Jesse Coulter

This past weekend at the Thrive Conference, Emma from A Beautiful Mess, spoke about the power of goal making. She credited setting measurable goals as her #1 trait of being boss (not just a real boss, but being bad a*# in general). I also love reading Nicole and Chelsea's monthly goals posts, so I thought I would join in and share with you my small goals for March. I hope to continue this for the rest of the year.

This year started out wonderful with the birth of Walt and Whitney and ended horribly with the passing of my Dad. Sorry to be a downer, but it's the truth. 2017 will be a tough year as my family and I experience a year of firsts without my Dad but we're strong and will get through it together. I pray 2017 is a year of spiritual growth, memorable experiences, and lots of love.

Here's a positive recap of 2016:

One more month and my last babies will be one year old! As I see them grow in to toddlers, I am making more of an effort to be present and aware of the baby stage. Smell their baby skin, kiss their soft cheeks and bald heads and soak up their baby giggles.

LIFE LATELY:

- I am dragging my feet in planning their birthday party for a couple of reasons. 1.) My life is INSANELY busy right now. 2.) Every time I start to plan in my head I get completely overwhelmed with all the things I want to do and shut down. Planning a birthday during Christmas is not fun. There are days when I think about going ALL out, and then other days when I think they'll be lucky if they get a cake.

- Last week Whitney and I took a quick overnight trip down south to visit my parents. When we got home Alex said "Do you want to see what the boys and I did this weekend?" He proceeded to show me pics of them at Catch Air (an indoor play park), which he took them to on Saturday night. Then Sunday he took them to breakfast, grocery shopping at HEB, and then to a kid's birthday at Mt. Playmore (another indoor play place). I couldn't believe it. Alex said they all had a great time, but he was definitely tired.

- I totaled my van (which I had bought a year 1/2 ago after totaling my last car, and replaced the transmission 6 months ago for $5,000 because we thought we would drive it forever...UGH!!!). All three kids were with me which was very scary, but thankfully everyone was OK. We bit the bullet and bought a new Toyota Sienna and I'm in LOVE!

Last Christmas I had an advent calendar for Turner, decorated my entire house, did tons of holiday themed activities, and hosted a Favorite Things Christmas Party for my closest friends. This year I was lucky enough to get a tree up and decorated. I'm taking it easy this year, and that's OK.

Over the past 4 years of being a Mother I've always felt I was a bit different than most moms. I'm over the phrase mom guilt, and often don't feel guilty for the decisions I make. However, I do want to discuss this topic that has often crossed my mind.

It's odd that as a kid I was VERY messy...so much so my nick name was Messy Jesse. My room was always filthy and I never picked up after myself (sorry mom). Today I'm the complete opposite, and actually enjoy cleaning...well I enjoy a clean home. I've teamed up with Lemi Shine to show you my "attempt" at creating a cleaning routine that includes the whole family.

This past weekend Turner and I went to our first yoga class together at The Little Yoga House's newest location in North Austin.  We participated in the Family Yoga class, and I loved it! The focus was "kids first, grown-ups second", and our instructor emphasized the class was all about connecting and having fun with your child.  We did partner poses, group poses, silly flowing sequences and yoga games!

A few months ago I met my friend Stephanie for lunch and her adorable baby girl was wearing the cutest bonnet. She told me about the company Love Factory New York, which all of the items are handmade by a woman named Rie. I immediately reached out hoping to collaborate. A few weeks later Rie sent me these adorable outfits for Walt and Whitney.

SIX MONTHS! We've made it halfway, hallelujah! Time has not flown by...it's slooowwwlllyyy krept by BUT we are happy, alive and grateful. 

Life lately: 

• Sleep deprivation is still a very real struggle due to Walt waking up at least twice a night.

• We started buying diapers and formula this month and WHOA! Talk about a budget buster. Our new phrase might be, "Put it on the credit card."... kidding and kind of not kidding.

• Work and planning my local blogger event has kept me VERY busy, and by Tuesday of every week I feel like it should be Friday. Most nights I don't get to bed till around 11pm, and I'm passed out in less than a minute. 

• I'm so excited to have 6 month photos of the babies taken by my good friend and Austin photographer, Laura Morsman, next weekend!

Month 3 seemed a tiny bit easier because the babies gas and colic was subdued and feeding was much easier! I had my first full week alone and a couple of weekends with just Alex and I, and finally felt comfortable handling both babies. Now handling all 3 of my children is another story, and I haven't had to do that yet.

Let me tell you, weekends alone suck. Alone meaning no extra help from family. I feel like it's a never-ending cycle of no sleep, feeding, rocking, burping, repeat. It's been tough on me, because I love to be active...especially when the Texas weather is absolutely AMAZING right now (mid-70's). We can get out, but it takes forever. So what usually happens is Alex and I take turns. For example; last Saturday afternoon, I took Turner and Whitney to a friend's baseball game, and later that night Alex took Turner to a movie while I took care of the babies. So basically we're never all together unless we're at home. I don't mind it too much, because it gives me an opportunity to spend quality time with Turner. Finding the new normal has been hard, and going back to work is going to bring a whole new dynamic to our situation. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

I discovered my new favorite activity during month 3, selling baby clothes to second hand stores (Once Upon a Child, Kid to Kid, and SparkleKids)! Walt and Whitney have outgrown their newborn clothes, and many of their winter 0-3 month outfits so I took a bunch of clothing and miscellaneous items to a few kids second hand stores and was blown away! Not only did I make some great money, but I also discovered super cheap clothes that I adored and most for less than $4! Whitney doesn't have a lot of clothes, so I bought her a few zip-up terry cloth Carter's sleepers for $2 each, and then 4 new comfy 3-6 month summer outfits for less than $15 total. Old Navy and Gap are my baby clothing kryptonite (seriously, they have THE cutest dang clothes), but it's SOOO hard for me to spend money on baby clothes. It feels painful at times. I might buy a few outfits that I can't walk away from BabyGap or Old Navy, and then get all of her outfits for daycare from second-hand stores. I've been wanting to bite the bullet and buy a cute pair of baby moccasins for both of them, but I seriously can't justify spending more than $15-20 for a pair...and even that is pushing it. This is mostly because they can't walk. When they start walking I won't mind spending more on a quality pair of shoes but $25 is usually my limit. I also have this strong desire to find cute matching outfits (in different colors), so when I do I usually have to spend more money.

Sleep:

• Alex still sleeps in our bedroom, and Whitney is in our closet in a rock n' play. Walt sleeps in the nursery in a rock n' play, and I sleep in our guest bedroom. We do this because we get more uninterrupted sleep that way. I only wake up when I hear Walt, and vice versa for Alex with Whitney.

• Walt's head is very flat on his right side, so I've been trying to get him to nap on his belly in hopes that he won't have to get a helmet. When I transition them to their cribs, I will likely put both on their bellies once I'm completely done swaddling.  

• Walt sleeps 3-4 hours straight on a good night, and Whitney has a great 5-6 hour stretch. Poor Walt...no one wants "Walt night duty" because it's a lot more work than easy going Whitney. Although, the first night after they went to daycare all day, Walt slept 6 hours and Whitney slept 10!

• Naps are getting a bit better. They will have a good 1-2 hour nap during the morning and afternoon, but they usually aren't at the same time. Then they'll have a few short 30-45 min. naps throughout the day.

Health: 

• Walt and Whitney have both had a cold for a few weeks, but Walt is much worse. We took him to the doctor a few days ago and sure enough he has an ear infection (the day after I go back to work...typical). He has a rattly chest and coughs like an old man every once in a while when he tries to cough up the phlegm. They both have tons of green snot, but thankfully I have the Nose Frieda to save the day.  

• I got whatever they had, and it got so bad that one night my throat was so red and swollen that I could barely swallow. I didn't sleep a wink because every time I did swallow it was extremely painful. I went to a throat specialist the next day and he prescribed me a steroid and an antibiotic. This same sickness actually happened to me about a month prior, and I had to go to an urgent care facility and was prescribed antibiotics as well.  They ruled out strep both times. I will never take my throat for granted again! With all that being said, taking care of a baby while your sick sucks...taking care of TWO babies while your sick is HELL! I texted my mom at 5am when I was feeding Walt because I knew that I couldn't make it through another day without an extra hand. She is the best, and came right away (praise you Gigi)!

Eating:

• Whitney is on a added rice starch formula for reflux/spit up, and Walt drinks a gentle formula for gas. They are drinking 4-5 oz. per feeding, which can be every 3-4 hours.

• I just changed out our Dr. Brown nipples to size 2 for 3 month olds, and I'm hoping this makes feeding take less time. Walt takes FOREVER to eat.

Growth:

• Clothing - 0-3 months
• Diapers - Size 1 Huggies (Pampers are too tight)

Likes:

• Baby Einstein play gym, they enjoy looking up at the dangling toys that play music
• Walks in the ACK Wrap. If I have trouble getting Walt to sleep I put him in the wrap and he's OUT! It's also a way for me to help round out his head instead of having him on his back during the day. I felt like a supermom when I grocery shopped with Walt in my wrap.

Dislikes:

• Walt seems to have an love/hate relationship with pacifiers. He will take them for a few seconds, and it will soothe him...then he spits it out. Not sure if his latch is just weird, because he's always had trouble with bottle feeding as well. 

Fun Facts:

• Walt:
• This child does not stop moving! He is constantly grunting, looking side to side, stretching backwards, wiggling and squirming. Whitney on the other hand is the exact opposite. She's calm, quiet, and stares deep in to your soul with her blue eyes ; )
  

• Walt can roll to his back if he's laying on his stomach.

• Whitney: 
• Loves to smile, and likes when I stick my tongue out at her. I think I got a little giggle the other day.

• I'm officially obsessed with dressing her up. My budget is going to take a hit once she starts walking.

Check out my recent post on LiveMom's blog about the importance of creating quality relationships with your neighbors. Families need a strong village these days, and I've loved getting to know my neighbors the past 3 years! 

Tomorrow I'm officially heading back to my full-time marketing job. I was beyond blessed to be able to stay home with Walt and Whitney for 12 weeks and be payed for that time off. It's sad that is rare in our country. I got to spend countless hours holding, feeding, rocking and playing with my babies and I'll forever be grateful for that time. I didn't sleep much, received tons of help from family and friends, went on many afternoon walks, cried a lot and took lots of weekend trips to my parents. I will miss their sweet faces, naps on my chest, newborn smell, smiles and giggles.

I'm a tad anxious about heading back to work, not so much about leaving the kiddos, but being able to perform and be on the ball. Lack of sleep is very real, so I don't want it to affect my work or business decisions (Walt still wakes up every 3-4 hours). I also know that I will have to take more time off due to sick babies (it's inevitable), Walt's laser treatments for his hemangioma, and monthly check-ups. Not to mention I will likely be getting sick more often (I was sick a ton the first year I put Turner in daycare). I think every working mom worries about the push and pull of motherhood and work and keeping a good balance.


When my maternity leave ended with Turner I was devastated about leaving him, but I'm much more ready to get back to work this time around. I'm looking forward to having a hands-free lunch everyday, socializing with other adults, and putting my marketing skills back in to action. I'll also be able to work out during my lunch break, and I'm so ready to get back in to shape. As a second time mom, I know my babies will be fine at daycare. They will be loved, and at the end of the day won't hate me for leaving them. Now, don't get me wrong I would love to spend some days of the week with my babies, but financially that is not an option for my family. I wrote about my decision to go back to work on Austin Moms Blog months ago, and it was the most controversial article I've ever written. The comments from stay at home moms were nasty, and made me realize how real and RIDICULOUS "mommy wars" are. To each their own is what I believe. We all parent different and that's OK! The post barely scratched the surface of why I was going back to work, but if I had known what a reaction it was going to cause I might have done a bit more explanation...but then again, I don't owe those judgmental women anything.


I think the hardest part in the beginning will be getting everyone ready and out the door in the mornings. Wish me luck with this new transition. I know it will feel a bit rocky at first!

Just 6 days after Walt and Whitney were born, Kayla Snell, came to my home to shoot photos of the their new closet for The Container Store's blog. I asked her to snap a few photos of Alex and I with the babies as well and I am in love with them! Turner was at school so this photo shoot went much smoother than our family photos. 

I was sweating profusely, felt fat, and my boobs were extremely swollen, but gosh dang it my hair looked good...haha. Their cute outfits and beanies are from Old Navy. I will cherish this images forever.

One of my favorite new traditions is to order a family yearbook every year to document the stages of our children, marriage, vacations, and more! It's honestly the easiest way for me to print the hundreds of pictures I take throughout the year. I ordered the book through Shutterfly and it totaled $57. I had a 50% coupon and the shipping was free.  I started off with the 20 page book thinking I would be able to fit everything in it, but ended up with 35 total pages! Some of my pages include;

• Turner and all of the firsts he experienced as a 2/3 year old (I have a ton of pages dedicated to him)

• Hawaii Vacation

• 5 Year Anniversary

• Holidays w/family

• Summer Activities

• Weekly baby bump photos

I think my favorite pages are the ones dedicated to pictures of Turner with me or Alex. Those snapshots capture a few of the moments we've bonded as parents with Turner.