My Family

My Family

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Holland Rose’s BIRTH day!

This birth day experience was like no other! I was really battling with her “birth date” because so many family members have birthdays in April, I really wanted to let everyone have their own special day! God even delivers and cares for us with those seemingly insignificant details! 




I’d say it all started April 24th. That night I was talking to Brooks and out of no where he says, you know you’re going to the hospital tomorrow to have Baby Holland, right? I slightly believed him since he was the only one who knew Holland was going to be a girl wayyyy before we found out the gender. That night we went to bed like normal and I had kind of been dreading actual bedtime because I was really struggling with sleep. Falling asleep was a struggle and staying asleep is a struggle. That night I slept pretty well until around 1:30. At 1:30am I was awoken by a contraction, then another one at 1:40, 1:55, 2:03, 2:10, 2:17, 2:28, etc. The doctor said don’t come to the hospital until you have 10 an hour. This continued until 4am. I even got up, started to pack a bag (ha! I still hadn’t even started), decided to curl my hair since I had just taken a shower to pass a little more time to see if these were going anywhere. They completely stopped at 4 and I was averaging 8 an hour.. And then I guess I fell asleep. At 7 Trevor and I got up as normal thinking hmmm...that was weird, but I guess no baby today. 

Saturday the 25th came and we had things to do. At like 8 that morning a friend even texted me saying she felt like I was going to have this baby today and she’d be praying for me. Too funny! Like I said, we had things to do. We went by Trevor’s work to get a few things, I had to mail some items at the post office, we had to go to the grocery store, get a car wash, etc. Then, that evening Trevor’s dad and wife were planning to bring us dinner for Trevor’s birthday. 

Starting at 7:03am, I honestly had contractions all day long. They were just super spaced out and nothing to write home about. They hurt, don’t get me wrong, they would stop me in my tracks, but there was nothing consistent about them. Sometimes it was 1 or 2 an hour, sometimes they were 4 min apart.

That evening Trevor’s dad and wife brought us dinner. Around the time they arrived I started having contractions VERY frequently. I decided I wasn’t really going to count them, but while we had company I was going to write down times when I felt the contractions. I wasn’t going to worry about it until after they left and I’d count them then based on what I wrote down. Turns out, from 5-8pm I was basically having between 10 and 13 contractions each hour. I had a feeling before we ate dessert that we’d be going to the hospital but there was no way I was going to say anything until I had dessert! 

So after Trevor’s dad left, I told Trevor it was time to go! I actually packed my bag, ha, changed the sheets since Trevor’s mom and stepdad would be staying at our house with the boys and we were out the door and at the hospital  by 8:35.  Not before we took our obligatory photo! 



When we got to the hospital Trevor had to drop me off on the 6th floor and then he had to go back down to the first floor and check in. They got me into a room pretty quickly but also said that they might send us home if I’m not far enough along or progressing. I was alone for about 20 minutes and then Trevor was able to come up after he was screened and checked in.







With this whole COVID-19 stuff obviously it felt like a weird time to be having a baby, but here we were! Thankfully we only had to wear the masks upon arrival and any time we were in the hallways.  

They finally checked me and I was at 5 cm, which already means they probably wouldn’t have sent me home. But then 20 min later I was already at 6 cm so they had me in my own room ready to go by 9:25. Contractions were honestly getting really close together and extremely painful by about 10:30, so I requested that amazing epidural! At 3:30am I was at 8cm, by 4 I was at 9cm and by 4:30 I was at a 10 and ready to go. The nurses were all coming in, getting everything set, things coming down from the ceiling, all the times. There was just one problem, my water hadn’t broke yet. How are you at a 10 and ready to go but your water hasn’t broke yet? Haha! So we waited. And waited. And waited. The nurses weren’t allowed to break my water and the dr said to wait, so we did. At this point my contractions because close to nothingness and it seemed like we were headed back to square one.  

I hadn’t slept all night, I tried but I was too excited and honestly even with the epidural I was just uncomfortable. So I did some online shopping, read my bible plan, read my BSF study for the week, prayed, listened to music...and then around 7:15 I started getting so tired. So I closed my eyes and finally drifted to sleep around 7:30am. At 7:35 the doctor came in and said, are you ready to have this baby? Ha, my timing was terrible for sleep! He broke my water and they started a little bit of Pitocin to get my contractions going again. I started pushing at 8:22 and baby girl made her appearance at 8:35am. 

HOLLAND ROSE MORRIS 
Born: 4/26/20 at 8:35am
Weight: 7 lbs 5 oz 
Height: 20.25 inches
PERFECTION 




























I always love a good comparison! Brooks - Rhett - Holland




That night went really well and we were both able to get a little sleep which was nice. The nursery even took her for about 5 hours. They were trying to limit babies in the nursery because of everything going on but thankfully that night there was one 1 other baby in there. 

We had all our paperwork done and we’re able to leave by 12:45pm on Trevor’s birthday, just in time to go and get A yummy birthday lunch! 







Monday, April 27, 2020

Third Trimester - Baby #3

Third Trimester - Baby #3

Once this trimester started I was ready for it to be over! Haha! I got pretty uncomfortable, I couldn’t sleep, Covid-19 came and I was probably a bit irritable! Ha! I tried not to be, I tried to be really aware of it, but sometimes I would stick my foot in my mouth. 

Baby Size: I’d have to look back and see all the fruits, lol, but based on the How Big is Our Baby, we ended at the size of a soccer ball or watermelon. 

My Symptoms: irritable, as mentioned. I wish I wouldn’t have been, but some days I definitely was. Heartburn, shooting pains down both legs often. Pelvic bone pain...haha! Now I see why I was a little irritable!  I honestly tried to stay joyful through it all because I knew this would be my last pregnancy. Some days were easy and some were a challenge. 

Weight: overall I was up about 34 lbs. It basically was identical to my pregnancy with Brooks which makes sense bc I started at about the same weight with both. Although I did work out everyday this pregnancy!

Gender: Sweet baby girl

Maternity Clothes: since Covid-19 started I have lived in 3 pairs of leggings. 2 of them are maternity and the others are regular. For shirts, I’ve probably lived in about the same 8 shirts and none of them were maternity. I liked a tank top so I could work out with a long sleeved shirt/button down shirt. 

Movement: always lots of movement. The only days I didn’t feel as much were the two days I was having lots of contractions before she made her arrival! I’m not sure if I was so focused on the contractions that I didn’t think about the movement or if they move a little less with all of that going on. 

Sleep: I’m usually a GREAT sleeper and pregnancy rarely affects that, but this one has been different. I wake up in the middle of the night and am wide away, I can’t go to sleep. I have heartburn sometimes but other times I just lay there. This is probably where my irritably stemmed from because I require a lot of sleep! Ha! It’s all making sense now! 

Cravings: ICE! All.day.long! Toward the end I really wanted popcorn. 

Workouts: I worked out daily. Or I never missed more than 1 day. It’s kind of my mantra this year. If you miss one, don’t miss two. It works for just about everything in my life right now. It gives me grace but also get me back on track!

Best Pregnancy Moment: Seeing Brooks so excited for a little sister is basically the cutest thing ever! Rhett has turned a corner and seems a little more excited! We shall see! 

Thoughts: laughing at myself a little because I was so prepared with the boys. This post was done far in advance and my bags were packed, etc. For this one, I’m currently typing this in the hospital a day after she was born. And my bag was no where near packed. 

Here are some pictures of 3rd trimester!


30 weeks 3 days


30 weeks 6 days


Pregnancy buddies!! 31 weeks 4 days


Our daily walks to the mailbox! 34 weeks


35 weeks 3 days

I wanted a few pictures of the 4 of us before baby girl joined! I’m thankful for my mother-in-law who took a few! The boys were crazy but it’s exactly what I expected! Haha! 







Easter! 36 weeks 5 days! 


Husband of the year award! 38 week pedi! 

Little girl made her arrival at 38 weeks 5 days!

Friday, February 21, 2020

Baby Girl's Baby Shower

I seriously have the BEST friends a girl could ask for!!! These 4 ladies went above and beyond to make me feel so special and to give this sweet baby girl a BEAUTIFUL shower!!! 

Thank you all SO MUCH for everything you did to make this so perfect! 
Along with having the sweetest friends EVER, I have the most talented friends as well! Check out this BEAUTIFUL painting my friend did! This amazing sign will be hung above Holland's crib! I can't wait to get it all put together! 
Add caption


They seriously went above and beyond and thought of everything!! They even got my favorite cereal!! <3 <3 <3 



The cutest bow making station!! We seriously have a bow or two to go with every outfit now!! Haha!
I still can't believe we are having a little girl!!! I told me mom MANY years ago that I thought I would have all boys, so this was a sweet surprise!


I am just so thankful for each and every person who took the time to come! You all mean SO MUCH to me!!!





What a fun day February 8th was!! Miss Holland, we are ready for you! Your room is slowly but surely coming together, but more importantly, our hearts are so excited to meet you! You have been prayed for for some time now! <3 

Thursday, February 13, 2020

My Favorite Instant Pot Recipes So Far....

Oh my goodness, I am LOVING my Instant Pot! Like, why did I not get one of these sooner! Haha!

I probably did 10 different dishes in there in January, and February is looking the same! It is SO EASY and right now with the boys, it usually works out to be perfect timing on when I start prepping and when I know they can help or be busy doing something specific so I can get it going and have it done around the time Trevor gets home.

I thought I'd share my top few favorites from the month. If you know me, part of the reason I like them is because they are SO SIMPLE, all in one pot type things and simple ingredients! You know I'm not running all over town to get crazy ingredients! Haha!


Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Burrito Bowls!
https://www.recipessimple.com/instant-pot-shredded-chicken-burrito-bowls/


What I loved about it....you dump it all in one pot! And simple ingredients! I'm not a big rice person, but oh my goodness, the Instant Pot has changed my opinion on rice! It is SO GOOD!! And it was especially good in this dish! 



Easy Instant Pot Stroganoff
https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/instant-pot-stroganoff/


I'm sure you're going to notice a pattern here with what I love about it....one pot, everything goes in and you don't have to do much, simple ingredients and so yummy! I wouldn't necessarily call this one healthy, but it was something I was craving from pregnancy and it did not disappoint. We also had lots of leftover and it was delicious even the next day!




Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/instant-pot-chicken-tortilla-soup-21-day-fix/


I'm a little picky when it comes to Chicken Tortilla Soup and this is about the first one I have LOVED that I've made at home. I love Chuy's Chicken Tortilla Soup. It's always what I get there and I crave it! lol! This was VERY similar, so it hit the spot! Again, SUPER EASY! One pot, simple ingredients and healthy!


Instant Pot Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
https://nailsmag.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-best-instant-pot-chicken-fettuccine.html


This one was a hit, especially with the boys! Again, not exactly healthy, lol! But EASY and DELICIOUS! It honestly reminded me of Olive Garden's Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, but less "greasy." The only thing that seemed to be the issue here is, both times I made it a BURN alert came up on my Instant Pot, so I had to stop it, move things around a little and start over. I was a little nervous the first time this happened because we were having a bunch of people over and now everything was running a little late. But, everything turned out fine and delicious! So, I would recommend not smashing things down like it recommends in the recipe!


I hope all of my fellow Instant Pot people find this helpful! I have several recipes pinned on Pinterest, but always love personal recommendations on these things that are tried and true (I know you can't trust everything on pinterest! HAHA!)

Happy Cooking!

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Second Trimester - Baby #3


Second Trimester- Baby #3!!!

Here is a fun filled overview of second trimester with our sweet baby girl! I love getting to read these and compare all the similarities and differences with all my pregnancies!

You can read all about the First Trimester Here!

Baby Size: We have gone from the size of a lemon to an eggplant!! Lots of growing happening for sure! I can feel it and you can definitely see it!! HAHA!


My Symptoms: Thankfully my energy returned at the beginning of the second trimester and my sickness pretty much subsided. By the end of the 2nd trimester, I was definitely feeling a little more tired and wanting to go to bed earlier and earlier. The worst part right now is my pelvic bone. I had this same problem with Rhett. If I stand for too long, don't wear really supportive shoes, or even sit for any number of minutes and then stand up, my pelvic bone basically feels like it is breaking. Not exactly sure what that would actually feel like, but I can imagine based on how excruciating this can feel! My other annoying symptom that has been around since the beginning is feeling out of breathe. It's hard to sing because I can't get enough air. It has nothing to do with being out of shape because I have worked out consistency during this pregnancy and was probably in the best shape of my life before I got pregnant. It's just crazy how exhausted I can feel and how out of breathe I am after one song.

Weight: I think I am up about 20 lbs from pre-pregnancy. I try not to weigh myself too often, but I'm always a little curious!

Gender: GIRL!!! Holland Rose Morris! I can't wait to meet this sweet thing and I sure hope she likes PINK!

Maternity Clothes: Around Week 27 I think I jumped in and started wearing maternity pants. My other ones, even doing the hair tie trick, were getting uncomfortable and I decided it was time! Haha! As far as shirts and dresses, I mainly wear my normal clothes. I have to wear an undershirt since some of my shirts are a little short to wear with maternity pants.

Movement: She is ACTIVE! I love getting to feel her move around! Trevor has felt her several times, but I swear every time I tell him "she's being so active" and Trevor tries to feel, she stops! Haha!

Sleep: I'm a great sleeper! Haha! I've had a couple restless nights or nights where I really struggled with heartburn, but most of the time sleep is great!

Cravings: Ice Cream and ICE! I want to crunch ice ALL.DAY.LONG!

Workouts: The first trimester was definitely non-existent! However, second trimester has been GREAT! I completed 68 workouts during my 2nd trimester and I'm pretty darn proud of that!

Best Pregnancy Moment: I have had lots of wonderful pregnancy moments. I'm honestly just really excited and filled with joy (no, I'm not in the best mood all the time and I feel like I am more irritable with the boys sometimes) but overall, I have an amazing sense of joy! I think the neatest thing during this whole pregnancy is seeing how excited Brooks is to have a sister! It melts me every time he talks about her!!

Goals for Next Trimester: Enjoy the last few weeks! I know this is going to be the last time I'm pregnant (I know, I know...I said that last time! HA!) But, I think I mean it this time. I want to soak up as much time with the boys as I'm sure our lives will definitely change once she arrives. I'm going to enjoy my ice cream that I want every.single.night (HA!) and I'm going to finish this little girls room!

Thoughts: I.CAN'T.WAIT for her to arrive! It's definitely a different feeling going from 1 to 2 and now 2 to 3. Going from 1 to 2, I felt like a chapter was closing, I felt a little guilty about my one-on-one time with Brooks ending. I don't really have any of those thoughts this time around. I know how to create one on one time with each kiddo and I know how special it is to have a sibling, so I'm really just excited for her to be here and continue doing what we're doing.


Here are a few pictures from 2nd trimester...
14 Weeks

14 Weeks


Finding out it's a GIRL!!!

16 Weeks!
17.5 Weeks



Girls got muscles already!! HAHA! 

20 Weeks! 

20 Weeks with all 3! Brooks, Rhett and Holland!
I made working out a big priority through the 2nd trimester, so I had to include this one! I love Brooks' encouragement! 

23 Weeks!


27 Weeks