Welcome to The Momma Tribe!

On Friday: October 10, 2014, I became a mom to the most handsome little brown boy I had ever seen. Since I was adopted, my mom was one of my biggest supporters to the idea of breastfeeding. She never got to experience that and she wanted to make sure I did! It was VERY important to me that I breastfed as it was something I always dreamed of doing. On October 13 (day 4) we visited our pediatrician for the first time. She was my pediatrician as a child and I absolutely love her and recommend her to EVERYONE! While there, she asked me how Charlie was latching and being brand new to this experience, I figured any problems I was having at this point were just as much me as they were him, since we were both learning. At this point I was not having any pain, cracking or bleeding, and I didn't realize that Charlie was not eating well. After I answered her she responded with "I just asked because he's a little tongue tied". I had absolutely no clue what that meant, that it cou

On May 1, while at a monitoring appt for my gestational diabetes, I "watched" my real first contraction happen. I had been having Braxton hicks for weeks and started to feel like they were changing and getting serious, but I wasn't convinced till I actually saw it happen! The number climbed as my belly tightened, and I knew my body was preparing once again, to deliver a precious soul earth-side. But this was only the beginning of 4 long weeks of contractions, getting ready for baby girl! For the next few weeks, as I spent 20 minutes at a time, twice a week, being monitored, I wouldn't go another full appointment without seeing a contraction happen! They were exhausting and made me extremely anxious, but I tried to enjoy those last days pregnant and feeling all the kicks and wiggles inside my belly! That is my very favorite part of pregnancy after all! As we inched closer to my due date, it became very clear to me we weren't going to reach it! With a little bit o

As I get to the end of my pregnancy, I wanted to get this post up while all of these things are fresh on my mind, before I forget! Pregnancy is such a magical thing! There are woman around the world who wait their whole lives to be pregnant, some who never expect to be, and some who can't. Whatever your story is, once you are pregnant, as much as you are extremely thankful for that journey, all our bodies handle it differently! And on top of that, our bodies handle each and every pregnancy differently as well! It's certainly not all sunshine and rainbows. Your body goes through some intense changes! Physically, emotionally, mentally, and hormonally! Some stages are beyond rough, and others you could compare to the "honeymoon" stage! Regardless of how your body handles it, there are always tips and tricks you can find to make those days that much easier to get through, to find that reward at the end of it! So here's my tips, tricks, and products that I hope will

I recently had someone write me via instagram, while traveling in Hawaii, asking if it was gonna be the biggest mistake of her life, to take trip from Seattle to Hawaii with an infant! I quickly responded to her, NO, it will be the BEST decision you ever make! And I knew in that moment, you first time mommas needed my help! :] Now first of all, I know what a different experience it can be, parenting for the first time compared to the second! The world of the unknown can be absolutely terrifying, and I think we as moms need to be more open and honest about those days of motherhood! So they don't seem so lonely when we land our selves right in the midst of those impossible days! Sleepless nights, sore/cracked nipples from nursing, painful uterine contractions while our body fights so hard to recover from birth, and of course the ridiculous task of trying to understand WHY IN THE WORLD IS THE BABY CRYING? They can't communicate, can they? OF COURSE they can! (Post on how to deci

WARNING**** graphic photo at the end of post! My first #tinytongan  💙   My little buddy had a scary run in at the dentist today! He had to get his first filling ever, therefore was numb for the first time in his life. He did absolutely INCREDIBLE during his filling, which is every mommas biggest worry with dentist appointments! I should not have been nervous, considering how well he’s done since day one at the dentist, but I still was.... It wasn’t until after his filling was done, our visit turned bad. He was given a popsicle to suck on to help keep his hands out of his mouth and the cold helps him feel better! Well, I wasn’t allowed in the room the whole visit due to him has nitrous throughout and that being harmful to me while pregnant (could put me in labor). I sat in a chair just outside the room the whole procedure and was able to look through the door and see everything at anytime. At this point the door was open and I asked the nurse how long he’d continue the nitrou

For those of you who don't know, I recently ended my journey as a Retailer for LuLaRoe. I've been thinking up this post for a long time, even before deciding to start my new space for mommas on Instagram! But I'm glad I did, to have an avenue for this entry to be shared!:] I had taken a VERY long break from this blog in light of the time, effort and work I was putting into my LLR business for nearly 2.5 years and I wanted to share with you what I learned during my journey, and also get this blog up and running again! I spent all weekend before "launching" my new Instagram, making over this blog and transitioning it to this new chapter! If you'd like to read my older posts all about my Tongan and I {and a little about our first little} just go back to the timeline between 2013-15! :] LuLaRoe CHANGED my life, for the greatest! If you were looking for another post about all the negative things going around lately, you're in the wrong place! I will forever