Thoughts on Body Image

Having just had a baby I think about, and work on getting my body back into shape. Since I had a sweet baby girl I also stress about teaching her to have a healthy body image as she grows up in a world where looking a certain way seems to take top priority. My baby girl may end up being tall and naturally skinny like her dad or she may end up being short and stocky like me, or a mix of the two, or something completely different. No matter how she looks though I want to teach her to love and take care of her body.

I have babysat and/or nannied for various families over the years and I have been witness to the effect parents' views on health, working out, and weight have on their children. Particularly on their daughters. These parents have inadvertently given their very young girls the wrong ideas about body image. These girls {starting as young as three years old} already stress about their weight.

I had one little girl tell me that she needed to work out more because she was getting fat. I'm pretty sure she was five years old when she said that to me. She told me that because she had seen and heard her mom say these things about her own body. This little girl saw how much her mom stressed about her weight so she thought it was something she needed to stress about as well.

I had a family of girls who I would babysit on their mom's day off from a busy schedule so that she could go to the gym for hours. These girls noticed that their mom chose to go to the gym over spending time with them and they often brought up weight and working out with me.

Another family had little girls who were weighing themselves almost every day and telling their mom how much they weighed to get her approval. {I won't even post some of the awful responses they were given when they would tell her their weight.} These children would also comment on each other's weight. With one of the little girls calling her older brother fat. When I told her that you do not call your siblings fat she responded, "Well, Mom says it." How do you respond to that?!

Another girl once said, "I need to work out more so that my daddy loves me." She was seven. This little girl thought she needed to be skinny to have her father's love because she had seen the way he pressured her mother to be skinny.

I am not judging these families because I am sure that they are all trying their hardest to do what is right for their bodies, their kids, their lives, etc. However, I do want to learn from these examples and do my best to teach my daughter {and other future children} to take care of themselves and be healthy, but even more importantly to love the beautiful bodies that God has created for them.

As I start getting my body to where I want it to be {healthy and something I am comfortable and happy in} I am also thinking about how to portray this goal to my children. I am sure that I will make mistakes but I hope to learn from them. I do not want my children to feel like my focus in life is to be skinny. I do not want them to feel like I choose working out {or any other activity} over them on a regular basis.  I want being active to be a part of our family life. Something that we do for fun AND to stay healthy. I hope that I can accomplish these things and that as our family grows we can all be healthy and happy. That's a good goal, right?

P.S. Don't forget to enter the modestpop.com giveaway!

The view on my daily run.

Family walks are a new favorite activity. 

Writer's Block=Instagram Post

There are a bunch of things I should write about on this here blog but every time I try to get them written out I get stuck. So for now, here's an Instagram update! Enjoy adorable pictures of our sweet Holland girl! And some other things! {Follow me: @emmaashby}

a. Race, Holland and I hanging out by the river. 

{We are enjoying lots of family time while Race looks for a job. 

b. Holland LOVES to practice standing! And I love her cute fall tights from Kohl's!

c. I got new work out clothes to help motivate me to get this body back in shape post baby. It is hard work but I am going to do it! 

d. Holland practicing her standing again. LOVE her chunky legs! 

e. A shirt I made for Holland. Unfortunately, it was already too small for her. So this picture is the one time  she could ever wear it. Now I have to decide whether to save it for a future baby or give it to someone as a gift...hard decisions I tell you!

f. Holland sleeping in the car on our move to Idaho. She had no idea what big changes were about to happen!

g. I made a shirt. It was hard to do.

And I kind of hate the sleeves. But luckily a cardigan covers them up just wonderfully! 

h. My favorite post-baby outfit so far! :] And the first time I was able to wear my cute clearance shoes I got at Old Navy while I was pregnant.

i. Holland's first time feeling grass on her bare feet. So cute! 

j. Holland showing off her cute style! Red skinnies and chambray! {Already more stylish than her mum!}

k. Holland and I on Sunday morning. We were matching...not that you can really tell in this picture though! 

l. Holland and I skyping with Aunt Helena. We do this a lot and enjoy it every time! 

As you can tell, life is treating us quite well! There are definitely a lot of things that are stressful about moving away from family, Race not having a job, and us not having our own place but we are enjoying our time together and we are loving all the wonderful moments with our sweet Holland girl. 

Happy Thursday everyone! 

P.S. Don't forget to enter the modestpop.com giveaway here!

modestpop.com giveaway

I hope you all have heard about this awesome company new to the internet: Modestpop.com. This is a clothing company that specializes in modest clothing that you do not have to layer! AND nothing they sell will be more than fifteen dollars! This is my kind of shop! Being a former resident of Arizona I absolutely love clothes that are modest without having to add extra layers. Layering is the worst when you live somewhere hot! But being modest is often hard to accomplish without undershirts and cardigans. So go over and check out modestpop.com. Then come back here because I have a special giveaway for you all! There will be TWO winners. The first will receive $15 store credit and the second will receive $5 store credit! So get excited! Also, for everyone else I have a coupon code you can use to receive 10% off of your purchase. It is RANDE10.

Now here is what you need to do to enter the giveaway {Please leave one comment per entry}:

• Follow my blog via GFC. 
• Like ModestPop.com on Facebook here.
• Go to ModestPop.com and then comment telling me what you would buy. 

That's three entries you can do! So get those done and then cross your fingers that you win! :] The giveaway closes Sunday, September 30th and the winner will be announced Monday, October 1st.

P.S. If I were able to enter and win this giveaway I would get one of these things!

One Month.

Dear Holland,

This last month has flown by {very much the opposite of the month before}! Last Saturday {the 15th} you turned one month old. This last month has been filled with sleepless nights, bows and flowers for your cute head, roadtrips to Flagstaff and Pomerene, AZ, poopy diapers,  meeting grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, smiles, tears, a move to Idaho, tons of cute outfits, family walks, and so much more. It has been quite the adventure. And I'm sure the following months will be adventurous as well! I am loving watching you grow and learn new things every day. I love taking you places and realizing that each adventure expands your world. As I write this you are lying on my lap after eating and smiling up at me. I love your sweet smile. Your dad and I read that babies don't really start smiling at people until they're a month old or more but you have been smiling at us since the very beginning and we love to see a smile on your face! In the past couple of weeks you have started "talking" a bit more and it is so cute! You do it most right after you wake up {before you get grumpy and want to eat}. You also have a little squeal that almost sounds like a laugh. We love to hear your voice! Here are some other little things we've learned about you in your first month:

• You do not sleep well at night {although you are getting a LITTLE bit better}. You like to sleep all day and then be up for most of the night. 
• You want to be held all. the. time. {You are just now being happy lying on the bed for a little bit right after you wake up.}
• You are really good at holding  your head up.
• You have great style! Okay, that might be something I am forcing on you... 
• You sleep great in the car. Your dad and I even drove to Idaho through the night hoping to switch your sleeping schedule around. I think it kinda helped...
• You love to sleep on your daddy's chest. 
• You want to nurse all. night. long. 
• You have really long nails that you use to scratch anyone who holds you. {Mostly me while you're nursing.}
• You absolutely LOVE showers. You are the most relaxed while you are showering. 
• You hate pacifiers and bottles. The only people who have been able to get you to take them are Mimo and Gram. 
• When you are upset in the car you calm down when you hold on to mommy and/or daddy's thumbs. It is adorable.
• You aren't a huge fan of tummy time but it does last longer when you are in front of the mirror. Apparently you like your reflection! 
• You like to lounge on my lap while I get ready for the day so you can watch yourself in the mirror. 

And now for your personal enjoyment, here are some of the many nicknames your dad and I use on you: 

• Little or Wee Miss
• Holland Girl 
• Miss
• Stinker
• Pterodactyl girl {because of the dinosaur noises you make}
• Little Goose 
• Little, Mini, or My Main Squeesh 
• Sailor/Sailor Girl 
• Da Chunks
• Wee Little Squirt/Squeesh 
• Da gumps {aka Grumps}

I hope I'm not missing anything super important! Mostly we are just absolutely in love with you and can't wait to see how you change over the next months! We love being your parents! And now for some pictures from your first month photo shoot in the laundry basket! 

You were not a big fan of having your picture taken. 

{You rarely ever are other than quick pictures with my iPhone.}

Twisting and Turning! 

Holding onto the basket for moral support.

So, I am supposed to take pictures of you in this basket every month to see how much you grow but I'm pretty sure you will already have grown out of the basket by about three months...we'll see how this works out for us!

Love you sweet girl! Happy One Month! 

Love, Mom {and Dad}

Dressing 'Le Bebe' {#1}

I love having a little girl to dress up every day. I want to change her outfit every couple of hours but I refrain...usually. Haha. Anyway, here is her first outfit post! 

She is wearing a 6-12 month size shirt as a dress with bloomers from another dress, a headband made by me {I'm thinking of possibly starting an etsy shop to sell headbands like hers!}, and a belt made out of headband elastic. 

She's not a big fan of getting her picture taken but that is just something we'll have to work on because I can't help taking her picture! 

I got the idea to put her in a larger top as a dress and to use a headband as a belt from this blog {this post}. Lauren's daughter Fern is one of the best dressed little ladies I have ever seen so Holland and I are taking some tips from her!

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you have a wonderful week! More to come on the move to Idaho and a giveaway from modestpop.com!

Blessing Day

Two Sundays ago, September 2nd, 2012 Race and I were able to bless our sweet baby girl. Race did a wonderful job blessing Holland and he didn't change her name! I was a little worried that he might. It was a busy day with TONS of family in town. Holland got to meet all but one of her cousins and lots of Aunts, Uncles, and even some Great Aunts and Uncles. Her blessing dress was made by her Great Aunt Sage and she looked beautiful in it! Here are some pictures of the day!

Helena and I tending to the babe while Race figures out some camera settings. 

Getting distracted by my darling daughter. 

Family picture! 

Four generation picture! {Great Grandma Ashby, Granddad Ashby, Race, Holland}

Now, two Sundays later we are in Idaho living with Race's sister Tyne and brother-in-law Patrick and their cute daughter Madison and dog Tuck. We are on an adventure! I'll update more on that later. And look forward to a giveaway from modestpop.com coming soon!