That Mama Archives

Tis the season to be jolly…and eh… busy, stressed, grouchy, and irritable. No, jolly. Remember to be jolly! The holidays are truly my most favorite season. While it’s no secret I like to keep my toes in the sand, I’m always eager for the crisp cool air that fall brings and to watch the days turn into the holiday season. Each year, that seems to at a more rapid pace, especially for moms (and dads) of busy families!  It’s easy for the holidays to sneak up on us and for the best laid plans to go awry. So this year Chick-fil-A is helping to ease some of those holiday burdens with their newly launched seasonal…

Today, Addisyn turns 7 months old. Time is passing at an alarming rate! Over the last month we have had several new accomplishments! Addisyn now has two teeth, she is able to sit up on her own, and just this past week she began army crawling for the very first time. It’s amazing to watch her change and grow, she’s so inquisitive right now but moreover, she is so happy. She is a happy baby, and she makes us so happy! This past weekend, we took Addisyn to her very first wedding. We had such a fabulous time celebrating Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Fiori! (Congrats guys!) It was an amazing…

Now, life finds us in October. We just celebrated Addisyn’s half birthday! Parenthood only gets sweeter, even with the increased sleepless nights…(yes… she’s waking up MORE now than ever during the night!) The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for our family. Justin continues to recover from his back surgery, we had our first celebration of my sister’s birthday with Addisyn. Addisyn is now eating quite the menu of foods! She now loves green beans, but does not care for applesauce. She is sitting on her own, mostly while propping herself up on her hands, and is getting a bit braver during tummy-time to push up on her legs.…

 The last month has been a busy one for the Hall’s. We spent the past few weeks preparing for Justin’s back surgery that took place last Thursday, and the days sense trying to ease his recovery. Addisyn will be SIX MONTHS on Saturday. It seems like it was just last week that we were preparing her room and counting down days to her arrival. Life has been full of good things, that keep us very busy. Addisyn is now eating solids; her favorites include banana’s, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and avocado. She has two teeth coming in, that both appeared within the last two weeks (one overnight!). She is in a new…

Hello world! It feels as if with each stroke of the keyboard, life and Addisyn are changing. This week brings us into new challenges of motherhood, primarily teething. We have progressed in age to where I no longer know how many weeks old my daughter is on the spot, she is just over 5 months old, and we are still trying to figure out how that is possible. My advice to my soon to be mommy friends, take pictures! Lots of pictures, and when you’re done taking those…take more pictures! It is undeniably gratifying to go back to pictures taken several weeks and months ago and see how much your little one has changed. I can…

Somehow, another two weeks have passed and I find myself the mother of a five month old. Yes, a FIVE month old! This past week, I reflected on how much my daughter has changed in just five short months. The developmental changes that a little one goes through from the moment they’re born are amazing. Each day, I learn new things Addisyn can do. Each week there are several new “firsts” added to the list. This week Addisyn spent her first Sunday in the nursery at church, I went on my first girls outing without her, and she ate her first solid meal of avocado. Amidst all these changes, life still…

After a tragic event on any scale… one is left to pick up the pieces. It is no secret that over the past two years, I have been unsuccessful in picking up and putting back together the pieces of my grief that has followed the loss of my dear sister. Two years ago, on August 14th, my sister was coming home from her very first ultrasound appointment and was killed in a car accident. She was three months pregnant. Her husband was following behind her, and witnessed the whole accident. Life does not always follow the patterns we would like. Sometimes… despite our best efforts… we are left to try and pick…

It’s been a while!! Welcome to motherhood! Despite our best intentions, the to do list is often longer than the day and many things get placed on the back burner… including our beloved blog!  That just further  exemplifies how busy motherhood can be. Addisyn will be 19 weeks old this week! Our little four month old had her second round of shots and check up this past week; she is now 13 lbs. 11 oz. and 25 inches long! Who would have thought they grow so fast? We are just at that stage where our prized schedule and routine (which we used Prep for Parenting to establish!) is a little jumbled some…

Angry Radiance Every day without you brings new colors on the horizon Some are bright and painfully red Some are dull and darkened plum Some are wispy and hopeful white But hope is only for a glimmer of time That hope always fades Yet the colors remain angry and radiant The heart is shattered A veneer of normalcy is resurrected A wish for return of days past Clouded by a solemn recognition of reality And to think…I wouldn’t…I couldn’t bring you back to this place Where the colors stay radiant and the hope always fades. – Kristy Hall I wrote this poem just weeks after my dear sister gained her…

Last week my wonderful hubby was on vacation and our beautiful blue-eyed girl turned 14 weeks old. FOURTEEN WEEKS. We have graduated past the newborn stage and crossed into her third month of life. As we packed for our trip to take her to our home town for the first time to meet her family, it dawned on me how quickly she has changed and grown in the last three months. Somehow in the midst of the survival mode that new parents are thrown into and the long nights that accompany welcoming a new life into your home, you don’t notice the rapid changes taking place. You don’t notice that your sweet…