Five On Friday: Solo Momma Edition

The good news: It's Friday again! 

The bad news: My hub is currently en route to Texas for a few meetings followed by some bachelor party shenanigans. 

But. Still. 

It's Friday! So. Off we go for this week's "Five On Friday." 

[ONE].

Over the last week, I started a new, online Bible study series on mothering. It's called "Am I Messing Up My Kids?." My sweet friend Kristen turned me on to it, and after a quick perusal of it's description, I immediately contacted the awesome women in my LifeGroup to let them know all about it. Our LifeGroup is taking a summer break this month and next, and this is the perfect series to keep me connected and learning and growing in an area where I need a lot of connection and learning and growth: mothering! If you're interested, it's not too late to join! The only cost is that of the book. I've heard you can get it for $3 via your Kindle, but I went with the old faithful hard-back version so that I can write all over it. :) And even though my book hasn't arrived yet, the leaders of the session have the first five chapters (which are short, quick, fun, easy reads!) available online. And honestly? Less than a week in, it is AWESOME so far. In addition to the book, there are online discussions and videos, too, yet the women running it understand that mothering during the summer can be very busy and time-consuming, whether you are a working momma or a stay-at-home momma; so, it's more of a "do what you can when you can" kind of mentality. In case you can't tell, I highly recommend it! And no, I get absolutely no compensation for this recommendation. I just think it's going to be amazing and wonder if you could benefit from it, too!

[TWO].
Every since I got the "all clear" from my ob/gyn, I've been working hard to try and get back in shape and tone things back up as a postpartum momma of three. That being said, I cut myself some slack, too. Knowing Harrison is our last baby, I am really trying to soak up every precious moment, not only with him, but with Banks and Raleigh, too. It's like, all of a sudden, I've realized more than ever before how invaluable these young childhood moments are. So. I squeeze in workouts when I can and include my kiddos in them whenever possible. I am trying to work out at least 4 or 5 days a week. Sometimes this involves solo runs around the neighborhood, while other times it entails pushing a double stroller with two little bodies in it while a third slightly bigger kiddo walks alongside me. Sometimes it's a free weight session during naptime, while others it's a date with my favorite 20-minute Jillian Michaels DVD while one of my littles giggles and does it next to me. Last weekend, though, one of my awesome girlfriends and I had a blast with two new, fun workouts: a boot camp offered in our neighborhood bright and early Saturday morning and a hip hop workout class offered at a local rec center Sunday afternoon. I don't know which one I enjoyed more! Both worked my hiney off. And I'll definitely be a regular at both from here on out!

[THREE].

Whelp. I took Harrison back to the GI specialist for a check-up yesterday. Luckily, my hub was home after being out-of-town the two days/nights prior; so, I was able to leave Banks and Raleigh at home and in the company of Frozen while I took Harrison to his appointment. The verdict? The doc was very pleased with Harrison's weight gain and significant reduction in irritability (praise The Lord!). We decided we will stop the reflux meds in about three weeks and see how he responds. Then, I will slowly add dairy back into my diet when he is about 4 months old. As long as he tolerates these modifications, we'll be good to go. Otherwise, I'll go dairy- and soy-free for another 6 months and then we'll try again. Prayers that things continue to go well over the next couple months are very appreciated! And as my good friend, Emily pointed out after I posted this pic on Instagram, Harrison and I are both ready to give the middle finger to the dairy- and soy-free diet! Ha!

[FOUR].

Yes, our summer fun continues here in the Mill. This week, we had a fun playdate at a splash pad/playground in the Charlotte area. 

We also spent some time at home doing things like making a homemade bird feeder (one of the annual items we check off our "Summer Bucket List"), working on puzzles, making mud castles, bustin' out of swaddles, and rockin' some tummy time. Oh, and I managed to sneak out for a little Bunco last night, too! Woot! Woot! All in all? An awesome week!

[FIVE].

As I mentioned, my hub is on the other side of the country this weekend. So. I decided to load up the kiddos and head to Columbia to visit my parents and pack in a few more fun summer activities. As long as the weather cooperates, you'll find my IG account full of pics from our planned adventures. Sorry in advance, :) but it should be fun, fun, fun for my little travel companions. I may even get to squeeze in a visit with a couple of high school girlfriends and their new babies. Yeehaw!

And with that, it's time to load up and head out. Whew! Y'all come back now, ya hear?