What I've Learned from 15 Months of Motherhood

During my short 15 months as a mother I've learned quite a lot! And I know it isn't even a fraction of what I have yet to learn about this sacred calling. As my daughter's 15 month mark has come, I have been reflecting on how motherhood has changed me and how I love it so much. I composed a little list of some things I have learned in my short time as a mom. I will probably have to update this every year! Anyway, here you go:

1. Googling baby sleep advice only leads to confusion - Oh yes, we've all done it. But I don't think I'm the only one who has ended up more confused after seeking advice than before. How many hours of sleep does my 3 month old need? How many naps should they take? Should I let my baby cry it out? All I ever get when looking up these questions is conflicting opinions. I've just had to get to know my baby and learn what she needs.

2. Comparison really is the thief of joy - We know that all babies/kids are different. Yet, it's hard not to compare your child with others. I'm guilty of comparing Lizzie's naps to other kids because she has ALWAYS taken short naps. It has seriously been the hardest thing for me to accept. But when I do accept that she's just a short napper and still happy, then I feel better. It also helps to think of all the things she's great at like eating, being social, and sleeping at night. I also want to quickly mention that this comparing thing also applies to us moms. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, they're just different than others'.

3. Target is a wonderful store - Can I just say that I hardly ever went to Target before becoming a mom? I went there for wedding presents but that's about it! Now, however, I find myself at Target multiple times a week. I don't like going to a bunch of different stores in the day with Lizzie so I go to Target because they have all your baby needs and more in one place!

4. I now get excited over silly things - This could have it's own list. I remember being excited about my baby pooping because she was so constipated in her early weeks of life. I even texted Tyler one day "She finally pooped!" We were both ecstatic. I would also get excited if my newborn let me sleep for 6 hours straight. A whole 6 hours! Before becoming a mom that would not have been ok.

5. Patience - Oh man, have I had to learn patience. It has never been my strongest virtue so this was tough for me. Waking up so many times a night to nurse, taking care of a sick baby, growth spurts, teething, learning how to be a mom - all these have required much patience. And it's not just Lizzie I have to be patient with, I have to be patient with myself also.

6. My life doesn't revolve around myself - Becoming a mom has forced me to think about someone other than myself. I love Lizzie and only want the best for her. Everything I do for Lizzie I do because I believe it's the best for her. I have to think of her when I plan things like trips, dates, mealtimes, etc. This change in lifestyle has been difficult to adapt to, but as free as my life was before, I would rather have my little girl than go back to that life. Someday I will have that freedom again, when my children are older are living their own lives. For now, I want try to enjoy this phase of life.

7. Motherhood gives a glimpse into God's love - I never imagined the love I could have for a child until I had one of my own. Like I mentioned previously, I want only the best for Lizzie. I want to giver her the best life possible. I want her to succeed, be good, and be happy. This is what God wants for his children, except his love is infinitely greater. Sometimes I have to do something that Lizzie doesn't like and doesn't realize is for her own good. When she gets shots, she obviously dislikes it and is probably wondering why we would do this to her; but I know they are good for her so I do it because I love her. God gives us trials and tough things in life and we wonder why. God loves us so he gives us challenges we need to grow stronger. I shouldn't say only mothers get this glimpse into God's love, fathers do as well. Becoming a parent has strengthened my testimony of God's love of me. I'm forever grateful to be called "mom".

Graphic Tee

I love having graphic tee's to wear on days when I don't have anywhere special to be but will be out and about doing things like running errands and going to the park with Lizzie. They're casual but still really cute! You can still dress it up too by wearing a necklace and/or a jacket with it. Here's one I got from Old Navy - on the clearance rack, baby! I love finding good deals. I wore it with a necklace from Target just to add more to the outfit. 

DIY Cake Smash

Lizzie is one! I can't believe she's been with us a whole year. We love her more than we could have ever imagined and are looking forward to many more years with her. In this post I'm going to talk about how I did her cake smash session with details on where I got props, the recipe for the cake, etc.

The Outfit
I decided to dress Lizzie in just a tutu, necklaces, and a headband. I mean, come on, who doesn't want to see that adorable pudge? The little tutu is from Target and the necklaces are from Walmart. I made the headband from materials bought at Hobby Lobby.

The Cake
I didn't want Lizzie to have a sugar high or get sick from eating too much sugar so I chose to make Lizzie a healthier birthday cake. It's a banana cake I got from this site. For the frosting, I actually just made a regular cream cheese frosting. All the healthy frostings I looked up were so runny that you couldn't design the cake with it. So, I made the frosting using this recipe. All I added to it was some food coloring. With my cake froster tool, I designed the top of the cake with rose patterns.

The Photoshoot
Lizzie's cake smash photo session was held outside because the light is better than what I can get inside.  I took her pictures at the park an hour before sundown with my Nikon D3300. Some balloons were placed in the background for a little background prop. The only problem was it was a little windy so in some of the photo's you can't see the balloons very well because they're blowing all over the place. I sat Lizzie in front of the cake and then took pictures like crazy. I did have to help her out in the beginning because she didn't know what to do besides poke at the cake. I took lots of pictures from different angles so I would be bound to have some adorable shots. Even though Lizzie didn't get as messy as I expected, I consider her cake smash a success!

I had such a blast doing this for Lizzie. I hope this gives you some ideas on how you can do a cake smash for your little one.

Crockpot Chili

It's chili season! And my favorite way to cook it is in the crockpot. So I have got an easy and tasty chili recipe for you. I slightly adapted the recipe from this site. This recipe makes plenty, about 8 servings, and they're great as leftovers. Try it out!

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped (2 tsp)
2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Directions
Cook ground beef in a pan. After draining the fat, put it in the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. Stir it up, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Before serving, mix cornstarch with water and add it to the chili to thicken. Enjoy!

Fall Festivities

It's been a really long time since I've written a blog post. I've given the blog a make-over, new name and all, and I'm ready to start this up again. Why "Dancing Through Tulips"?  I love tulips and I happen to be half Dutch so I wanted to incorporate that into the name of my blog. And dancing is  more lively than merely walking or strolling. So there you have it!

I just want to talk about my favorite season...Fall! I love that the holidays are just around the corner, I love the colors, the smells, the clothes and the pumpkin EVERYTHING. We don't get much of the fall weather here in Arizona, but that doesn't stop us from doing fall-ish things. Here are some things we've done this season. If you haven't done any of these, you should!


The obligatory trip to the pumpkin patch. Lizzie loved running around and looking at all the pumpkins. Of course, we took a couple home with us.

Instead of carving pumpkins this year, we decided to do something that Lizzie could (sort of) participate in. Painting pumpkins! We had to help her out a little bit but she did alright. I like this kid friendly way of decorating pumpkins and a huge plus is not getting all slimy from pumpkin guts.

                     

 Can you tell which one is Lizzie's? 


A few weeks ago we got to visit family in Utah. On one afternoon, we took a trip up the canyon to have a picnic surrounded by beautiful, colorful leaves. This is definitely something I miss out here in AZ.

Well there's a little peak into how we've enjoyed the fall season. I can't wait until Halloween, Lizzie's costume is adorable! Stay tuned.

Blueberry Banana Bread

I love love love banana bread. I also love blueberries. I just happened to have plenty of bananas and blueberries this week so, naturally, I had to bake something out of them. If blueberries aren't your thing, you can always do chocolate chips or nuts or whatever else instead! I usually do chocolate chips, but I have found that my taste buds really appreciate this combination. I'll be making this more often!

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix in. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and salt and mix together. In a separate bowl, mash bananas. Pour in mashed bananas with the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Fold in blueberries. Pour the dough into a greased bread pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. Enjoy!