/ Noted Joys

5.12.2017

Dear Momma

It's Mother's Day weekend, so naturally, I wanted to dedicate a post to my very own mama -- the epitome of strength, dignity and love. I thought I'd do this by writing a letter to the woman I admire most.

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Dear Momma,

On this Mother's Day, I wanted to acknowledge what so many of us forget -- your constant sacrifice.

You always put your family first, no matter the situation or circumstance. And for that I thank you.

As the mother of seven children, I know it wasn't always easy. You did the best you could, and I know that we didn't always cherish that. I admit that even today, there are many times when all of us take you for granted.

Looking back on my childhood, I remember you as super woman. You ran a business that you poured your heart into and did what not very many people would do -- take care of the elderly in your own home. You treated them with such kindness and respect. I always felt that our residents were part of our family because you treated them like they were no less. It is because of you that I learned to respect and love others even when they make it hard. You always taught us that showing humbleness and humanity is one of the most important things to offer in a dark world.

You always had a hot meal on the table, tended to everyone's demanding needs and still managed to make time for all seven of us. Some of my favorite memories consist of you knocking at my door at 10:30 pm, after you tucked everyone else in, to chat with me. I know you were tired and the fact that you chose to spend quality time with your eldest daughter instead of going to sleep speaks volumes about the kind of mother you are.

The sacrifices you've made throughout the years have not gone unnoticed. I know that you had very limited time to spend on yourself -- most of which you dedicated to us. You made sure that we knew you loved us and that we could come to you with anything.

I want to end this letter by thanking you -- for loving us, for tolerating us, and for praying for us. I remember walking into the room and seeing you on your knees with tears streaming down your face as you asked the Lord to watch over your children. I always admired your faithful nature and how passionate you were about teaching us about His love and promises.

You're an exceptional mother and the best grandmother to my sweet Felix. We love you for all you do.

3 comments

5.10.2017

I Don't Know Who You Are Anymore

When I got married, most of my unmarried friends disappeared. A few friends kept in contact here and there, but most of them just fell off the face of the earth. When I'd run into them, small talk was rather uncomfortable. It was like they were strangers. What changed (beside the fact that I now had a husband)? Nothing.

Then I got pregnant and had my son -- another friend filter. I had even less friends than before. I was maybe talking to two girlfriends that weren't related to me and that's sort of upsetting. I just didn't get it. I'm the exact same person I was before. All that changed was the fact that I can't drop everything to hang out with them because I have a few more responsibilities than I did when I was single. So why were they punishing me for that?

I still wanted to grab that occasional cup of coffee, but everyone just pretended like they didn't know me. In the rare occasions that someone did want to talk to me, they'd ask how married life was like -- which was fine, but in reality, being married, having a husband, and a baby doesn't define me 100%

I still had interests and passions, but no one really cared about them. It was a lonely path. One that I've gotten used to.

I've come to the conclusion that lifestyle changes and shifts define the strong friendships. The people that are really your friends are the ones who don't stop talking to you after big life changes. The ones that try to keep in contact no matter the circumstance -- those are the friends I want even if I can count them on one hand.

choose people that choose you.

I often wonder if once they get married and have children, they'll try to rekindle the friendship. I don't mean to sound bitter, but sometimes I think that I wouldn't want to because it would mean that my friendship is situational and that's just crummy.

I will say that I am thankful for Instagram for connecting me to some wonderful mamas and allowing me to make some mama friends that are around my age. It's nice to have people around who just get it.

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I guess all I'm trying to say with this post is that friends that become wives and then mothers can still be good friends even if you're single and feel like you have nothing in common with them. Don't throw away a good friendship just because one of you starts a family.

5 comments

5.05.2017

Target Finds :: Mother's Day Gift Guide

It's that time again -- Target Finds! Since Mother's Day is this month, I thought I'd scout Target for some gifts that you could give to your sweet mama, wife, friend, or a motherly figure who you know, love and cherish. I hope you enjoy these finds, and as always -- look at the bottom of the post for special discounts and offers!

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Blue Camera :: $49.99

Threshold Glass & Metal Vanity Organizer :: $19.99

Color Block Tote :: $39.99

SUGARFIX by BaubleBar Floral Necklace :: $21.99

Threshold Faux Fur Throw :: $35.99

64 GB iPad mini 4 :: $379.99

Door Mat :: $12.99

Me! Bath Land of Milk & Honey Bath Bombs :: $9.99

Timex Weekender Fairfield Slip Thru Leather Strap Watch :: $79.00

Jumbo Mugs :: $5.99
PINK | WHITE

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So, that's all I've got for you for this edition of Target Finds. I really love the idea of gift bundles -- especially for mother's. The mug, some bath bombs, some chocolate and a nice card would be a really sweet set to hand to your mama on a Mother's Day or any other day of the year!

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DEALS

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Disclaimer:

Like all honest people, I do want to let you know that Target will be giving me a small commission if you buy off their site using my link, but no means am I saying should you be pressured to buy anything! If you like something and want to buy it, yay! But if you don't, no hard feelings. I have no way of knowing or tracking your activity.

2 comments

5.01.2017

Quote of the Month | May

This month, I'm really dwelling on the concept of ideas because boy oh boy do I have a lot of them. As a stay at home mom, my day is consumed by taking care of the most precious little and making sure that he has everything he needs to grow up -- healthy, happy, and strong. I love my job as a mom, but sometimes, I have the need to do things for myself.

I started a mom hub on Instagram called @honestlymothering and it has been such a blessing. I wanted this hub to be different from other hubs -- by making it all about community and showcasing moms, their littles and babes. I feel like I'm accomplishing what I've set to do. In three short months, the hub has gained 800+ followers, 3,000+ tags to our hashtag #honestlymothering and the chat loops have been such a hit that we're booked for 8 weeks! I really love watching (and interacting) with this precious mom community. I'm so excited to see what where we'll go from here!

That's just one example of small beginnings turning into a big idea. My next project is possibly opening up a small shop in the fall! I really feel like that this is something that I want to do -- to have for myself, but to also support my family while being a stay at home mom. More details to come about this soon because let's face it -- this is a work in progress and a multitude of little ideas right now. They need to come together or I just need to gather up the courage to make this dream a reality!

big ideas have small beginnings... it keeps ringing in my head, so it's now the quote of the month as I contemplate what the next steps are.

I hope you all have a blessed May that brings you flowers, sunshine, and lots of wonderful memories.

Here's an adorable picture of Felix just because :: he experienced flowers for the first time & I just love that we captured it on camera!

3 comments

4.28.2017

Check In | 24 weeks + Baby's First Easter

It's time for a check in! I cannot believe I've had my little guy around for 24 weeks. He'll be 6 months next week -- seriously?! Where has the time gone?! It feels like just yesterday I was quickly rushing to the hospital because I thought my back was going to break from the labor pains. Now he's this big boy, filling mommy and daddy's life with so much joy!

Felix is such a happy babe. The little man loves watching children and watching home videos of himself. He has all the heart eyes for daddy, but he also needs some serious mommy cuddles. He usually sleeps through the night, waking mom and dad up only once, but since teething has gone full throttle on us, we're waking up at least two times a night to a fussy babe.

Felix was also sick for the first time every time in these past 12 weeks and that was scary for mom and dad. He took the sickness and visiting the doctor 3 times in the span of a week like a champ.

My little guy is a super active baby, always wanting attention and to play! We're no longer taking multiple long naps during the day -- just two: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The rest of the day, momma is alternating us between activities because baby gets bored quickly. We've also gone from hating bath time to loooooving bath time, and that make mama very happy.

Milestones

Can Roll Over.

Two Teeth -- on the bottom

Eating Solid Food.

Baby Talk -- Sounds like "buh" and "tah."

Can Grab Toy & Pick It Up.
Running Around In His Walker.
Sleeps On His Own.
Doesn't Normally Feed At Night.

Since the last check in post at 12 weeks (read it here), I've observed two things:

1. How Fast Babies Grow. I feel like this one hit me like a bag of bricks. I don't know what it is, but every morning when I go to pick up my little guy, he looks so much bigger and more mature than when I put him to bed last night! Little man is just growing way to fast. It's really bittersweet.

2. How Much Baby Needs Mom + Dad. This one seems like a given, but hear me out. Babies are so smart. They know and feel the vibes in the home. Felix picks up on everything. My husband works a 32 hour shift during the weekend and the way his eyes light up when he sees daddy is just melts me -- it's like "oh, hey, you're home, and I'm so happy about it" type of look. When my husband isn't home, he's always eyeing the door. Little man is always wanting to play and be loved by mom and dad. It's just the cutest thing when those little hands grab your face (or in dad's case, beard) and he comes in for a snuggle or slobbery kiss. He's our personal little teddy bear.

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First Easter: We ended up not going to the Easter Morning (or Evening) service at church because Felix was not feeling very well due to teething. He had barely slept at night and didn't take a nap until 4, so I wasn't going to take a fussy little to church. We did go to the Last Supper service on Thursday that week and Felix was such a good baby, I was so impressed with how well behaved he was. As for his first Easter, we didn't do very much. Our families aren't really into Easter baskets and all that jazz, so we had a nice family lunch and that was about it. I can't wait until next year though, hopefully spring will come faster and we can take pretty scenic spring pictures for Easter!

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Here are some pictures from the last 12 weeks of my little sweet Felix Eli:

3 comments

4.25.2017

Wedding :: Anniversary + Photos

It's April 25th :: the day I married my best friend.

Since our wedding day, my husband has been my biggest blessing, my strongest ally and my greatest support. I am super thankful that God gave me someone that exceeded my expectations in ways that I could have never imagined.

Florin, I've loved the laughs and the joy being married to you brings, and am super grateful to have walked alongside you during the hardships we've faced thus far. You've been an exceptional husband, I cannot tell you that enough -- you're altogether wonderful my dear.

2 years and a baby later, those same feelings I had when I first saw on our wedding day emerge every time I see you walk through the door. I loved you then, I love you now, and I'll love you always. Here's to 80 mores years of being together!

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Since this is my first anniversary that I have a blog, I thought I'd share some wedding pictures!