Happy Half-Birthday, Sarah Parker!

Can you believe it? Sweet Sarah Parker is 18-months-old today!

For those of you who know and love me best, it will come as no surprise that we celebrate the 16th of December. Half-birthdays have always been important to me simply because they inspire us to celebrate and interrupt our everyday lives. Spark is no longer just a "year old", but she isn't quite two either- she is just where she is supposed to be and we are loving every minute!

I remember as the months marched on of her first year of life how I would mourn over the little time left we had of her being a true "baby". While that time is bittersweet, I realize now how dramatic I was being; children are made to grow up and that is a beautiful thing! I no longer get sad over how big Sarah Parker is becoming (sentimental, maybe, but not sad), and instead am so ecstatic to see what she learns and where she is headed next. Life is such a joyous journey with our girl!

For my memory's sake, here is a short list of what Spark is up to these days.

She can...
-Recognize the letter "A" ("ayyyyyyeee")
-Point to most colors when asked and call some by the correct name ("bue!" and "pupul!" are her favorites)
-Correctly identify many farm animals and tell some of their sounds (cats seem to be her most-loved, much to the chagrin of her parents)
-Say several dozen words. She is becoming quite the talker!
-Recognize pretty much every nursery rhyme known to man AND perform their motions. If, perchance, a song doesn't have motions, she makes up her own!
-Point to some of her body parts when prompted (head, nose, mouth, eyes, ears, chin, belly, and toes)

She loves...
-Books! She loves to be read to and to look at books on her own
-Making messes of any kind
-Wearing shoes- especially her winter boots
-Watching Peppa Pig and Mickey Mouse in small doses
-Eating- especially cheese, beans, bananas, apples, and yogurt
-Music (see nursery rhyme note above)
Organizing and helping mommy tidy up
-Stomping on leaves
-Playing at the park and sliding on the toddler slide by herself
-Being thrown on the bed and twirled around by daddy
-Cuddling and snuggling with mommy

Always on the move!

We love you Sarah Parker McGarry and are so glad you're ours!

Making the Most of Consignment Sales

Some of the goodies we snagged from the last consignment sale!

We have had one day within the past two weeks that was under 80 degrees temperature-wise. Still, that one day has given me the sense that Fall and all of the greatness that comes with it is quickly approaching. I have noticed that this time of year is popular for pop-up baby and toddler consignment sales. The sale I visit every year is called Sweet Repeats Consignment, and is held at FUMPM. Their sale for this season runs September 22nd through the 24th. They hold a sale in the Fall and Spring, and I first frequented this sale last Fall with my sweet three-month-old baby. I had no plan or strategy for shopping, I just grabbed whatever was cute (which was, of course, a lot!) and ended up spending close to $100. I learned my lesson that even though these were good deals, if I bought too much of what I didn't actually need I really wasn't saving any money. I devised a better plan for the Spring sale, and will extend that plan to this upcoming season. Below I will list my tips and tricks!

Take Inventory Beforehand 
Even though summer is still very much upon us, last week I went ahead and got Sarah Parker's fall and winter clothes out of storage. I buy the majority of her clothes a year ahead of time at the end of the season when I can benefit from the most sales. I also have been blessed to receive a ton of hand-me-downs, so for the most part Sarah Parker is all set for cooler weather. When I got these clothes out, though, I took note of the few items she didn't have and would need for the Fall. These are the things I am going to be looking for specifically when I get to the consignment shop. For instance, I am constantly on the lookout for dresses since Sarah Parker wears one every Sunday. I know she has some now, but it will be a good idea to buy her more if I find some appropriate ones for a good price at the sale.

Only Get What You Need
By taking inventory of what Sarah Parker already has, I know what she doesn't need. For example, I know she already has two pairs of blue jean leggings. If I see an outfit with blue jean leggings at the sale, I will refrain from buying it- no matter how much I like it. This is a really simple notion, but it is easy to forget when you are sorting through hoards of adorable, discounted baby clothes. On this note, I won't even look at the toys because I know she has more than enough of those. Now, I will say that I do plan on glancing at her next size up- what she will be wearing for the Spring and Summer of 2017. This is a bit trickier as I am in the process of buying those sizes on sale now and haven't taken a complete inventory yet, but if I find something I like at a good price, I won't hesitate in purchasing it, even if it isn't on my "to buy" list.

Stock up on Essentials
Perhaps my favorite use of consignment sales is to buy gently-used essentials for a good price. The best example I have for this is pajamas. I only buy pajamas second-hand because they can be so expensive otherwise, and it doesn't matter what they look like. Some of the PJ's I bought at the last sale had stains or the fabric was pilly, but again it didn't matter because all Sarah Parker was going to use them for was to sleep. Another example of a wardrobe essential I am looking for at this sale is thick tights, which I have found to be hard to find in regular stores. If I don't end up finding exactly what I need, I will simply buy them elsewhere!


I hope these tips are helpful and, if you plan on consignment shopping, I wish the best of luck to you!

Church After Birth

Let me paint a picture for you: a young family sits together in the front pew of a church. They stand and sing when appropriate and sit when asked. The husband wraps his arm around his wife who is holding their quiet, happy newborn baby. If the baby ever starts to fuss, the mother knows exactly what to do and quiets her down quickly. If the baby needs to nurse, that isn't a big deal either; the mother will just quietly leave the sanctuary and go to the nursery to nurse. After the feeding, the mother and child slip back into the sanctuary without making a peep. The father wraps his arm back around the mother as the service continues. They leave happy, spiritually filled, and totally at peace.

This is the picture I had in my head of what church would look like after having a baby.

It doesn't. It looks more like this:

I set my alarm early and pray that it doesn't wake the baby so I have time to shower and get dressed before she needs my full attention. Sometimes she sleeps; sometimes she doesn't. I quickly get her ready for church, grab a muffin and sippy cup of milk and put her in the car so we can get to church early for early service. We leave the house by 8:00 at the latest. We get to church and I put her sippy cup in the fridge and shake off the crumbs of the muffin she ate in the car the best I can. I feel guilty that she had to eat in the car, and then realize I didn't eat at all so it could be worse. I try to find something to entertain her with for the few minutes I have to find my page numbers before church starts (did I mention I lead worship?). My husband, the student minister at our church, is busy in the back getting his Children's Church PowerPoint loaded. People start coming in and talking to my daughter. Sometimes she smiles at them, other times she grumpily ignores them. She won't let any of them hold her. Church starts and I pass her off to my husband while I go to lead music. She whines a little as I pass him off, but he gives her a pacifier to quiet her. Again I feel guilt's sting when I see her with the paci as we have been trying to wean her off of it at home, but know that it is better than her crying right now. I take the baby back as my husband goes up to do announcements. This is immediately followed by a song, so we pass the baby off another time. He holds her until the song is over, and I take her back so she can have some mommy time. She starts to fuss and my husband takes her to the nursery. I finish up singing my songs, and move to the back pew so I can be discreet if I need to step out. I hear the first few minutes of the sermon, and then the bloodcurdling cry of my child. I pick her up from the nursery and put her in the back pew with me, wiping tears off her face. She plays with the bibles on the back of the pew along with the hymnals, anything BUT the numerous toys and books I packed to distract her with. I look around to make sure she isn't distracting any of the other churchgoers. Every now and then she lets out a few coos. "Is that too distracting? Should I take her out?" I wonder to myself. She stays quiet for a few minutes, and then starts to full-on fuss. I move to the back vestibule where I can still hear the last few minutes of the sermon and walk and bounce her around until it is time for the invitation and for me to lead the final song. This time I take her with me and hold her so that I don't upset her again, and then it is time for Sunday School. I stay in the nursery with her during this time, just so she can play and have mommy there for some normalcy, and then it is time to repeat the process all over for the 11 o'clock service.

Is it worth it?

So many times this question has entered into my mind and each time, thankfully, the Lord answers with an enthusiastic yes. 

Mommas of littles, it may not always seem like it, but you are assisting the Lord in building a firm foundation for your child's spiritual growth. One of the major building blocks in your child's spiritual life is being a part of a body of believers on a regular basis. I would argue that it is what God wants us as Christians to do and, thus, is important for our children to be a part of even from the earliest of ages.

But let's get real here, when your child is an infant or young toddler like my Sarah Parker, they are not the ones getting anything out of church. A mother's attention needs to be on making sure her child's needs are being met, but your spiritual needs are also important and need to be met as well. If you are not in the right place spiritually, how do you expect to serve the Lord in your family?

I do not claim to be an expert on this topic, as I am still just learning what works myself. I do know this: church with a baby can be hard. I also know that there are ways to make it easier for all parties involved. Here are a few tips I have picked up along the way.

Don't Have Too High of Expectations
When I was pregnant, Wes and I discussed at length what church experience we wanted for our child. We decided that, from a purely spiritual standpoint, we wanted our daughter to be in the sanctuary as much as possible. We both realize how great of a spiritual asset the nursery can be for parents, but we wanted to go a slightly different route. I honestly thought it would be no big deal, entertaining and keeping a little one quiet. Boy, was I wrong! Admittedly, this task is getting easier now that Spark is a little older, but for a while there, she was either screaming or babbling uncontrollably. That is when we started to utilize the nursery more, but oftentimes my clingy baby would have nothing of it. It honestly stressed me out so much at first, until I decided I wouldn't let it. We still want Sarah Parker to be in the worship service as much as possible, but have no problem taking her in the nursery for a few minutes if need be. She is a toddler who needs to play, after all! And if she cries while in the nursery, I refuse to let that stress me out either. I will just pick her up and let her be with me. In the beginning I was so concerned about how other people viewed this, but now I don't care, frankly. Wes and I will continue to do what is best for our child and family.

Don't Just Go Through the Motions
There are some Sunday mornings when it would be much easier to be in bed. Those are the times you need to be with God the most, I'm convinced. This past Sunday was like that for me, but I focused my attention on the why of going to church and then tried to focus all my energy into worship. To be completely honest, focusing in general is more strained when you are making sure your child isn't playing with an outlet, but it is possible. Whatever you do, don't just show up. Make sure you are all there, mind, body, and spirit, to the best of your ability. And if you have to focus on your child over the service for a few minutes, remember that God has called you to serve them as well! It may not seem like it, but bouncing, tying shoes, and wiping noses is an act of worship too if you are in the right frame of mind.

I read this verse while rocking my baby in the nursery this past Sunday morning, and it spoke so clearly to my heart:

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

It is possible, and even common to be serving other gods inside the walls of the Lord's house. But, as Joshua stated so boldly, I will choose every day (even on busy, stressful days) to actively serve my God! I encourage you to do the same.

Ask for Encouragement
I remember so specifically one Sunday a few months ago that we had a bad morning. The details of the beginning of the day now evade me, but I remember walking with Sarah Parker in the back vestibule feeling completely empty, disheartened, and spent. My pastor Grant's sermon that day was on Godly encouragement, and as he closed the lesson, my heart in its tattered state called out to the Lord, "God, please let me be encouraged."

A few mere minutes later, an older lady of the church approached me and told me that our family was an inspiration to her. That she could she our efforts and knew that God would bless them. She pointed to my child and noted that it wasn't easy, but that in the end it would be worth it. She knew how it felt because her kids were once little, but now are all successful, God-fearing adults.

I just blinked at her with tears in my eyes, babbling off a thank you. I was so amazed that God spoke through her exactly what I needed to hear, just a few minutes after asking for His help. While results aren't guaranteed to be as evident as in my experience, God tells us over and over again in scripture that if we ask in His name, He will gladly give to us. Encouragement is fuel to help you fight the battle of motherhood, and I am confident that God will work to provide it to you.

Supplement Your Growth and Praise
As I noted earlier, sometimes a mother's focus is not 100% on the sermon at church. If and when this is the case, it is so vital for moms to supplement their spiritual resources. Every believer should be in God's word daily, especially tired mommas who are susceptible to Satan's attacks. There are also a wealth of resources to help your growth; books, pod casts, even YouTube videos of sound teachers. One of the things I love to do is listen to music that points heavenward. One of my favorite Spotify playlists to listen to at the moment is called "Hymns for Hipsters"- I really recommend it!

Whatever you choose to do to help supplement your spiritual life, I urge you to measure it up against the Bible's teachings. False teacher often sound good, but compared to the true Word of Life they should be easy to spot!

Come with Open Hands
For my final and perhaps most important point, I ask that each time you come to church you do so wanting and expecting to be fed. Each and every time. This may seem impossible with all the interruptions and distractions, but let me assure you that our God is able to overcome all of that! I can personally testify that in the past year I have received more blessings and lessons from God in the hymns I've sang trying to calm my baby in the nursery, the partial sermons I've heard before the crying started, and the quiet moments with God as I rocked my baby during Sunday School than I ever could have imagined. Again, if you ask God and are expectant of His answer, He will always show up- even in the most unlikely of places. Know that your role as a mother is your mission field, and by performing your motherly duties with a clean heart you are in the center of God's will for your life. Week after week, come to your Father's house with open hands, and He will give you the bread of life.

Nothing about motherhood is easy, and many of our roles change after giving birth. Again I say with a full heart, it will be worth it! Furthermore, church may look a little different after birth, but I believe it can be even more meaningful.

How to Survive Vacation with a Toddler: While You're There

This is the third and final post in a series I've written about tips for taking a toddler on vacation. You can find the first post here and second post here. And now for the fun stuff: what we actually did on our vacation.

Admittedly, this was the portion of the trip I planned for the least. I knew Sarah Parker would have a blast no matter what we did, and wanted to play each moment by ear to see what suited her best. I did, however, make a few preparations before leaving.

When we took Sarah Parker on vacation when she was only a few weeks old, we brought her baby bath tub with us to the beach. If you have a tiny baby, I highly recommend this, because she LOVED it! We didn't end up putting any water in her tub, but it served more as a very easy to clean bassinet. Had she have been older and able to splash, I totally would have filled it with water and let her have her own swimming pool. Since that was such a hit last year, I decided to use the same method this year. Wes and I went back and forth trying to decide if we should take the bath tub again, which she is almost too big for, or a bigger, kiddie paddling pool. We ended up deciding the latter. In hindsight, I wish we had gone for the tub route again. The paddling pool was the perfect place for Spark to splash around when we wanted a break from swimming in the ocean, but it was very heavy for Wes to drag on the sand after filling it with water from the ocean. Also, it gave Sarah Parker a lot more room and freedom, and I was paranoid that she would fall in if I wasn't holding on to her the whole time. I think if I had taken the tub where she could still splash but not move around, I would have been able to relax a little more. Finally, after our week's worth of dragging, splashing, and transporting, the pool got completely dented and ruined. So, with that said, for our newly one-year-old, I would have stuck to the baby tub; however, next year when she is bigger, I think the kiddie pool will be perfect!

For the past three months or so, Sarah Parker has been a pretty regular 10 o'clock napper. I was worried how this would work at the beach since after eating breakfast and getting ready, that ended up being about the time the rest of my family would be ready to head to the ocean. Early in the week, I decided I would try to get Sarah Parker to fall asleep on the way to the beach, and then just hold her on the sand until she woke up. I really, really ended up liking this strategy. We stayed in a campground that allows golf carts, so Wes and I would get ready and then ride around on the cart with Spark around her nap time until she fell asleep. Then, we would drive to the beach and I would hold her while relaxing under the umbrella until she woke up. Of course she would always wake up happy because, hey, she was at the beach! It worked ev.er.y time. And on that note, whenever we wanted to get her to sleep, we would just go for a ride on the golf cart. Seriously, every nap or bed time we would go for a ride and she would very quickly fall asleep. I suggest staying somewhere where you can ride or rent a golf cart because they are baby nap magic and helped to keep her sleeping schedule normal. We contemplated buying one for back home :)

Sarah Parker had an absolute blast! She loved every part of the beach- especially the ocean waves. Wes and I also had so, so much fun. One day near the end of our trip, as Spark was splashing in the water, I gushed to him that people only think they are having fun at the beach unless they are their with their child. It was such a pleasure to see all of the familiar sights through her innocent eyes. And, with our planning, we had almost no hang ups! Family time is such a blessing, and we can't wait for our next adventure. 

How to Survive Vacation with a Toddler: Getting There

This is the second post in a series about my tips for making vacationing with a toddler a success. If you missed the first post, you can find it here.

The aspect of our trip that gave Wes and I the most anxiety beforehand was the actual process of traveling there and back. You see, Sarah Parker went through a phase from around age 6-10 months where she would scream bloody murder any time we were in a moving vehicle, so our nervousness was justified. The only way to make her somewhat content (but still not happy) was for someone to sit in the back with her- that someone being momma. At this point when we looked toward the coming months of road trips and vacations, it seemed like the task of getting there was going to be impossible. We thought back to our road trips last year with our two-week old who literally slept the whole ride there and burned with jealousy for our former selves. Happily, Sarah Parker began slowly growing out of this phase just in time for our trip, but I still knew that riding 5 hours would be hard on her. So, just like with packing, I devised a plan to try to keep any major meltdowns at bay.

What I Planned

I thought that the best tactic would be to mix familiarity with novelty. The months before our trip we had been slowly weaning Spark off of needing me in the back seat with her, but for this trip I decided that it was best for me to sit with her and help her find ways to be entertained. I keep a few toys in our car under normal circumstances, and so I decided those would be my first items to grab if and when the baby got antsy. My next approach was to offer items out of what I lovingly dubbed the "Bag O' Fun".

This bag was a wonderful gift to us! You can't tell in the picture, but it is monogrammed with SP's initials. I was so excited to use it for the first time, and can't wait to watch Spark use it in the years to come. For a similar toddler-sized bag, look here.

Again, inside the Bag O' Fun I added a mix of things Sarah Parker was familiar with, and new things that she hadn't seen yet. Here is a glimpse at what was inside.

The books I packed were old favorites- ones that had extra entertaining value because they popped up, or had slide bits.  I purchased the Color Wonder markers (those are the kind that only marks on paper!) and puzzle new for this trip. 

                                              

And then I had a very special pocket that contained the big guns: bubbles and Play-Doh (notice that the Play-Doh is white...I'm not that crazy!). Now, I know these aren't conventional options for car rides as they both could potentially cause a mess, but I was completely willing to risk that as I knew these were Sarah Parker's favorite things to play with. And when would she ever get to do either of those things in the car? It sounded exciting to me, and I knew she would love it too! I decided only to open this pocket if things got really dicey.

Spoiler alert: it did. 

What Really Happened

We decided to leave around 5:30 am with the hopes that Sarah Parker would go right back to sleep. She ended up not falling back to sleep until 6:30, but was quiet and still sleepy up until that point. We played her favorite nursery rhyme CD on loop for most of the ride, so she was happy just listening to the music at first.

She slept until we stopped for breakfast around 7:15 and ended up not sleeping any more for the rest of the trip (insert big eyed, shocked emoji here). She was generally happy for the rest of the trip. She quickly went through her usual car toys, and enjoyed the activities in the Bag O' Fun. I pretty much let her play with anything that entertained her! 

Our Blankie and Sis were with us all of the way!

Yes, this is my daughter wearing funky shades and chewing on an empty bottle of Gas Drops. You do whatever is necessary to keep a toddler entertained for five hours of being strapped into a car seat. 

The Play-Doh and bubbles were hands down the biggest hit. When she was at her wits end, I whipped out one of those and it would make her happy when most of the other toys would just make her content. She didn't have to play with these things long- just enough to get her to calm down.

Of course, there were a few break downs that even bubble and Play-Doh couldn't help. As I previously mentioned, Spark was running on very little sleep. She did a remarkable job, but towards the end she was sleepy and cranky. For those moments, Wes downloaded some of Spark's favorite nursery rhyme videos on the iPad. I always feel guilty letting Sarah Parker watching these videos, but for this ride it really was a necessity. I would only let her watch two or three songs at a time to calm herself down and then direct her attention elsewhere.

What I'll Do Next Time

I definitely will be using the same approach next road trip, but with a few changes. Sarah Parker really was too young to fully appreciate the markers and puzzle. In hindsight, it would have been best to fill up that bag space with something more age-appropriate. She played with the puzzle pieces and the markers, but not in the way she was "supposed" to. Knowing what I know now, I would have packed stickers instead of markers and would have swapped the puzzle for some shoestrings (Spark LOVES playing with these) and other, smaller toys. Everything else in the bag was a hit- especially the bubble and the Play-Doh, so I will certainly be including them in the Bag O' Fun for future trips. Sarah Parker's joy was worth more than the risk of making a mess! I also hope to use the iPad less and less on these trips. As I said earlier, we didn't end up using it much, but I would still rather her not look at it at all. As she gets older and is better able to keep herself entertained, I hope to keep the iPad turned off on road trips! All things considered, Sarah Parker did a great job and had some fun before the REAL fun began!

How to Survive Vacation with a Toddler: Packing

When we started planning our summer vacation at the beginning of the year, Wes and I decided we wanted to be intentional about making it successful trip and make the transition as easy as possible on Sarah Parker. Last year we went to the beach for a few days with my family when Spark was only two weeks old. We also vacationed with Wes' family for, again, only a few days when she was a month old. We had hardly any issues with her last year, but we knew this year would be different because 1) we were staying a whole week and 2) she had a whole year's more worth of personality this year. We began discussing every detail we could come up with at length and tried to tackle any potential issue before we left rather than at the seashore.

Naturally, I began to think about packing first. Again, I wanted to do all the leg work before our trip, so I began to research toddler packing methods. I found a few videos and articles about packing each individual outfit in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Out of every method, I liked this one best. I was able to intentionally plan out each outfit that Sarah Parker would wear (hair bow and all!) so that when we were at the beach, we could just grab one and go.

We stayed for 7 days, so I decided to pack 10 outfits, just in case there were any accidents. I packed 5 "comfy" outfits and intended to pack 5 "dressy" outfits, but I couldn't decide on just 5 so I ended up packing 6. 

Y'all. I loved this method, and I foresee using it until Spark's clothes don't fit in the bags anymore. It was so nice to just grab a bag and not have to think about matching or functionality. Most days I even gave Sarah Parker an option between two or three of the bags and let her pick her outfit. We ended up not needing two of the outfits, and they stayed unspoiled from sand or dirty clothes being nice and sealed up in their protective bags. Then, when we got home and were living in piles of laundry, it was so nice to have those two extra outfits ready to wear. Also, I saved the bags so I can reuse them next trip!

In the picture above you can see how nicely the bags fit in Spark's little suitcase. I will mention that under the bags I packed two towels and four sets of pajamas. In the top zip part I had her bathing suits and hats, along with a waterproof laundry bag to put the family's dirty clothes in.

I also went ahead and bought all of the supplies I could at home and toted them with us on our trek. I took a whole box of regular diapers, a bag of swimmy diapers, and a three pack of wipes. This proved to be much more than we actually needed, but that is what I intended to happen. If you were trying to pack the least amount of diaper supplies possible, you could definitely get away with one bag of regular diapers, one bag of swimmies, and one pack of wipes. I also went ahead and bought a box of Cheerios (Spark's favorite snack), packs of oatmeal and grits, and baby sunscreen. It was so nice only having to buy our fresh food supplies once we got to the beach!

In retrospect, I honestly would not change one thing regarding the packing aspect. It went so smoothly and ended up saving a lot of stress and time while we were vacationing!

Hand-Me-Downs?

When someone asks if you'll take hand-me-downs
(Because they will)
Know that they aren't offering you mere rags.
They are handing over hours of washing,
Folding,
Smelling Dreft-scented baby socks
Picturing each precious outfit
And the one that will fill it.

They are handing down three
Outfit changes a day because
Diapers don't always do their jobs
And little bellies can't hold much milk.

They are passing along countless hours of
Sorting out for new sizes and
Different seasons.
Pennies scraped, coupons used,
Sales found.

They are gifting you with hours of
Spray and Wash
On pants that clothe crawling knees
(Which always find more dirt than the
Vacuum cleaner) that turn into
Walking feet, and then running,
Dancing, skipping, jumping, and a whole
Lot of new, different stains.

It's a gift for you, but also
An admission to themselves that their babies
Are no longer babies and that
Sometimes seasons end quicker than
We thought they would.

Every thread, rip,
Stain, stitch, press is a seed in the ground-
A prayer for the days to come and
A glimpse of the memories made. They
Pass along that seed to you now,
Their harvest far from complete.
They plant bigger, better
Things to come.

When someone asks if you'll take hand-me-downs
(Because they will),
Say "It would be an honor."
Because it is.