Written On Her Heart

Our Life Lately

2013-05-20T15:12:00.001-07:00

I know things around this little space have been quiet lately, but things around this house have been anything but. We are having a wonderful time getting to know our precious little girl. The girls at The Influence Network have let me be on Maternity leave for the entire month, save for a few emails here and there, so I've really been soaking this time up. Although, I am excited to come back to this little space and conference planning full force in June. We have been so blessed to have family offer to come out and help us while I am recovering and we're all adjusting. 5ohBig has been doing an AMAZING job as a big sister. No, but really. She is super helpful and really sweet with the baby. She is a little bit more disobedient to us but part of that is age and part of that is the fact that she's figured out I can't pick her up or get up as quickly. I am healing super fast and so well. I went to see my doctor this week because I was a little worried and the doctor said it looks amazing ~~and that pain with csections is common, duh.~~ More specifically he told me "in 6 months you're going to look down and think Did I even have a csection? because the scar is healing so well. Friends have been so gracious to start bringing us dinner and my neighbor, Jenny (who I don't have a picture of but need immediately) has been beyond helpful. Since the hubby has gone back to work she has literally came over every day and helped in some way: doing my dishes, cleaning the playroom, helping 5ohBig in and out of her crib at naptime. Seriously, I am forever indebted and owe her big time. All in all, life has been crazy and wonderful lately. How have y'all been?

Gospel Community- 21 Days of prayer

2013-05-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Y'all... I am just soaking up my time with my sweet little baby. I have been terrible at all social media... well, except for my live tweeting 4 seasons of Felicity ~~which in all honesty is a complete waste of time but I just.cant.stop.~~ But that doesn't mean the outside world has stopped. And there are some really super crazy important things happening with some of my social media friends. In particular, the totally awesome, hilarious, and amazing Connolly's a planting a church. They could really use your support as they move to follow God's will. But I'll let Nick tell you more about it.

My name is Nick and I blog over at www.NickSConnolly.com. I know, I know, very original right? My wife, [naptimediaries] has all the creative talent in the family. My wife and I are so grateful to call Ashley and "5oh Hubby" friends. As we have been blessed through their family, I know, you, the readers of "Written on her heart" have been more than blessed as well! Today, Ashley has very graciously allowed us to share our story with y'all and we are very grateful.

The short story is that our family feels very called and we are currently being sent to plant a church in Charleston, SC - Gospel Community Church. Because we have a very internet-based life, running blogs and our scripture print shop, we are turning to the internet for support + prayer as we move forward in our church plant.

1| Today we started 21 days of prayer for our church. I believe God hears and answers the prayers of His people, especially when they are together, in unity. We desperately need people who are willing to lock arms in prayer with us because we have a huge work ahead of us. The work of the Gospel involves the supernatural, not the natural. The supernatural ONLY happens through prayer and the mighty hand of God at work.

If God is calling you to INTENTIONALLY pray for our church, please follow along onto see the prayer request of the day for Charleston, our family, and the people there who God desperately wants to save.

2| Give financially. We are seeking for 1000 people to give something. Anything, to kickstart our church. Planting the Gospel in a city is a large task but it is amazing what could be accomplished in NO time at all if everyone just gave something. Money in regards to Gospel work produces FRUIT and that's what we're after. The Fruit. Fruit = life change. Fruit = people released from bondage. Fruit = a people poured out for Jesus.

3| Lastly, who do you know that we should know? The Holy Spirit could be putting someone on your heart that we might need to know who either live there currently or someone who could help us get there. God has put them on your heart for a reason, so do not ignore that.

I believe great things can happen for God's kingdom when the church comes together. Wouldn't it be amazing to know that you are playing a part in bringing LIFE to an area that desperately needs the Gospel & God's people to love and serve them? How crazy would it be if one blog, planted a church in a city far from Him?

Ashley, thank you so much for letting us on your blog today!
- The Connolly family

The Anniston Ashley Headband

2013-04-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

While we are in this sweet newborn haze with 5ohLittle and I am recovering, I wanted to share some beautiful pictures I took of 5ohBaby before she officially became a big sister. The rose bush in our yard was blooming and I had the urge to capture her last few moments as an only child. Plus, I had just gotten some happy mail from a lovely friend of mine and I couldn't wait for 5ohBig to wear it. And honestly, I have been in no condition ~~or shape~~ to do a fashion post lately (literally my last "fashion post" was in December if you count my birthday haircut) and 5ohBig is the perfect model.

I have a lot of crazy talented friends that I've met out here on the internet. One of them is Jessi from Suzie Studios. She's one of those girls who is beautiful both inside and out. And not only that but she's one of those super crafty women who can make everything from headbands to scarves to jewelry. You've probably seen a few items from her shop floating around the internet. She recently launched a beautiful line of little lady headband designs and I was luck enough to get my hands on one for 5ohBig.

5ohBig was just as excited as I was.

Y'all, these Anniston Ashley headbands are beautiful and such high quality. If you've read my blog for longer than 3 seconds you know that I love to dress 5ohBig up in headbands. But now that she's gotten older, she hasn't been as cooperative as she was as a baby with they tight elastic.

That's what's so great about these headbands- they are made with a cotton fabric and fastened with an elastic band. It makes them super comfortable and the turban style look is super fashionable. Which means 5ohBaby will keep them on her head and just continue to be her beautiful self.

Seriously, I want one. But I am not nearly as cute as my little lady.

I mean seriously.. look at that face.

Believe me, you want one for your little lady, too. The Anniston Ashley headbands are super high quality and available in a ton of different fabrics. And for $15, they are a steal. But Jessi, being the awesome lady she is, is offering all my readers 20% off their orders. Which makes each headband just $12... totally crazy. So seriously head on over to Jessi's blog and say hi and then stop by her shop and pick up an Anniston Ashley headband for your little lady!

She Is Here!

2013-04-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

And she is absolutely perfect.

She was born on Tuesday April 23 at 11:15 am. 7 pounds 11 ounces of pure sweet joy.

We are taking time as a family to just enjoy these precious days, so forgive the silence on this little blog.

Thank you all for praying as she grew. I promise to fill y'all in soon!

Bump Update Week 39

2013-04-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

I seriously cannot believe that tomorrow is the day. Today I have a to do list a mile long that is ~~mostly meant to keep me distracted from the idea that I will be having major surgery~~ absolutely and completely necessary. My mom is here and will be watching 5ohBig while the hubby and I are at the hospital. We are supposed to be at the hospital tomorrow (Tuesday April 23) at 6:30am. The cesarian is scheduled to begin at 9am. If you are so inclined we could use prayer for the following:

Pray that I do not go into labor before our scheduled csection.
Pray that we have a peaceful and calm morning
Pray the surgery is super simple and totally normal
Pray for wisdom and steady hands for the staff, the surgeon, and the anesthesiologist
Pray for (most importantly) a healthy baby and a healthy mom.
Pray that 5ohBig adjusts well and is loving & gentle with her little family
Pray that God will just be all over this

Thank you so much everyone. I promise to put up pictures.... well, as soon as I can. I'm sure I'll post on my personal facebook page and on my twitter page before this blog- so make sure to follow for updates! Thank you for following with me as I have gotten bigger and bigger ~~and bigger and bigger~~ each month. It has been fun to post and write little notes to our baby each step of the way. I hope you've enjoyed following along!

See all the notes we wrote as baby grew HERE

The Girl Behind The Blog- Your Non-Blogging Passion

2013-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Its time for a passionate edition of The Girl Behind The Blog vlog link up! Oh, and ps, you can find all the past vlog link ups here.

We know that a lot of us hate our voices on camera, dont have any hobbies but are vlogging it anyways, are fiddling with our hair and jewelry the whole time, can't remember posts we wrote, or are 100% certain YouTube's main goal is to give you the most unflattering thumbnail options in the world.

It's ok... that's just life. We just want to get to know you in your own words! If you need to see the ground rules or to grab the button you can head over to the prompt. Make sure you follow both Mackenzie and me (we're the first two videos!)

You only have to link up on one of the host's blogs because our links are interlinked. So, tell us all about your passions outside of the blog world! Here's my The Girl Behind The Blog vlog. Enjoy!

P.S. Here are the links to the only two points I have written specifically about marriage:
Our Marriage: Relationship Q&A
Job Proofing Your Marraige

The Official Rebrand

2013-04-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did it. I have officially rebranded 5ohWifey. From here on out this blog will be Written On Her Heart and you can find me on social media as @OnHerHeart To say I am excited is a bit of an understatement! For those of you wondering why ~~or who think I'm crazy~~ let me explain:

When I first started this blog years ago, I started it as a way to connect with other police wives. My husband was new(ish) on the job and we were 3000 miles from family and I just wasn't sure how to go about being a police wife. I spent a few days trying to think of a name and came up with 5ohWifey. See, police are sometimes called the 5-0 and I thought my name was a cute little play on words. But back then, I had absolutely NO idea what I was getting myself into in this whole blog world. I still love the name 5ohWifey but over time, this little blog has grown and changed.

I have grown and changed. Our family has grown. And our family is continuing to change.

As the direction of this blog has taken a turn from ONLY anonymous postings about life as a police wife to, well, a whole other thing entirely... I began to feel stuck in my 5ohWifey identity. I just wanted to write what was on my heart. I felt kinda boxed in as a police wife.. and that's if people caught on to my name ~~and didn't just think I was repping an area code~~. I don't want to pigeonhole myself as a police wife so that no matter what season of life we are in, I can keep this blog up and relevant. and so I knew I had to make a change. And with the conference coming up and the idea that I am getting more established online, I knew it was now or never.

Finding a new "brand" has been a long and difficult process. I have been talking about a rebrand with ~~basically the queen of rebrands~~, Nicole, for months and months now. When she asked me what I wanted to represent, I said I just wanted to write what was on my heart. I have been searching through scripture for the perfect name. But name after name was already taken. And then I finally landed on the perfect name. And it was free. And my lovely friend, Jessi, came up with a beautiful design. And I was all set to launch it. That is, until I realized the twitter handle was taken. And the email account.

And so it was back to the drawing board.

I decided to include my husband in the process. He asked me what my ideas were and I told him. I wanted something scripture based, pretty and I wanted to be able to write what was on my heart. And he found the scripture Hebrews 8:10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Then I found Proverbs 7: 1-3 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

2 Corinthians 3:1-3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts

Psalm 40: 8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.

Proverbs 3:3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. (suggested by the lovely Nadine)

And I totally fell in love. So I called Jessi and asked her if I could tweak her design a little, and she graciously said yes. Then I called my friend Shanna and asked her if I could use a design element I saw on her instagram and she too said yes. So I took the leap. I hope you'll stick around as I make the switch and work out some of the kinks. And it'd be awesome if you went and liked my new facebook page. Nothing on this blog is changing- I'll still write about being a police wife, I'll still share my attempts at some recipes, I'll still share real mom style ~~although I should probably stop~~, and I'll still write whats on my heart.

The Girl Behind The Blog- Your Non-Blogging Passion Prompt

2013-04-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Y'all... do you know Mackenzie from life of a pint-sized mama? ~~No my head is not gigantic,~~ the woman is 4'8" and alllllll heart. She has a super crazy gift for encouragement and it has been such a gift to watch her blog grow and change over the last year. She started linking up with The Girl Behind The Blog in the very begining when she had just started blogging and has linked up almost every time since. And I had the pleasure of meeting her at Influence last year and got to see how awesome she is in person.

The thing about meeting online people offline is that you never quite know what to expect. Our blogs are only a tiny snippet of who we really are, ESPECIALLY for bloggers who have niche blogs (like food blogging). I know I've said it before, but even though this blog is a part of me... it's not all of me. I have other passions outside of blogging. And so does Mackenzie. And so do you.

So, Thursday, April 18, 2013, we invite YOU to get all passionate...er.. tell us where your passions lie outside of the blogosphere. And maybe make a few new friends. All you have to do is follow both of our blogs, post a button anywhere on your blog, and post a short vlog answering the following questions. You'll only have to link up on one of the host's blogs because our links will be interlinked. We really hope you join us. You can grab a button below to put up on your blog. Spread the word and lets get to know each other a little better! Here are the deets... feel free to make your video your own but please try to stick to these prompts and the time limit. ~~And I promise to watch and comment on every single video unless I have given or am currently giving birth in which case you're on your own!~~

The Girl Behind The Blog- Your Non-Blogging Passion

Time limit: Vlogs should be 2-3 minutes long

What topic could get you talking for hours, if someone asked you to share?

What are your hobbies and passions that you might not talk about often on your blog?

Is there a reason you shy away from sharing this passion on your blog?

An Unprepared Heart

2013-04-09T11:51:00.001-07:00

Our csection with 5ohLittle is scheduled for two weeks from today. Woosh... that feels super soon. I know I've been pregnant for 9+ months at this point, but for some reason this pregnancy went a whole lot faster than our pregnancy with 5ohBig. When you're pregnant with your first child, you spend every moment preparing for that baby, thinking about what that baby will be like, decorating their nursery, picking out cute little baby clothes, and really preparing your heart. With 5ohBig we were perfectly prepared at 36 weeks and just spent the next 6 weeks waiting for her to show up.

This pregnancy is a whole different animal. I think it's mostly because I still spend all my time thinking about ~~and chasing~~ 5ohBig. We kept all her baby clothes and gear so we didn't have to do a whole lot of shopping. The girls will be sharing a room but only after 5ohLittle is 6 months old. Until then she will be in the guest room (once she moves out of our room) so we haven't made her a nursery or decorated their room yet. I mean, sure, we have all the gear we need and technically, we have everything we need for her arrival. But for some reason, my heart just doesn't feel ready.

I don't know if this makes me a terrible mother or not. I don't know if other women going from one baby to two babies feel this way... or if it happens with every baby... or if it's only happening with me. I just don't feel prepared. I wouldn't say I don't love 5ohLittle... we have had a few little scares with her and each step of the way I have known I loved her. I have dreamt about what she will be like and prayed over her. But, I guess I just don't feel connected to her like I felt connected during my first pregnancy.

And 5ohBig hasn't been making it easy for me lately. Over the past week she has been sobbing for me at the weirdest times. She woke up once at 2am (and she NEVER wakes up at night- literally not since she was 8 weeks old) and was just crying out for me. I went in her room to lay her back down and she just clutched onto me in a panic. Then the next day when 5ohHubby ~~who has always been her favorite but we won't go there~~ was doing the bedtime routine she has done every night over her life, she didn't even want him to hold her- she was just crying out for me. She wouldn't even let me lay her down.. just wanted to be held and was crying "mommy... mommy" over and over. Then today when my mother's helper came over to play (with bubbles no less!) 5ohBig just stood at the backdoor and cried for me. This is very unusual for our super smiley, sociable, and independent little girl.

These are scary thoughts (and behaviors on 5ohBig's part) to be having two weeks before 5ohLittle gets here. Logically, I know in my heart that when they hand her to me the whole world will stop for a moment and it will just be me and my daughter and all the worries I have now will wash away. I know it. But it just feels weird to imagine. I love 5ohBig so much that it hurts sometimes and I just can't imagine how there is room in my heart to love another little girl the same way. I know that there is always enough love to go around, I mean, look at how much God love's all of us. But knowing something in your head and feeling something in your heart are two different things... and right now my heart feels blocked off.

I think I'm just scared. Scared I'm going to go into labor before my mom gets here and we will have no one to watch 5ohBig during our hospital stay. Super scared of the csection. Scared of the recovery. Scared of how 5ohBig is going to react to me not being able to hold her for weeks. Scared of how our family will adjust from 3 to 4. Scared of how I'm going to handle being the mother of two kids. Scared I might get PPD. Scared I might not be able to do it all.

And I know, I know, I need to lean on Christ. I know I will love my kids and be able to mother as many as we have. I know I will be fine during the csection and afterward. I know that my husband and family are amazing and are all going to be such a big help in this transition. I know it's not really all that fair to be scared of things that are nothing but blessings. I know all the things I'm supposed to think and that other's are supposed to say.

I know and I'm sorry. But I had to just get on here and be real with y'all. Pray for me, maybe?

Bump Update Week 36

2013-04-02T09:10:00.001-07:00

Watch 5ohLittle's growth HERE

Get Excited for Influence

2013-04-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Y'all, I am so unbelievably excited! Today is the day The Influence Conference tickets go on sale! I know I've talked about it a ton of times but I seriously love the Influence Network and I love the Influence Conference. I think this is an amazing opportunity for women who are already out here on the Internet to get together and focus up on making our online lives mean something.

All week there is going to be a ton of info on our newly designed Influence Blog that you don't want to miss, so make sure you check it out! But for now, here's what you need to know:

The conference will be September 26-28, 2013. Check in starts Thursday at 3pm and the conference ends with a worship conference on Saturday at 9pm
This year the conference is being held at the seriously gorgeous Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. And we got y'all a special room rate!
We have some AMAZING speakers scheduled. All of them have a strong heart for the gospel and are gonna seriously.bring.it. this year.
We also have an amazing group of your peers in to make the conference even better: an incredible panel of accessible experts that are gonna answer your bloggy questions as well as a group of Community Leaders that are not only going to make you feel loved on but are going to lead some really incredible workshops designed just for you.
Tickets are on sale for $225. You can order your ticket HERE.

And honestly, I really hope to meet you there. It's going to be amazing. No, but really.

Just A Few Things

2013-03-28T09:26:00.001-07:00

There are a bunch of things just rolling around in my brain and I'd like to get them out of my head if you don't mind. So here are just a few things...

We get our maternity pictures back this weekend! My lovely friend has taken all our family pictures since I was still pregnant with 5ohBig. She is so talented and so sweet and I seriously adore her. I've seen a few sneak peeks (including the one's in this post) and it only makes me excited to see more!

This is going to be our first real weekend that 5ohHubby and I both can get focused on preparing the house for 5ohLittle. I know it seems so weird, but besides having washed her clothes we have nothing prepared. At this point with 5ohBig I had everything ready (even lots of things handmade), our bags were packed, the room was set up, and everything was perfect. But that was when I was a stay-at-home-pregnant-lady and now I have a two year old. So, yeah... it's time to buckle down and start nesting

This Monday, April 1st, The Influence Conference tickets go on sale. As if I haven't mentioned it enough, I am crazy blessed to be the conference manager. And super nervous and excited about how everything will turn out. We've all been working hard over the last few months planning and dreaming but when tickets go on sale on Monday it is going to finally feel real. I hope 5ohLittle ~~,5ohHubby?~~ and I can meet you there!

I've mentioned it a little on twitter and a little on my facebook page, but you guys.. I think I'm going to do it.. I'm diving into a rebrand. I am still going between a few things but I'm 99.99% sure I'm going to move forward from 5ohWifey. When I started this blog 3 years ago I had NO IDEA what I was getting into. I loved the name 5ohWifey then, and I still love it, but for a few different reasons I think its time for something fresh. DON'T FREAK OUT ~~ok this is maybe more for me than it is for you~~ not too much will change... just the name. More on this soon!

Easter Weekend is a super special time for us. It was the first weekend I met 5ohHubby's family and first really heard the gospel. The next year we were engaged on good Friday (just by chance). Easter was one of the first weekends my mom came to church with us and actually enjoyed it (ps she's a christian now! woop woop!) The Easter after 5ohBaby was born I shared my cardboard testimony. This Easter we will be spending time celebrating with friends. The weight of good Friday and the reality of Easter is super heavy and wonderful for me so I'm excited for this weekend.

Are there just a few things you'd like to share?

The Girl Behind The Blog- Your Inner Foodie

2013-03-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yum Yumm Yummy! ~~ok that was seriously cheesy~~! Its time for a delicious edition of The Girl Behind The Blog vlog link up! ~~ok that might have been even cheesier~~ I love food and I love vlogging so what better way to spend a day than watching a bunch of vlogs on food! Chelsea always has such delicious recipes on her blog so she is obviously the brains behind this month's topic. And I just love her & all her recipes. Oh, and ps, you can find all the past vlog link ups here.

We know that a lot of us hate our voices on camera, are rocking adult pigtails (why?) have the laundry going in the background because this was filmed on cleaning day, start to ramble about how people should feed their children, go over the time limit (that they set!), unashamedly give a shout out to their food blogging friends or are 100% certain YouTube's main goal is to give you the most unflattering thumbnail options in the world.

You only have to link up on one of the host's blogs because our links are interlinked. So, tell us all about your food philosophy! Here's my The Girl Behind The Blog vlog. Enjoy! And here is the link to my favorite recipe that I make : Baked Stuffed Meatballs and Creamy Polenta. Seriously, its delicious and you need to go eat some.

A Celebration Weekend

2013-03-25T10:28:00.001-07:00

It's been a long while since I wrote a "what we did this weekend" type of post. But its been a long time since I had a weekend as full and sweet ~~and totally exhausting~~ as this past weekend. 5ohHubby has been working like crazy the last few weeks and it seems like we haven't gotten a full weekend together in long time. Which usually I'm totally ok with but for some reason with this pregnancy my love language has switched from acts of service to quality time... and its throwing us all for a loop. I think that's why this weekend was especially sweet.

As you know, on Friday 5ohBig turned 2. We started the morning off with a we-never-let-you-eat-this breakfast of Chocolate Croissants from her Grammie. Then both 5ohHubby and I took her to gymnastics class dressed in her new outfit from her Nona. She loves gymnastics and looked like a little fairy running around and playing with all her friends. Then we dressed her in our family's traditional birthday crown and took her to hear 5ohLittle's heartbeat. She was playing doctor in the office with little gloves on and feeling my tummy. Afterward we went out to lunch and then took her to a local cupcakery (is that a word?) so she could pick out a cupcake. She went with chocolate ~~no surprise there~~ and just had a wonderful time.

On Saturday, I threw one of my best friends, Jenna, a bridal shower. Her fiance Adam and 5ohHubby took 5ohBig out for a little guys time. Her and Adam are getting married in May out of state and with 5ohBaby coming so close there is just no way we are going to be able to make it. I have to miss out on all the fun, festivities, and other bridesmaid awesomeness so I was super thrilled to get to throw her a shower. We had so much yummy food, played a few simple games, talked, laughed, and opened presents. Then Jenna and Adam stayed ~~and watched 5ohBig do somersaults for 25 minutes straight.. no seriously~~ for dinner. We know it was the least we could do to celebrate with the happy couple but I mean seriously.. how adorable are they?

And, yes, I reused the super simple and super pretty fabric banner from 5ohBig's first birthday party as decorations for Jenna's shower. Is that tacky? I hope not. And if so.. I'm just gonna blame it on being too pregnant to decorate otherwise.

And finally we capped of the weekend with a good ol' fashioned Easter Egg hunt at a friend's house. 5ohBig didn't quite remember last year's very bloggy Easter so when she was released to go pick up the eggs she spent the first few minutes just running around in the yard with her basket. 5ohHubby tried to get her to pick up a few but she wasn't excited about it until we opened up an egg ~~and got melted chocolate all over ourselves~~ showed her there were goodies inside. She then promptly filled her basket. She had such a great time at the party that she took a long nap and 5ohHubby and I... well, we laid on the couch and did nothing. And it was marvelous. We capped off the night with a small group meeting where our sweet friends brought 5ohBig a "god's little princess" costume. So cute!

Now, we are down to the wire with 5ohLittle. From here on out every free moment is going to be spent ~~nesting~~ preparing for her arrival! How was your weekend?

Happy Second Birthday, 5ohBig

2013-03-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today my baby girl turns two. Two. And in a month she isn't going to be the baby of the family anymore. Y'all this is doing a number on my heart. I know I mentioned it on her first birthday but 5ohHubby and I both honestly feel like she's always been in our lives. And yet, when we think of how short her two little years on this earth have been, we just ache for more.

More tight hugs.
More kisses from her to her dad, then me, then pushing our heads together so she can see us kiss.
More hearing her say "Thank you... thank you so much"
More round round little round moon.
More spinning and twirling.
More of her precious smile.
More putting on Chapstick and saying "Soooo nice!"
More watching her brush her hair out of her face.
More watching her care for her baby dolls.
More jumping, jumping, jumping.
More refusal to wear clothes: first pants, now shirts.
More of her pretending to fall and wanting us to ask if she's ok, just so she can say "I'm Okaaaay!"
More begging to dress like a princess.
More of her sweet laugh.
More time reading her favorite books: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Night-Night Little Pookie, The Bible (seriously she asks to read it) and pretty much anything Fancy Nancy.
More cuddles on the couch.
More morning snuggles ~~she flips through the pictures on our phones while we try to snuggle~~.
More singing 'You Are My Sunshine', 'Jesus Loves Me' or her own 'Deep&Wide Minnie Mouse'
More floating in the bathtub.
More of her running out to say goodnight to me after she does her bedtime routine with daddy.
More listening to her light snore on the rare occasion she falls asleep in the car.
More pigtails.
More moments.
More years.
More time.

We are so unbelievably grateful that God has given us the huge responsibility of shepherding her heart and being her parents. Her sister is going to be born in almost exactly a month so I have this kind of heavy knowledge that her entire world is about to change and she has no idea. I want this last month to be really precious to her, and to me. I want to see her, really see her, and remember her as my sweet little baby. I know this time is so fleeting and I just want to freeze it into my memory. These, the days where she is uninhibited and free and so full of joy. The days where she hasn't been hurt or tainted in any way by the harsh realities of this world. The days where her dad and I are all she really knows. The days that in truth are trying, but completely worth it. It's amazing to see her little personality forming and to dream about who she will be in the future.

Happy Birthday my sweet little girl.

The Girl Behind The Blog- Your Inner Foodie Prompt

2013-03-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

Have you met Chelsea from Taste and See yet? I have.. last year at The Influence Conference. The girl is literally as sweet as sugar... I mean, she works on a cupcake truck for goodness sakes. She is so cute and funny and has a beautiful heart for the lord. And the girl loves her food (and we all know how much I love my food.) Her blog is filled with delicious recipes that you seriously have to try. And when I asked her to co-host this month's The Girl Behind The Blog we both immediately knew what we would be talking about.

Food.

So, Tuesday, March 26, 2013... one week from today... we invite YOU to go all foodie on us. And maybe make a few new friends. All you have to do is follow both of our blogs, post a button anywhere on your blog, and post a short vlog answering the following questions. You'll only have to link up on one of the host's blogs because our links will be interlinked. We really hope you join us. You can grab a button below to put up on your blog. Spread the word and lets get to know each other a little better! Here are the deets... feel free to make your video your own but please try to stick to these prompts and the time limit.

The Girl Behind The Blog- Your Inner Foodie

Time limit: Vlogs should be 2-3 minutes long

Do you have a food philosophy? (gluten free, vegan, whole foods, whatever is easiest, kid friendly,etc)

If you could only have two foods for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Do you have a favorite food blogger or place for inspiration?

Share a favorite recipe or link with us!

5ohLittle's Sprinkle

2013-03-17T21:31:00.001-07:00

Recently, some very wonderful friends of mine threw me a baby sprinkle to celebrate 5ohLittle. Stephanie, Gina, and Jenna all worked hard to make sure I knew this little baby was loved love loved. I already told you how Jenna and I met and how wonderful she is so I wont gush about her any more... even though I could. I met Stephanie at a hospital mommy & me group when 5ohBig was just 6 weeks old and we have been Mommy BFF's (which is what we like to call each other) ever since. I met Gina through a local wive's group and she is seriously so funny and amazing.

There were a ton of sweet treats- yummy cake pops, spice cupcakes (my fav!), cheesecake strawberries, macaroons, and sprinkly cookies. It was super low key.. we played games, chatted, and I ate way too many sweets to possibly be healthy. It was wonderful. And I took some desserts home and ~~finished them all that night~~ ate cake for days.

I got so many lovely gifts- diapers, gift cards, baby essentials, an adorable matching sister dress set for 5ohBig and 5ohLittle (that I cannot WAIT to put the girls in), and a GORGEOUS necklace my beautiful friend Tara custom made for me. She just started a little Etsy shop called DimplesAccessories and you have to check it out. The necklace she made me has a tiny heart & pearl charm on it and then three little circle stamps with the initials of my 5ohFamily on them ~~which is obviously why this is a description and not a picture.~~ Go check her shop out!

Oh and my wonderful bloggy turned real life friend, Nicole from The Style Hatch, designed these super cute invites. Obviously, I changes a bunch of the info on here ~~so you can't find us muahahaha~~ but you get the idea. My sister ordered them (because she is an awesome aunt already) and they were super cute!

And, because he's just wonderful, 5ohHubby took 5ohBig as well as Jenna's fiance, Adam hiking in the woods. I swear, you wouldn't think two dudes and a baby could be more happy spending the day together. All three of them crashed out that night super early. Like, on the way home early. And 5ohBig just kept repeating "big BIG trees" as she dozed off.

I wish I would've grabbed a picture of everyone at the sprinkle but I didn't. Boo. But thanks to all my lovely friends who showed and gave such thoughtful gifts as well as our family that sent stuff. We appreciate all of you for loving our little girl so well before she is even born.

A Sure Decision We Are Unsure Of

2013-03-11T12:06:00.001-07:00

I have been super nervous about writing this post. Partly because I am embarrassed. Partly because I am still wrestling with things. And, to be honest, partly because I don't want anyone's opinion on the overall decision. But I do need advice on all the things surrounding our decision so I figure I'd fill y'all in.

When we had 5ohBaby, it was seriously the most beautiful labor & delivery experience. In my mind, it was literally perfect. Throughout my pregnancy with 5ohLittle I have been hoping and praying for an equally as awesome experience. A few months ago I opened up a really special piece of my heart and got super intimate about how I knew that all God has for us is Grace upon Grace. I think the nudging I felt on my heart to share that story was just as much for me as it was for y'all. God was reminding me "Ashley, you are not ever going to be punished. Jesus is enough." right before I got some pretty hard news about my future L&D's.

During a routine appointment my doctor brought up 5ohBaby's birth. He told me he was looking back through his notes and that we needed to talk about some options because of 5ohBaby's shoulder dystocia. I vaguely remember them mentioning she had shoulder dystocia when she was born- and I knew that meant her shoulder had been stuck which is why the nurse had to press on my pelvic bone- but she had been totally fine when they handed her to us and in the haze of early motherhood I just didn't think twice about it. I didn't realize shoulder dystocia was such a big deal.

Well, I was wrong. Way wrong. Apparently its a super duper dangerous situation (I think it's the most dangerous thing that can happen during a standard birth). Apparently, once the head is delivered there is only a 4 minute window to completely deliver the baby before there is brain damage. Apparently, there is a 20% chance of either injury (a broken clavicle, a broken arm, Brachial Plexus Injury, Erb's palsy) or death to the baby and a risk of injury to the mother. Apparently, 7lbs 12 oz is pretty small to get stuck. Apparently, there are 4 maneuvers to get the baby out once its stuck and we had to go to maneuver #2. Apparently, if we had done maneuver #3 my doctor would be super sure we should have a c-section. Apparently, this happening categorizes my perfect birth as a traumatic birth.

Apparently, its now our decision if we want to try the regular way or schedule a c-section for 5ohLittle's birth. This is a big decision that affects every subsequent birth. The option for VBAC is non-existent because the problem is my hip bones being too small, not anything to do with the baby which, I gotta say, kinda makes me feel like a failure as a woman. This will obviously limit the amount of children we will have ~~not that we want to have 20 kids or anything~~. This means more days in the hospital. This means a longer recovery time, which means more time off work for 5ohHubby. This means I won't be able to do as much with 5ohBig. Selfishly, I want to try the regular way (and I know that is within my medical rights). 5ohBig was perfectly fine in the end and this birth could be the same.

But what if it's not.

Even if the risk was only 1% that something would happen- that risk is too high when it comes to our daughter. I know that in my brain and in my heart. But this is something I have been having to remind myself over and over and over. I think if the doctor just told me "You have to have a c-section" it would feel easier... because it wouldn't be our decision. And you guys, this has been a hard one. I have cried and cried about it. 5ohHubby and I have talked about it over and over. We have prayed and prayed about it. We have sought wisdom. And we have made a decision.

5ohLittle will be born via c-section on April 23, 2013.

That is both super exciting and super terrifying at the same time. I am still a little unsure of this decision. But 5ohHubby (who more than acknowledges the difficulty that will come with it) is 100% sure that this is the right decision. And I trust that man.. with my life, with our daughter's lives, and with our family. Wholly and completely. ~~And honestly, I know that if it was HIM having the c-section instead of me, I would be sure it was the right decision.~~ I think.. no, I know.. I'm just scared. And I have to remind myself that God is in control of this.

And, to tell you the truth, there are some benefits for our family. We can schedule when 5ohHubby will need to leave work ahead of time which will be easier on his job. We can stagger our families trip's out here and ensure there is someone here to watch and love on 5ohBig while we are at the hospital, as well as people to help us with the transition at home. We can make sure that our doctor (who we seriously adore) is the one performing the surgery. And we already know the day we will meet our daughter (as long as she doesn't come early) which is so crazy special.

So, there it is. I know I'm going to have a million and one questions about what to bring to the hospital, what to do for the recovery, and how to prepare ourselves later. But this is where we are today. Scared, kinda feeling like a failure, sure and unsure of the decision we've already made. But totally confident that this is all in God's hands anyways. So, maybe pray for peace for us? But don't feel too badly... because as nervous as we are about the surgery itself, our whole family is SO thrilled to meet our teeny tiniest little addition!

The Influential Women Linkup

2013-03-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, the ever-fabulous Nadine had the idea to create a linkup to help get to know the ALL the women of the Influence Network. We want to meet and build community with our influential women before ~~each and every one of you better be~~ coming to the Influence Conference this September! That Nadine is so smart.

It's gonna be super fun to get to know each other- I can't wait to go through the list and meet some new women with a heart to use the influence God has given them in their lives and here on the internet. And you can link up, too! To participate, you must be (or become!) a member of the Influence Network, which is so super awesome and totally worth it.

In your post, include the following things:

A photo of yourself that you love. We want to put a face with a name!
Three get-to-know-me things. Deep, quirky, fun - you pick.
One valuable thing you've gained from the Network.

So, here is a little more about me ~~since I know you're just dying to know~~:

I'm Ashley but I go by 5ohWifey out here on the internets because my husband is a cop.. like the 5-0. I thought it was super clever when I came up with the name but most non-police people don't get it and probably think I'm repping my area code. ~~I wouldn't and I will not.~~

I just took the strengthfinders personality test for work. My top 4 themes were Activator, Communication, Competition and Woo. It was super descriptive about who I am... although some of the descriptions of myself made me feel kinda weird. I mean, yeah, they were pretty accurate-- but its weird to think of some of these characteristics as positive. ~~I mean, bossy can be a good thing... right? RIGHT?~~

But let's be honest, no one reads this blog to learn about me. I'm pretty sure it's all about my thiscloseto2 year old daughter 5ohBig. And I'm sure 5ohLittle once she gets here. I'm telling y'all, 5ohBig has been t-e-s-t-i-n-g her boundaries lately. I wish I could say it was all sweet but she is a sassy little lady. ~~I mean she IS my daughter after all.~~ But just when I feel like the day is too frustrating I look at her and I am just so completely in love. Who wouldn't be?

I don't think I can say how much I love the Influence Network enough. I love the classes. I love the discussions and community in the forums. I love that this is what I do for a living. I love pretty much all of these women. But you know what I've gained the most?

A sense of belonging and a sense clarity about who God made me.

I know many of us struggle with is it ok that my home looks like this? Is it ok that I parent my children like that? What does God think about how I feel about this other thing? Is it ok that I want to make money on the internet? How can I use my online time for God's glory or is that even possible? I think that is totally normal that we as women- as wives- as bloggers- ask ourselves these questions.

But here in this community? With these women? I feel sure about who I am... and when I don't- I feel sharpened, encouraged, and spurred on. Its ok to disagree on openhanded theological topics and discuss them in a kind and respectful way. Its ok to admit that you are totally failing and parenting this week. Its ok to ask questions about your online business without feeling money hungry. Everyone is included and accepted and I really love that.

So that's me, my sassy little girl, and a teeny tiny smidgen about what I feel about the Influence Network. Seriously, if you aren't a member and have been hesitant to join, check out one of our March Classes. They are only $10 and open to anyone (first come first served). Or just jump right in and join... You wont regret it.

Bump Update Week 32

2013-03-01T08:38:00.005-08:00

Watch 5ohLittle's growth HERE

The Influence Conference- First Details

2013-02-27T02:00:00.000-08:00

I've told y'all that I love my job, haven't I? Well I do. Like, seriously love my job. In what other job can I take a lunch break with the world's most fabulous little assistant? I mean seriously, look at her. Gosh, she melts me....

But I digress.

For the past few weeks The Influence Network Team and I have been working hard to bring you a super awesome conference announcement... And today it's finally here!

I don't think I have to tell you how excited I am for The Influence Conference, but I will. The Influence Network exists to make our online lives mean something, to ensure that when we leave our laptops or put down our phones, we are more inspired and encouraged to do what God has called us to. One of the BEST ways to do this (I think.. but maybe just because it's my job) is through the real life gospel community, sharpening, and spurring on that happens during the conference. The conference is happening September 26-28, 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana and tickets go on sale April 1, 2013!! Today we announced some of our amazing speakers, an awesome accessible experts panel, and our lovely community leaders. But we still have more tricks up our sleeves. If you want the deets, which you do- trust me- head on over to The Influence Blog!

And I promise to keep y'all posted on all the new happenings with the conference. There are SO many ways to engage with this amazing community of women. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. hearts for this conference is not only to speak life into women and encourage them in strategic business growth but to foster a true sense of community in this tribe of women the Lord is building online though our common thread of the Good News. Although the conference feels like my little baby ~~since I'm already staying up late at night thinking about and praying over it~~ I want to be clear that this conference is just as much yours as it is mine. I pray it will be what you need it to be. And I can't wait to see you there!

The Girl Behind The Blog-iversary

2013-02-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Today it is the one year blogiversary of e~~verybody's favorite link up~~ The Girl Behind The Blog!! I can't believe we have done this for a year... I am super thankful that y'all have all participated time and time again. And I'd like to welcome everyone who is participating for the first time!! This has been such a fun thing for me, and I hope for all of you, too. Oh, and ps, you can find all the past vlog link ups here.

I know that a lot of us hate our voices on camera, have teeny-tiny little co-hosts that keep distracting us, did a million takes (ok this was obviously not the case with me) or are 100% certain YouTube's main goal is to give you the most unflattering thumbnail options in the world.

It's ok... that's just life. We just want to get to know you in your own words! If you need to see the ground rules or to grab the button you can head over to the prompt.

So, tell us... Well, I dont really have anything to say here because I have no idea what y'all will be talking about.... but I can't wait to watch them all! Here's my The Girl Behind The Blog vlog. Enjoy!

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO LINK UP!!

TheGirlBehindTheBlog-iversary Prompt

2013-02-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

You guys... I just realized that this month is the one year anniversary of The Girl Behind The Blog link up. And I almost missed it! For shame.

It all started when I was brand.spankin.new to this whole blogging thing. Getting to know women from all over the country, sharing secrets and heart issues, building friendships with people you had never met?? Well, to be honest it all felt a little weird. I thought about how I could actually feel like these friendships were real and the only way to do that was to actually see these women in real life. ~~But 5ohHubby wouldn't approve my multiple cross country flights to stranger's houses "to get to know them".~~ So I decided to start a vlog link up.

And I am so glad I did.

Over the past year, I have gotten to know some of you pretty well and I'd like to think you've gotten to know me, too. I always love getting to see the blogger in their element- hearing what their voice sounds like, seeing their mannerisms- it just feels like you know them for real, ya know?

And I've loved what y'all have shared:
February 2012 was a general get to know you link up
March 2012 we shared what we were learning lately
April 2012-- ok ok I dropped the ball and missed this month
May 2012 we shared our most favorite beauty products
June 2012 we shared what our readers might not know about us
July 2012 we shared goals and what we'd like to begin, accomplish or change
August 2012 we shared how blogging has changed us
September 2012 we shared where our own influence was
October 2012 we shared 3 items we couldn't make it through the day without
November 2012 we shared awkward stories about ourselves
December 2012 we shared our favorite holiday traditions
January 2012 we shared what we'd gained from the blogging community

And you guys, no lie, I have watched and commented on all 478 videos.

I just plain like y'all. So, Monday, February 25, lets do it again, shall we? But this time, I want to give y'all the freedom to talk about whatever you want. But consider that if everyone ACTUALLY kept their videos under 3 minutes that means I would have watched 23.9 hours worth of vlogs last year. ~~No really I did the math-- that's like an entire day of vlog watching~~ so please, oh please, try to keep to the time limit! And maybe make a few new friends. All you have to do is follow my blog, post the button anywhere on your blog, and post a short vlog answering the following questions. Even if you've never done this before, I really hope you join us. You can grab a button below to put up on your blog. Spread the word and lets get to know each other a little better! Here are the deets... feel free to make your video your own but please try to stick to these prompts and the time limit.

TheGirlBehindTheBlog-iversary Prompt
Time limit: Vlogs should be 2-3 minutes long

Introduce yourself and your blog
How many of these linkups have you participated in (and if this is your first one, GREAT!)
Whats something that's been on your heart lately or that you feel like sharing with us?

The Subtle Ways He Reminds Me

2013-02-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes as ~~bloggers~~ people, it's easy to remember and wish to record and share all the times that God does something for us in a super obvious way. When He answers a prayer, when He gets us our dream job, when He heals us, when He shows us unbelievable grace in spite of ourselves. But sometimes we forget to praise Him in the things that don't happen- the things that, if we didn't know any better, we wouldn't even realize He had his hand in. Which is a silly statement really because His hand is in everything. So I wanted to share a moment where He super subtly made me aware of His constant hand in my life.

*No actual driving is occurring in this picture

A few weeks ago, I was home with 5ohBig and was ~~desperately trying to ignore the massive pile of laundry~~ bored so I thought I'd take her out on the town to run some meaningless errands. We headed out to get our oil changed, shop for dishes, and maybe have a girls lunch just the two of us. I loaded her in the car and got on the highway.

Now, I would never say that I'm a fast driver... I'd never say that I drive juuuuuuust as fast as is legally allowed... and I'd never say that I speed. And I certainly never say I keep my phone in my lap to look at during stop lights. Never. But this day, I had kind of a weird feeling. Instead of playing The Imagination Movers pandora station via my phone I popped in a kid's CD. I left my phone in my purse and I payed attention to my speed. I was just aimlessly running errands that weren't even errands so what hurry was I in?

Just as I was coming to the exit to get off the highway and get my oil change, I heard a super loud POP! My hands were at 10 and 2 anyways, but I only slightly felt the car move. There was a weird sounds as I slowed down on the exit and then another loud sound. The exit I was taking literally dumps straight into a tire shop if you head straight so I rolled straight in there. When I got out of my car, my back left tire was COMPLETELY flat. The mechanic tried to add air to the tire to pull the car forward into the shop, but it wouldn't hold any air at all. There was a HUGE (and I mean like a seriously huge) hole in the tire.

The mechanic said I was so lucky it happened coming off the exit because if I had been driving anywhere else I would have needed a tow or ruined my [rim? tire well? whatchamacallit]. He said that I was lucky it happened to that tire specifically because if it had been one of the front tires, I would have lost control of the car completely. When he told me we had to replace all 4 tires because of the type of car it is ~~OUCH~~ he mentioned I was lucky that I had money in savings to do it right then.

My mind can't help but go to all the could-have-beens: Me on the highway, 7 months pregnant, my 1 1/2 year old in the back seat when my tire blew.... I can't even. The lesser emergencies are also upsetting: not having money for the tires, being on our way somewhere else and needing to be towed, being stranded when my tire blew in the middle of nowhere... all of these could have happened.

But they didn't.

And y'all? I know luck had nothing to do with it.

Disney With A Toddler (While Pregnant)

2013-02-12T15:12:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I did the unthinkable. I flew with 5ohBig to meet 5ohHubby at Disney to celebrate her second birthday before her sister, 5ohLittle gets here. That's right, I braved Disney with a toddler. While 7 months pregnant. And seriously, we not only survived it, but we had a blast. I thought I'd share with you how.

First things first, we heard from people a lot that 5ohBig would be too little to really appreciate it and it would be a waste of time. Now, I'll admit, 5ohHubby had to be in Anaheim anyways so the only real extras we paid for was my flight (5ohBig still flies free until 2) and our Disney tickets (again, 5ohBig is still free). I think you have to judge things based on your kid, but we knew 5ohBig would love it. She knows who the main characters are (Donald is her favorite) but the only other Disney thing she knows is Snow White (her Halloween costume). A few weeks before our trip we got her a Disney Princess book so she could at least recognize something else at the park. Either way, she's never going to remember this trip... but WE will. And we'll have the pictures to show her.

In our trepidation about how she would react to the park, we decided to only go to Disney one day and to do a Character Breakfast the day before (We totally changed our minds, but more on that later). The Character Breakfast was seriously the best thing we did all weekend! There are a few different character breakfasts to choose from but we wanted to eat with the main characters: Mickey, Minnie, Daisey, Goofy, Pluto and Donald. ~~Can you tell the only show we really let her watch is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?~~ so we chose the Surf's Up! Breakfast at Disney's PCH Grill. You guys? It was awesome. The food was actually really delicious and there were a ton of options (all buffet) including an omelet station. Kids under 3 are free (yay!) and adults were around $30. The Characters come around one by one to the tables while you're eating breakfast which is awesome. We got a lot of one on one time with the characters because ~~5ohBig is so darn cute and they loved her~~ there weren't many families there since its the off season. But the best part is that every 15 minutes all the characters and all the kids get together and dance. ~~Or just spin in circles until you fall down if you're 5ohBig.~~ Seeing how much she loved it was worth the breakfast price tag.

Our original plans had been to do the breakfast and then spend the day at the pool. But by the time we finished breakfast it was only 9am and it was still chilly out so we thought forget it- we're gonna hit up the park. And I am SO glad we did. We were able to upgrade to a two day pass at a discounted rate and knowing we had another day took so much pressure off the day and let us really enjoy it. I'm telling you- even though I originally ignored this very advice- if you are down at Disney anyways and you can afford it DON'T try to cram it all in to one day. We dressed 5ohBig in her princess costume (all Disney Staff called her princess and snow white all day. So cute) loaded up our stroller with sweatshirts for all of us and a single diaper backpack full of snacks and water and took the shuttle to the park (5ohBig was free- and no parking.. score!)

That first day, I think we lost a lot of time by heading back to Toon Town first. She had already seen most of the characters at breakfast and Toon Town is at the very back of the park and, although its super cool, it was a waste to go there first. We road Roger Rabbit and met Goofy, but could've done that later in the day. If you get to the park early I would 100% for sure hit up Fantasy Land first. There are a ton of rides a toddler can go on and those rides all have the longest lines. We walked past 15 minute waits and came back to 30+ minute waits. She walked through the castle, rode dumbo, snow white, peter pan, the story book boat ride and Pinocchio We didn't let her go on Mr Toad's wild ride because we remember that being scary (ps we covered her eyes during the witch part of snow white) and small world and the tea cups were closed ~~Boo Hiss~~. We had lunch in Fantasyland but the only place there serves burgers, pizzas, and sausages. We now know we shouldve gone to Toon Town for lunch as they serve those foods but also Sandwiches and Salads for adults and a kids power meal for $5.99 of yogurt, a cheese stick, whole wheat goldfish, fruit, and a drink (milk, water, juice). We had a bunch of Plum Organics Mish Mash Pouches packed as snacks and I'm sure we could have brought sandwiches but we were ok with buying lunch in the park.

One of the rides we were almost at the front of the line for shut down for technical difficulties so we got a free pass to ride any other ride in the park. It was around 2:30pm and we knew 5ohBig wasn't going to last much longer. We decided we'd rather go home for dinner and have her nap and then come back for fireworks (she never napped so we never made it to the fireworks but timing wise it would've worked) So we took our free no line pass and we immediately headed over to Nemo. Nemo was probably 5ohBig's favorite ride. She spent the entire time in the submarine saying "Neeemmmooooo! Where aaaarrrreee youuuuuu?" It was adorable. We headed to the shuttle stopping only to get my favorite treat in the world- the Mickey Premium Bar. I figured that being as pregnant as I was, I deserved this special one time treat for hiking through the park. But my joy was short lived as the ice cream was quickly spotted and devoured.

The next day (Super Bowl Sunday) we had a plan in place. We again loaded up with snacks and headed to the park. Our shuttle got their right as the park was opening so by the time we walked up to the gate the lines were barely there. We knew most people would be heading toward toon town, fantasy land, and the big mountain rides. So we veered left and headed straight to Pirates of Caribbean and literally walked right on. 5ohBig liked the ride a lot but this is the only ride she seemed to not want to do again. There are two kind of big drops down and after the first she had no reaction but after the second she was saying "all done". We then rode the Jungle Cruise (again no line) and she loved seeing all the animals and she loved sitting in at The Tiki Room. We took her on the Haunted Mansion only because she is too little to realize it's spooky. She just thought the ghosts were regular people. There is this one part where a little scary guy jumps out at you in a graveyard but I covered her eyes and she didnt seem scared at all. I know my 4 year old nephew freaked on this ride so I think it was just her young age that made it ok.. it'll probably be years before she rides it again. We then headed to the Winnie The Pooh and rode it twice in a row. We also ~~went on a hugging rampage~~ met a few characters with barely any line because most people weren't yet on this side of the park.

We then took the train over to Toon Town for the above mentioned lunch and then walked over to Tomorrowland. 5ohHubby and 5ohBig road Autotopia and 5ohHubby swears this was her most favorite thing she's ever done in her life. He let her man the car's steering wheel while he pressed the gas and he said she really thought she was driving the car. He said she laughed hysterically the entire time! Sad I missed it but it is not for preggos. We also rode Buzz Lightyear and she just spun us around and around. We rode the Astro Orbitor, Nemo (again) and the Alice & Wonderland ride. Then it was time for the parade. You guys- we by chance got seats on the right side of the courtyard looking toward The Matterhorn and the parade came straight toward us. 5ohBig loved it and her only beef was that we wouldn't let her ~~run down the street chasing characters~~ be a part of the parade. After the parade we left the park and went home to watch the Super Bowl, but had it not been on we would've left before the parade for a nap and dinner and come back for the later parade and the fireworks.

If you have any questions, I'll be answering them in the comments section so hopefully this post can help out other parent's wondering if they can do Disney with a toddler. All in all, we had a wonderful time at Disney with a toddler. 5ohBig won't remember the trip but in the moment she was SO EXCITED it was wonderful and so totally worth it. If I can do it in my third trimester, you can do it, too!