeling I will never forget. I pushed, and pushed, and put every ounce of my concentration into pushing her out because I just wanted to see her beautiful face so badly...



Rebecca (pictured above) is my best friend. She is the most amazing friend and person. I wish I could find the words to accurately portray how amazing she really is. You can ask her just about anything and she will have an answer for you. She is so caring and is not afraid to tell you whats up. I love her like a sister. So anyway, she flew from Mississippi to Kansas just to be with me and help me before, during, and after having Abby. She was in the room when she was born, and watched Abigail enter the world. I'm pretty sure that she was the first to hold her after me. Having Becca there made everything so awesome, when it could have been so much worse. I had been dreading giving birth without my husband, but I don't think I could have asked for anything more. 

It really was the best birth experience I could have wished for. 



 
Above, I was trying to figure out why I couldn't see Ashton on the screen....yeah, I was pretty upset. He called about 20 minutes after she was born. I was SO excited for him to 'see' Abigail and the damn computer was being a bastard...

  
^ But finally he did...and I will never forget it. His tears made me cry. It was a beautiful moment. 

We, had become three.



My friend who is also an amazing photographer came to my room right before Abigail was born. Talk about amazing timing! She had never experienced a birth before this, and she did an amazing job. I have these photos to cherish forever. 


The next morning we got to go home...I wasn't in any pain. I was barely even sore which shocked me so much, because I expected to be like, bedridden. But I was amazingly energized and refreshed. I can't think of anything better in life than being a Mother. 


In a few short months Ashton will be home from his third deployment and will meet his daughter for the very first time. She will be around 9 months old and I cannot wait. It is going to be just as amazing as the day she was born.