"It's been awhile" seems to be the theme of most intros to these posts, but I'd like to change that and hopefully that will if you've been following along on my other social media outlets. I'm taking a few steps back and trying to do a little less laboring, and a lot more savoring, at least for the summer. Since Liem has been born, things have been a little crazy (also another reoccurring theme in life lately) and as much as I say over and over again that I do love my job and couples, the moments are fleeting so let's change the theme here. 

Now that I've been a mom for all but twenty minutes ;) I thought I'd share a few thoughts and tips I've gathered so far on this journey of motherhood. As you read this, I want to you to know, there is no amount of advice or research that can compare to your own mother instinct. It's a strong sense, trust it most in times of fret!

Family bond

Those first few days you and your family arrive home from the hospital are so precious. It's a time you are getting to know each other and settling in together. I had some good advice to cherish this time and to limit visitors/help so there is an intimate environment. Those quiet moments of a family of three are once in a lifetime, don't take it for granted. I know you're thinking, "I'm going to need the help!" but let me give a bit of insight. If your husband gets a bit of time off with you guys, you're all set. At first your baby only needs you, especially if you're breastfeeding so there is not much extra hands can do. Take visitors as you'd like and are ready for, but reserve the time as you need. You'll all appreciate the quiet.

Quiet time

Speaking of quiet time, infants are very easily and quickly over stimulated. I repeat, they are very easily over stimulated. Of course you've heard that you'll want your baby to get adjusted to your daily life and routine so they'll need to be around the everyday noises of your home, but making sure they're in a calming environment is equally as important. Follow your baby's cues and understand if the restaurant is too much, or if there are too many new faces in his. You have to remember, they just came out of a very protected and cozy place into this busy world, be sensitive to that! 

Breastfeeding

Gosh, this could use a whole post within itself. Every mom has her own experience and it may be very different with each child, but I will say I've loved breastfeeding. It's a special bond between myself and Liem and I find it so amazing that my body is able to produce food to nourish him. I will admit it's probably the hardest thing I've ever done- yes, even harder than birth! Sounds crazy, but here are my reasons: You still have to upkeep a solid diet to keep good production and if they don't react well to anything, you have to rid that of your intake too. Saying bye to things like cheese and bread is not fun! Sometimes you can feel like a prisoner because those first few months when they eat every two hours doesn't let you go very far without baby, and it can be painful until you get whatever the issue is resolved. It also takes will power. It is your choice whether you choose to breastfeed, so it can be easy to want to quit. (I do want to make it clear that you are no less of a mother if you choose this route!)  It's one of the hardest dances you'll learn together, but once you do, it's so special. 

Take care of yourself

There is so much in postpartum that isn't always discussed and I can understand why- it's not the most attractive thing to talk about! Our bodies have gone through an incredible amount of stress and work, and then we must care for the new joy so self care can be overlooked. This is when the extra help can be really useful. Take the time to shower, sneak in a nap when you can, step out of the house alone even if it's just for 45 minutes. Your body is healing physically and emotionally. Whatever you need, allow for yourself to have it. Don't feel guilty, you deserve it! 

Survive

 If you were anything like me, you read a few books and googled your heart out about parenting trying to take a crash course on how to be a good mommy. There is so much research out there about how to do it right and what not to do, but once you're in the deep trenches of it all, it's a bit different. You just have to do what you have to do and survive. All that you read about what you're baby is supposed to be doing right now but not? Listen to your him and ride the waves, he'll let you know when he is ready. 

Grace

And finally, this is the best advice I can give- allow yourself some grace. You're not always going to get it right. You're not always going to feel like a rockstar, but you are doing your best and that is exactly what your little one needs. There are going to be days you're just not sure this is exactly what you want, or if you are cut out for motherhood, but when you look at your sweet babe, there is your reassurance. Being a mother is hard work and self-sacrificing, but such a joy nobody can understand until you are one yourself. 

People tell you all the time to treasure every day of these first moments because they fly by and I cannot agree more. It's almost as if every time you blink there is a new milestone. Seriously, enjoy every second!

Photography by The Moody Romantic

The last time I was typing on here I was still pregnant playing the waiting game and little to my knowledge, I was experiencing the onset of labor. It was my first time so who knew what to expect! About 11 hours later, my entire world changed. 

The morning of February 10, 2016 I woke up at 4:30am with signs that labor could possibly be happening. I frantically woke up Adam and he called our doula. When she told us to relax and try to get some sleep because the time could be coming, I burst into tears. I was scared of what was to come, but mostly so sad to end my pregnancy. I knew we were going to meet our little miracle, but fear and anxiety overcame any excitement I could've had. I began to have a few minor contractions, but they went away so when we called our OB later in the morning, he also said to hang tight and relax because it could be coming but it'll be awhile. 

The contractions came back around 10am, but we decided to try to go about our day. Adam stayed home from work so we did some errands: Hobby Lobby, Sam's Club, etc. You know, usual places you go to when you're in labor :) The day went on and the contractions kept coming, but they were never consistent enough for us to be fully alarmed. We learned in our birthing classes that 5-1-1 (five minutes apart, lasting 1 minute long, for 1 whole hour) meant it was "active labor" and definitely time to get into the hospital. With that in mind, I just tried to distract myself and bear down every time a contraction came around. The day went on and evening finally rolled around. We decided to get me a smoothie since I didn't eat too much at lunch and right around then was when the pain just intensified. Again, they were still not on that specific pattern but I felt it was enough to alert the hospital. When we got ahold of the Doctor on call, he said to just come in. I'm so glad we did because by the time we had gotten there, I was fully dilated and it was time to push! I had completely labored at home and if we were there any longer, Adam might've had to catch the baby! 

When I came into this, I wasn't sure what to expect or to feel. After all of the birthing classes, the books I read, and the late night google searches, I had this image that I'd give birth ever so gracefully with my hair done in a nice braid and makeup on. I got a chance to shower and that was all I could do manage through those contractions. I arrived at the hospital in my pajamas, and a raggedy pony tail. I figured out really quick none of that mattered. What was about to happen was far beyond a braid or some blush. 

For this part of the experience I always describe it as getting ready to go on show for Broadway. Stay with me here. We got checked in, the nurse told me change into a gown, and there were so many people rolling all sorts of equipment in and shuffling around getting the "set" ready. Then they got me on the hospital bed, hooked up to all sorts of gadgets, and then- the lights came on and it was "showtime". 

The doctor that was on call didn't know he was on call and was actually out to dinner with his family, whoops! As soon as he got there and scrubbed in, we were ready to push. Now here, is where it all really gets real. Every ache and pain was magnified at this point since I didn't have any medication and I could feel my body making the changes to prepare for the final stage of labor. I was so exhausted, and I wanted to quit so many times, but I tried to keep my focus and get ready to meet our baby boy. That was by far the most intense hour of my entire life. And then, I heard the cry. I don't know if it was because I was so worn out by this point that I've blocked out every single noise, but it was as if the entire room was silenced and there was this little babe announcing his arrival. 

Then the came the rush of feelings. My adrenaline was racing through my body, I felt like I just finished two marathons back to back and won first place in both. My heart was going to burst because the life that was once living inside of me is staring at me bright-eyed and snuggling on me like he knew exactly who I was. I felt like I won the lottery because the two boys that were loving on me at that very second made me the luckiest girl in the world. An amazing moment to never forget. 

Robert Liem Whitten, we are entirely enamored by you and have loved every single minute of your life here with us. We treasure all of the little noises you make in your sleep, the way your eyes stare deep into ours for , and watching you figure out your new world. Our lives may have completely changed and will never go back, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Sweet boy, we love you so. 

All photography courtesy of our dear and sweet friend, Aly Renee Photography

Photo by Charla Storey Photography

We are sitting here at 39 weeks, patiently waiting for our baby boy to make his appearance in the world. If I thought I had a rush of thoughts and emotions at 8 weeks of pregnancy, I'd tell my old self to hang on because I haven't seen nothing yet. I'd also let myself know that every bit of exhaustion or food aversion I had then would so be worth it because being pregnant is one of the most amazing experiences I could ever have. It's inexplainable, really. 

The connection Baby W and I have made over these past 9 months is a bond that nobody else can relate to and it has become ever so sweet. Between the kicks, flutters and hiccups (he has a lot of those), I almost feel like we have our own language. When I first found out I was pregnant, I was hit with the thought that I'd never be alone again- literally there was a little heartbeat with me at all times! But truly, I have loved toting him everywhere on our trips, daily Target runs, working big weddings, and special dates with Daddy. 

The biggest and most notable part of pregnancy is seeing the change in my body- it is absolutely incredible! I even find myself waking up, feeling this baby bump, and thinking to myself, "Wow, my body is so cool!" Just to comprehend a life growing, nourishing, and preparing inside my belly is beyond my grasp. It's clear evidence of our magnificent Creator and how He carefully made us to be useful for doing good things. It is striking to believe He has trusted me in carrying His masterpiece. 

This journey has been so beautiful and as much as I am ready to meet our newest family member, I know I'm going to miss this. And frankly, I'm pretty nervous for the next part of pregnancy-labor. It is surely unknown territory and I do not do well with unfamiliar. I do know I am my mother's daughter, and I know she gave birth by herself (yes, she labored and pushed alone because my dad was doing an interview on the other side of the refugee camp and didn't know) to one of my brothers. So when my dad returned, there she was holding a baby. I understand how crazy that story sounds, but she did it! I'll just have to remember that God has the most perfect timing and His plan is always perfect. 

Hello friends, I know it's been awhile, I feel as if Texas wedding season has taken me by the storm! The days are half as long and the sun is already setting by the time I get out to run the rest of my errands. I probably say this more often than not, but gosh how time flies! It's already the 23- week mark in our pregnancy, a bit over half way! The last few months of my life have been a whirlwind of feelings both physically and emotionally, and I can only imagine there will be so much more to come. I've already started picking up on things that I've learned so far and there are a few that weigh heavy on my heart:

Have a Mommy Tribe

I've always found it important to build a group of people around you that are your people, your "tribe". These are the ones that you can count on for anything at anytime. Not just for good or fun moments, but the times you're in the pit of hell and they will come and sit there with you, for you. As you grow and develop, these people will interchange, but you start to learn how to discern who should stay on the outskirts, and who is part of your core. In addition to these people, it's wise to have a set of other moms who you trust for advice. They may not be a part of your core tribe, but are there for the moments of tough heart-shaping and guidance not only for the little one, but for your own self too. 

This lady here is my sister in law and a big part of my Mommy Tribe :) 

Rest is Real

Ever notice when a child is downright fussy and has awful temper tantrums? It's not because he is having bad behavior or difficult to deal with, it's because he's either tired or hungry. Rest and nutritional health are such valuable fuels to our everyday function and most often neglected- I'm talking to you, business owners! I don't know what I imagined my life to be like being pregnant and then a mommy, but I just assumed I could do it all and play the juggling game. Except, I can't. Being pregnant takes real energy and I can imagine raising a little one takes twice that. I've been exhausted all over lately and it's affected every single aspect of my life. This pregnancy has opened my eyes to accepting that it is ok to slow down and stop embracing the busy. God designed our bodies to need to rest, let's not mess with the blueprint. 

Grandparents are Treasures

Today marks a heavy milestone on my heart: the day we lost my joyful hearted mom. It's been 2 years and so much as happened since. I always miss my parents, but growing their little grand-boy has only made the grief more apparent. It saddens my heart for my little ones to never get to meet their Ong Ngoai + Ba Ngoai (grandpa and grandma in Vietnamese), but I will promise to make sure they know who they are and how their legacy is ever so strong. Going through this pregnancy without having my Mummy is probably the hardest thing I've had to experience since she's been gone. As a girl, you rely on Mom for all sorts of things as she is there for it all. I have lots of questions about things I wish I could ask her, or wish I could learn her way of doing certain things, but I'm going to have to do my best here and thankfully my sweet, sweet in-laws are beyond support for me. 

Love on Your Spouse

As our sweet little boy is growing (and moving!) my heart continues to grow and shape for his arrival. It's almost as if every waking moment, and sometimes even during sleep, you think about the baby and all the things you'll need to do to prepare for his arrival. I'll have to say it's fairly easy to forget about the most important part of this whole process: the marriage. You get caught up in all of the appointments, planning, shopping- you name it, but one must remember there are only a few months left with just the two of you so cherish every second and make sure to show how much you treasure each other. A joyful marriage is key to a joyful family. 

I can only imagine what the next few months have in store for us as he's shaping out and growing more and more. I've read that he already has developed his facial features and just needs to gain more fat to fill it out. The whole process God designed is simply amazing. Oh, how I can't wait to love on that little face! 

Photography by Dyan Kethley | Adorable Models: Charlotte + Esther Nguyen 

It's been quite a few months here at Wedfully Yours HQ. Needless to say a trimester of adjusting, planning, and heart preparation for our world to change. We're so excited. We're excited for Baby Whitten to make his debut and for us to take on this task to shepherd him.

We've also been so blessed to have such a strong and large support from our family and friends, it's been so helpful to us! With all the excitement and support, I want to be able to involve those who are interested in following alongside in this journey so I thought I'd make a few baby-centered entries. (I promise just a few, we'd still like to keep a few things between us.) I always feel like when I get asked questions on different occasions, I can never get the exact answer I'd like to get out because there's just so much to say! So here goes:

How are you feeling? 

The biggest obstacle I had with my first trimester was fatigue. I was constantly tired/sleepy and found it hard to complete my daily routine of work (and I like my routine!) so that was tough to manage. I did not have actual "morning sickness", I better described it as an all day hangover that would come and go. Thankfully, I've been feeling lots of relief from these symptoms so hang in there, it does get better!

Have you had any cravings?

I have not had any cravings, actually I had big food aversions. Nothing seemed to taste good, I even made mentions that I would prefer a feeding tube... haha! There was a week where I did want steak (which Adam had no opposition to) and I felt really alive when I had red meat, which probably meant that I needed iron. I have completely stopped drinking coffee, which I used to live off of everyday. Not because I'm avoiding for pregnancy safety, my doctor has actually given me a green light to eat anything I want (more on that later) but because it does not sound good at all, gasp! Good news is along with my returning energy, my appetite is coming back so I'm excited for food to taste good again. 

Were you guys trying?

 This is a more private question, just like "When are you guys going to have kids?"  ;)  and asked not as often as the first 2, but still asked. Since I do like to keep transparency, I decided to go ahead and share something else that not many talk about. To be clear, Adam and I wouldn't have gotten married if we were not ready for children. In today's times we get to do more family planning, but as we are all adults here, we understand children can happen especially when married. With that said, we did want to wait a little bit. I have always loved children and wanted to be a mother, it was just in my nature, but it's always nice to just be two as we get ourselves established. 

When Adam told me in April that he was "ready" to grow our family, we felt it was time to take the next step in our story. I was more prepared for a battle, an obstacle to cross, considering we've dealt with so much in our young marriage and we are pros at dealing with adversities. What I was not prepared for was for God to answer so quickly. When the test came back positive, I was not excited at all. (Yikes, I can't believe I actually typed that.) I imagined myself to be gushing with joy, but instead I was scared, nervous, and almost wanted to take my prayer back. I was scared of how my life was going to change, how my social life was going to be interrupted, and mostly how my business and career was going to fall down the drain. It was so silly. I know this is not the common thing to share, but I want for anyone else who might feel or have felt this way, IT'S OK! I shared my fears with many other moms and mentors and they assured me I was not the only one to ever feel this way. It IS something to have mixed emotions about. It's life changing!

In those first few weeks, you may not have any symptoms and obviously not showing, so it doesn't quite feel "real". I will say, that when you get to see and hear the heartbeat for the first time, there's a whole new rush of emotions. That day I really felt God working in my heart and softening it to truly love His little creation He's trusted me with. Friends, it's an indescribably incredible feeling.

And as for this guy here, he takes care of me in ways I could not imagine being cared for. I knew I married a solid man, but in these past few weeks he's shown me so much more. I feel 100% of confidence having him lead our family. With these changes in my body and the symptoms that come along with it, I can tend to be slightly less graceful at times, but thankfully he has plenty of grace to cover us both! He has been the biggest supporter in every single step and as this is new to me, it's just as new to him but we're learning together and I'm grateful for this time we have to fortify our marriage even more. 

For my sisters who are trying and have not been able to experience His fruit, please remember you are not forgotten. His timing and His plan is never perfect for us but perfect for Him and that is the peace we can have.