Something I used to write in my journal was a little life update on the last day of each month. I would write about things that happened throughout the month, things I was grateful for, lessons learned, favorite things, etc. I thought I'd start doing these monthly updates on my blog so I can look back on what has happened and so anyone else can read along the way too if they'd like!
May 2017
1. Answers from doctors. For the past 6 months I've been struggling with my health quite a bit. For most of those months I had no idea what was going on with my body, but a few weeks ago at my doctors appointment I finally got some answers and learned that the majority of the pain I was experiencing was because I had an ovarian cyst that ruptured. I also discovered that I am gluten intolerant and lactose intolerant, but am still waiting to know whether I have Celiac Disease or NCGS/NCWS. I've been able to adjust my diet so I don't get sick every time I eat, and it has actually been a great way for me to get more into cooking! (I've thought about adding in some gluten free/dairy free recipes to my blog every so often, so I'd love to hear if that's something you'd be interested in seeing!) I am just so thankful to finally have some answers from doctors and hopefully be on the road to recovery.
2. Eternal perspective. This month has brought on a lot of trials that I was completely blindsided by. Because of that, I have found a great deal of comfort in leaning on my belief that there is more than just this life, and that most things in this life really don't matter in the long run. I feel so strongly that families are forever and that is something I'm extremely grateful for, especially this month.
3. More time with Conrad. I feel so fortunate to be in a situation where I get to be a stay-at-home mom. Since graduating college, I've been able to focus a lot more time on just being a mom and it has been so great. I feel extremely blessed and thankful to have this extra time and energy for Conrad.
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| Conrad's bottom teeth came in this month! |
Lessons learned:
2. Chick fil a superfood salad - I don't know about you, but I can never get enough chick fil a - especially their superfood salad! I was craving it often enough I knew I would need to figure out how to make it on my own before I spent all of our income on it ;) You can find the best "copycat" recipe I've found here!
3. Mormon Mompreneur Podcast. Last month I mentioned that I started listening to podcasts on my walks with Conrad. I recently found this podcast and am loving it so much! I am always left feeling uplifted and inspired after each episode, and it has blessed my life tremendously to listen to these inspiring women every day.
Memories:
1. I'm a college grad! I graduated with my bachelors degree this month and it was such a happy day! I had a lot of wonderful support and it was so special to have them there to cheer me on. Afterwards, my mother in law took Conrad so Jake and I could go on a temple date. It was the first time we went since having Conrad and we even had the opportunity to be the witness couple for our first time. It was so refreshing to be there and especially nice to have some alone time with each other! That evening we also had a barbecue at my in laws home and enjoyed the beautiful weather and great company.
2. Our first day trip without a baby! For Jacob's birthday this year, my mom gave us the gift of an entire day baby free! She and my dad watched Conrad while Jake and I took a day trip to Las Vegas, which is about 2 hours from where we live. We laughed a lot, especially when we celebrated at the fact that we could walk into a gas station together at the same time and not have to stress over taking Conrad in and out of his carseat. We chose to go to IKEA for the first time, which probably sounds like the least exciting thing someone could do in Vegas, but it was exactly what we wanted to do. With my love for design and Jake pursuing a career in architecture, IKEA was perfect for us! We actually spent 4 hours there and loved every second. 🙈 Afterwards we went to Zupas (WHY isn't there a Zupas in St. George?!) and enjoyed our drive back home together. It was so nice to go on a date with my husband again, but holding Conrad after not seeing him for so long was exactly what I needed at the end of the day.
3. Hey, Jude. One of my friends asked if I could take her son's newborn pictures this month and it was such a great experience! I've never really taken someone else's pictures before, so I was nervous and excited to take on the challenge. Her and her husband were so kind and little Jude was sooo perfect. I had a great time taking the pictures for them and I posted lots of pictures from their session here.
1. Don't worry about the feelings of one person towards you. It has been hard for me to accept that you just can't control how people feel about you or perceive you, but I am learning that the most important people in your life won't ever abandon you. There's no point in wasting your time worrying about why someone has hurt your feelings or has left your life. Invest your time in those that choose to stay.
2. You can't afford not to tell people how you feel. I lost someone I cared deeply about this month. I had plans to go visit him the Monday after graduation and thank him for the positive influence he had on my life, for visiting me in the hospital the day I had Conrad, and for helping me get through college. I was a week too late. He passed away before I had a chance to thank him and I regret that deeply. I don't want to regret things like that in the future. Because of that, I have tried harder to speak my mind and thank people sooner than later.
3. It will always feel better to do. Most of you know about my struggle with anxiety and depression, and the majority of this month left me feeling depleted. I guess sometimes I just forget that distancing myself from everything isn't going to make me feel better. So towards the end of this month I made a greater effort to just DO. Even when I've felt like I can't do anything, I have tried so hard to be productive and get myself out of the house and I can't tell you enough how much it has helped! Things are finally starting to look up and I attribute much of that to just choosing to do.
Current favorites:
1. Microbladed eyebrows - I wrote a bit about this on my blog earlier this month (you can read more here) but I am seriously so happy that I got my eyebrows microbladed! It has made getting ready in the morning so much easier and has given me a boost in the confidence I often lack.
2. You can't afford not to tell people how you feel. I lost someone I cared deeply about this month. I had plans to go visit him the Monday after graduation and thank him for the positive influence he had on my life, for visiting me in the hospital the day I had Conrad, and for helping me get through college. I was a week too late. He passed away before I had a chance to thank him and I regret that deeply. I don't want to regret things like that in the future. Because of that, I have tried harder to speak my mind and thank people sooner than later.
3. It will always feel better to do. Most of you know about my struggle with anxiety and depression, and the majority of this month left me feeling depleted. I guess sometimes I just forget that distancing myself from everything isn't going to make me feel better. So towards the end of this month I made a greater effort to just DO. Even when I've felt like I can't do anything, I have tried so hard to be productive and get myself out of the house and I can't tell you enough how much it has helped! Things are finally starting to look up and I attribute much of that to just choosing to do.
Current favorites:
1. Microbladed eyebrows - I wrote a bit about this on my blog earlier this month (you can read more here) but I am seriously so happy that I got my eyebrows microbladed! It has made getting ready in the morning so much easier and has given me a boost in the confidence I often lack.
3. Mormon Mompreneur Podcast. Last month I mentioned that I started listening to podcasts on my walks with Conrad. I recently found this podcast and am loving it so much! I am always left feeling uplifted and inspired after each episode, and it has blessed my life tremendously to listen to these inspiring women every day.
Memories:
1. I'm a college grad! I graduated with my bachelors degree this month and it was such a happy day! I had a lot of wonderful support and it was so special to have them there to cheer me on. Afterwards, my mother in law took Conrad so Jake and I could go on a temple date. It was the first time we went since having Conrad and we even had the opportunity to be the witness couple for our first time. It was so refreshing to be there and especially nice to have some alone time with each other! That evening we also had a barbecue at my in laws home and enjoyed the beautiful weather and great company.
2. Our first day trip without a baby! For Jacob's birthday this year, my mom gave us the gift of an entire day baby free! She and my dad watched Conrad while Jake and I took a day trip to Las Vegas, which is about 2 hours from where we live. We laughed a lot, especially when we celebrated at the fact that we could walk into a gas station together at the same time and not have to stress over taking Conrad in and out of his carseat. We chose to go to IKEA for the first time, which probably sounds like the least exciting thing someone could do in Vegas, but it was exactly what we wanted to do. With my love for design and Jake pursuing a career in architecture, IKEA was perfect for us! We actually spent 4 hours there and loved every second. 🙈 Afterwards we went to Zupas (WHY isn't there a Zupas in St. George?!) and enjoyed our drive back home together. It was so nice to go on a date with my husband again, but holding Conrad after not seeing him for so long was exactly what I needed at the end of the day.
3. Hey, Jude. One of my friends asked if I could take her son's newborn pictures this month and it was such a great experience! I've never really taken someone else's pictures before, so I was nervous and excited to take on the challenge. Her and her husband were so kind and little Jude was sooo perfect. I had a great time taking the pictures for them and I posted lots of pictures from their session here.
4. Meeting Ava Emilia Devantier. This morning, our best friends welcomed their sweet baby girl into the world! I was so honored that Savannah wanted me there to take pictures. She ended up needing a C-section, so I barely made it to the hospital in time! I got there right as they were bringing Ava out of the OR and was able to see her within minutes of being born. It was so amazing to see Conrad's godparents become parents themselves and to meet their beautiful baby girl, and I'm so excited to watch her and Conrad grow up together.
This month has been filled with lots of ups and downs, but has ultimately been a month I'll look back on as a positive one. I think it's so crucial to recognize that when our lives take a turn for the worst, it is up to us to find the joy wherever we can. As we do that, we will begin to see the many blessing that have surrounded us all along. Life is good as Mrs. Wilson!
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