It's been a while since I wrote a post
dedicated to style, life updates, etc so here we go! First, I want to say thank
you readers for taking the time to read my blog post and visit my little space
on the internet. I love sharing style, family moments, and
discussing/reflecting on things I have learned while navigating through life as
an individual, wife and mother. Speaking of motherhood, my son recently turned
one so I will definitely dedicate a blog post to that cause mama has had quite
a year! Lastly, unless stated otherwise most photos on this blog are taken by
my husband because we're a team so thanks for supporting my endeavor!
From Curacao with Love: Travel Diary Part 2
Friday, October 18, 2019
The colors of Curacao are captivating! We dedicated half a day to walking around and getting lost between the colorful streets of Willemstad while buying snacks and a few souvenirs along the way The capital city is lined with streets and alleyways full of colorful buildings, shops and murals. Take a peek below!
From Curacao with Love: Travel Diary Part 1
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Curacao is currently
my favorite vacation destination right alongside Trinidad and Tobago. The
beaches have some of the clearest water I've ever seen (along with Aruba's
beaches). Food, transportation and lodging are affordable and there is always
something to do that won't break the bank.
When I visit islands, I'm usually
not pressed to go to the beach every day but Curacao really does have some the
most beautiful beaches and I visited the beach during the three full days we
spent on the island amongst our other activities.
What made this trip so
special was that I spent it with my family. It was a Birthday trip for my mom
and spending quality time with my mom, brother, husband and son, all at once,
was so meaningful to us. My mom was happy to be with her kids at the same time and
my brother and son bonded after not seeing each other for months. We all
arrived Saturday afternoon so we decided to take it easy; we went grocery
shopping, bought dinner and relaxed. We
rented a townhouse from Airbnb that had two gorgeous pools as well as access to the ocean!
After breakfast, my husband took photos of me and then we headed to the ostrich
farm with the family!
Why I took a Six Week Break from Instagram
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
As far as I know, the purpose of fasting is to grow closer
to God. Fasting is a way of submitting your will in exchange for God’s. I
decided to fast from Instagram because I was desperate for God to provide a
break through in my life and Instagram had become my idol. An idol is anything
that absorbs your time and love more than God. While I love God, I realized
this year that spend way more time on Instagram than with God. Maybe the reason
I’ve been struggling so much this year is because I was not seeking God
wholeheartedly. Sure, I would pray, read my Bible and have devotions each day
but I didn’t truly want to serve God more than my desires.
My desire to waste time on social media
scrolling through Instagram, minding other people’s business was not only
pushing me away from God, it was hindering productivity and triggering my
depression. The first thing I noticed within my first few hours of abstaining
from Instagram was how much I was able to accomplish in a relatively short
amount of time.
At the end of the first week of my fast, I realized that I
did not feel depressed at all. It was
literally the first week this year where the signs of depression did not
surface in my life. Sure, I was still dealing with some hardships but I didn’t
feel like my life was on a downward spiral. There is a quote that states, “comparison
is the thief of joy” and my habit of scrolling through Instagram watching other
peoples’ lives through their photos and Instastories made me feel like I was
not doing enough with my own life.
I want to walk on the path that God has set for me and I want to be so in tune with God that I am living my life in accord with His will for my life. God promises that when we live a life of obedience to Him, we will thrive. “The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.” (Jeremiah 29:13).
Photographer-Kofi James
So it’s been six weeks and my fast is over! There were very specific things I was fasting and praying for during this time and I must say that God truly showed up for me in so many ways. All my prayers have not been answered yet, but I know God will in His perfect timing.
Pre-Father's Day: Making Time to be Present
Monday, June 10, 2019New Mom, New Fears
Thursday, February 21, 2019Happy new year! If you follow me on instagram you know I welcomed my son, Avery, on November 5, 2018. Avery is truly the light of my life but the first three weeks of his life felt like some of my darkest days. Motherhood was nothing like I thought it was going to be at first, it was miserable and downright difficult. My first struggle was breastfeeding. Avery had a hard time latching on and whenever he did latch on, I felt excruciating pain. I put him on the breast as much as possible in the hospital but he usually had to be supplemented with formula. Breastfeeding was frustrating for both of us; he cried often because he had a hard time latching on and was hungry. I cried because I felt like I was struggling to give him what he needed. Sometimes he did latch on and would stay on for 30-60 minutes while I cringed from the pain.
Eventually I kept Avery on the breast less and gave him more formula because I couldn't bear the pain, which made me cry even more. I pumped everyday (and still do) but my milk supply was and still is too low to feed him breastmilk only which often made me cry in the first few weeks. I felt like a bad mom because breastfeeding wasn't going well and breast were created to nourish babies. I saw a lactation consultant twice within Avery's first two weeks and thing never got much better. However, I still put him on the breast everyday and keep him on until I can't withstand the pain.
As if breastfeeding wasn't enough of a struggle my baby became super fussy by 5 days old and cried ALOT. Every time he cried for prolonged periods of time, so did I because it was so hard to calm him. I'll never forgot that one Thursday where he cried for 3 hours straight and my mom was consoling both the baby and I as my head laid on her shoulder while she held him in her arms.
I was so scared of everything those first few weeks and developed anxiety. I was scared to be alone with my baby because it was so hard to console him, scared he would choke (because he choked for the first time at two weeks and it was the scariest moment of my life), scared he would stop breathing in his sleep so I checked his breathing several times throughout the night and missed out on a lot of sleep. My husband, Avery and I spent the first three week's of Avery's life at my mom's house and she helped us so much! When it was time for us to go back to our apartment, I cried. I didn't know how I would manage by myself all day with the baby and I cried as my mom held me in her arms assuring me I would be okay. Those first few days at our home were tough. Avery cried most of the day and there was no help until my husband came home. I called my mom almost every day crying. I felt sad often, but every time I was able to calm my son and watch him lay sweetly in my arms I felt like a winner.
Dress-Zara | Coat- Zara | Shoes-Target
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