My Little Life In Texas

The Holiday Season has always held a very special place in my heart, as I'm sure it does with you too for a variety of reasons.  But this year is different.  It's our first year in Texas.  We are close to my family [which hasn't been the case since we got married in 2010].  It's the first year my husband and I will really start our family traditions.  I'm hosting Christmas dinner and preparing everything myself [which, if you know me personally, that is a HUGE thing as you don't exactly make Easy Mac and frozen pizza for Christmas dinner... usually].  And finally, it's our first Christmas as a family of three; Jackson's first Christmas!!

Traditions are what make this time of year so special.

When I was little we had a few traditions [I feel like traditions are made because children like things that happen and want them to happen every year from then on...]  It always started after Thanksgiving - it was never allowed to start listening to Christmas music or putting up decorations before Thanksgiving.  We would always put up our tree as a family.  We would unpack the box that had the Santa hats in it first, and everyone wore their respective hats (yes, we each had our own distinctive hat).  Then, my mom and dad would take ornaments out of the box and my sister and I would hang them on the tree.

There were so many ornaments.  Ornaments one of us had handmade.  Ornaments we had each picked out for each year.  Ornaments that reminded us of our family vacations.  Ornaments that we had always had but didn't necessarily know where it came from.  My sister and I each have a 'rag doll' ornament and it became our tradition of throwing her near the top of the tree and letting her stumble through the branches until she found her 'seat' in the tree for that year.  And the random ornament that nobody remembers ever receiving that has a picture of a random happy family (you know like those pictures that come in frames).  We originally had said we would replace it with a picture of our family, but years went by and we never did so we would make up names and stories of the people inn this picture.  After the tree was decorated, we would eat chili and usually watch a Christmas movie or two before heading to bed.




Christmas Eve we were always bursting with excitement.  We would always head to church in the evening and sing Christmas carols surrounded by many friends from over the years.  After the service, we would stop and grab Chinese food on our way home.  When we got home we would eat as quickly as we could our parents would let us.  After that we would get to open ONE gift.  We never got to choose this gift - my mom would always have it marked.  The gift might vary slightly from year to year, but it would always have a new set of pajamas.  We would change into our new pajamas and drink hot cocoa while falling asleep to watching It's A Wonderful Life.

Christmas morning usually started with my sister waking me up extremely early (somewhere between 3 and 5 in the morning) and us sneaking into the living room to see what Santa brought that year.  We looked at everything - everyone's goodies (not just our own).  We made sure to put everything back where it was and we would go back to sleep.  We would be woken a few hours later by the smell of breakfast being cooked by my dad.   We came back into the living room and acted as surprised as we could so that it wasn't obvious we had already seen all the goodies - our parents always knew it was a show.

After breakfast, we would show our parents what Santa brought and then would come unwrapping the gifts.  I would put on my Santa hat and would bring out the gifts from under the tree.  We would organize them in stacks in front of whomever they belonged to and then the unwrapping would begin.  Because it was always a tough decision about who got to open the first gift, we would always go with who had the most - if there was a tie, then the youngest of those would start [I got to start most years seeing as I'm the baby of the family and my sister and I normally had the same amount so as not to start any arguments].

After all the gifts were open, we would try on all the clothes that were received to make sure they fit.  Then we would play with everything else we got.  Every Christmas morning, my sister and I seemed to get along.  We would share our gifts and play with them together.  It may have been the only time all year we would act this way, but it happened every single year without fail.

Even though my husband and I have celebrated 9 Christmases together (6 married), this is the first year we will truly start our own traditions.

This year, we are celebrating our first Christmas as a family of three.  Even though Jackson won't remember it, I want to start a routine that will continue to happen no matter where we are.

This year, we have chosen to host Christmas Day at our home.  My parents, Ryan's mom, and my mom's parents will be coming over to share in the day's festivities.  While I have a loose itinerary planned in my head, I know things will organically unfold.  The thing I'm the most nervous about is Christmas dinner!  I have never held a dinner party, or done any major cooking for company before.  I am a great hostess in my mind, with the table decorations and themed snacks and drinks planned out, but have never had a reason to do any of it before [basically I have a Pinterest board of ideas that I hope to succeed at - we will see if that happens].

Wishing you the happiest of holidays from my family to yours

I don't know about you, but I LOVE Christmas!  However, I truly feel that even though everyone makes it a point to post their "#monthofthanks" all over social media, Thanksgiving really does get forgotten.  Between radio stations playing Christmas music starting November 1, all major retailers selling Christmas stock in mid-October, and Black Thursday Friday having a complete overhaul on Thanksgiving day, it really takes away from the holiday that I hold nearest and dearest to my heart!

The image[s] above shows my whole family together having a blast!  While it's not a 100% accurate representation of everyone currently in my family, it represents the joy and fun we have whenever we all get together.

I have family spread around the country in Texas, Kansas, and Illinois, and the only time of year everyone really makes it a point to get together is Thanksgiving.  Our tradition is to take turns traveling to one of the siblings' houses (my aunts/uncles) and having a revolving host.  This way we take turns on traveling so not one family always seems to travel.  This particular year (shown above) we were also celebrating my grandfather's 80th birthday so we rented a house on the lake near their home outside of Dallas/Fort Worth.

The spirit of this particular holiday is found in the traditions.  Dad cooking breakfast for everyone.  Grandma making the gravy and dressing, while overseeing EVERYTHING else going on in the kitchen.  The biting of the turkey leg by my mom and her two sisters.  The yearly photo shoot of the girl cousins.  Playing an insane amount of Cesspool Rummy (a variation of the version we play can be found here) .  Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and then the Dallas Cowboys game (always hoping for a win).

And then there's Friday....

A few years ago, we didn't want to do the same old 'turkey sandwich leftovers throughout the weekend,' so we decided to try something different.  We call it Fiesta Friday!  It consists of guac, turkey fajitas, queso, dips, fiesta music, margaritas, and even more card playing!  It's loud, obnoxious, a bit crazy, and totally amazing every single year.  We always invite friends in the area to come and join in the fiesta and carry on late into the evening!

[I think it's safe to say that my favorite part about the Thanksgiving Holiday is Fiesta Friday!]

We don't brave the stores in hopes of a great deal on Black Friday, in fact we rarely leave the house after Wednesday.  It just isn't what we do.  It's not our family's tradition.  I think the most beautiful thing about this holiday is the different traditions every family has.  The subtle differences in the feast we all take part in and the stories that are shared among everyone.

There isn't a single memory of Thanksgiving with my family that I don't enjoy reflecting on [except when I had the flu so we weren't able to travel to be with my extended family].  And although I have a very deep love of Thanksgiving, it always marks the start of the Christmas season.  Once Thanksgiving is over, I blast the Christmas music, decorate my house, light my holiday candles, and bake my favorite Christmas cookies.  Christmastime is near...

The Graco DuetConnect DLX Swing and Bouncer has been a lifesaver to my husband and I on more than one occasion!  Since we received this, we have been able to put Jackson down without him just lying on his back.  I'm not sure if every baby is this way, but Jackson would much rather be able to sit up and watch the world happening around him than be laying down and staring at a blank ceiling.  The swing has a smooth motion and so far it is not very noisy .  Perhaps, however, the best thing about this is the fact that you can remove the seat from the base of the swing and it becomes a bouncer.  It's pretty amazing!

This Chicago Cubs diaper bag was the best thing I could have gotten for my husband.  He is constantly asking if we can take his diaper bag instead of mine whenever we go out for a day trip.  While it doesn't have as much storage in the main compartment as most bucket diaper bags do, it definitely serves the husbands well (and why not be able to represent their favorite Sports team at the same time?!)!  I was able to find this for a steal on Target.com in the spring, but since has come off their website.  It wouldn't hurt to check right before the baseball season starts to see if they restock - if not, you can always purchase straight from the Diaper Dude website (see link under picture).

Pack n Plays (or playards) in general are a good idea to have.  This particular one is the one we decided to get, however they all serve the same basic purpose.  The reason we chose this one is purely because we didn't have a bouncer or a changing table at the time (we received the Swing and Bouncer combo after the baby was born and hadn't completely gotten around to finishing the baby's room by the time he was due for arrival).  The seat pictured on the left is considered a napper - even though they advise against sleeping in it -  and on the right is a changing station.  We used this as the exclusive changing table in our house for a solid two months after the baby was born (I'm packing it up and getting it out of my living room tomorrow before the holiday season starts - gotta make room for decorations) and it really has served us well.  It gives us somewhere to easily set the baby down for a second while we grab a bottle or change of clothes or just to give our arms a break during the day.  I knew the pack n play was a necessity since is serves the purpose of a 'bassinet', as well as a play pen [for when baby gets older].  Each Pack n Play has different features, so really consider how you are going to use it in your house before deciding on one!!

Boon Grass is amazing!  I have seen this popping up in mommy blogs for years and thought it looked a bit weird.  However, I listened to those blogs and received it as a shower gift and the only regret I have is not asking for the Lawn (the only difference between the grass and lawn is the size).  This is the perfect place to dry all bottle and pump parts without them touching a drying rack (those can get pretty gross after a few uses).  And, bonus, they work really well for white wine glasses too!!  The Flower and Twig attachments are also really great for drying nipples and the top rings of the bottles (it took me about 6 weeks before I had to go get the flower and twig because the nipples and bottle rings were taking up too much room on the grass).

The Boppy Pillow has held multiple uses in our household since even before the baby was born.  I was told in the classes we attended prior to having our baby that bringing a breastfeeding pillow would be very beneficial so you can start out getting used to using it to help with feeding.  We brought it with us to the hospital and pretty much the only use it got was my husband using it as a pillow for himself.  The hospital pillows, as I'm sure you know, aren't great and he kept forgetting to grab one when he would go home.  I didn't find the Boppy super useful for me while breastfeeding as it just wasn't quite firm enough to keep the right placement, however it has come to be a blessing for bottle feeding!!  Plus the patterns that are available for the pillow covers are just too cute!!

I find it so crazy how you never realize how quickly time goes until you have a baby and keep track of his milestones!!  How has 2 months already gone?  How are we already coming up on the holiday season??

Jackson's second month of life was a continuation of adventures.  He got to go to his first baseball game - and it was a playoff game!!  We went to the Texas Rangers game on October 7 and he slept through pretty much all of it - we were all shocked to say the least!  I wrapped him up in my Solly Baby Wrap and we had a blast!  It was rainy and a bit cold, but thanks to the wrap, we kept each other warm the whole game!  The Rangers lost, which was pretty sad, but we had fun nonetheless!!

Speaking of baseball, this month was so exciting for our family as the Cubbies won the world series!  We are huge Chicago Cubs fans and our little guy watched every single game with us!  He has never known the Cubs to have a losing record and that alone is special!!

We hit a few milestones this month, and I was most excited about the smiles that we started getting!  This little guy is one of the happiest babies I have ever seen!  He even seems to be a morning person.  Regardless of if he wakes up during the night or not, he always wakes up around 7 am with a smile on his face and just making the sweetest cooing noises.  While I'm not a morning person at all, it definitely makes waking up that much easier!!

The Simmons Bassinet has been a lifesaver!  It was a gift from a friend who no longer uses it and it was my saving grace while I was recovering from my cesarean delivery!  There was no way I would have been able to use the Pack n Play like we had originally planned.  Jackson loves to watch the bears move and it lights up, which is very helpful for the middle of the night (or those random checks to make sure the baby is still breathing).

These Tommee Tippee Bottles are amazing.  I thought we were going to have a hard time transitioning from nursing to bottles, but thanks to the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature line, Jackson took to it like a pro!  We got the 9 oz bottles from the beginning because I didn't see a point to getting the smaller bottles [they bigger ones hold as little as one ounce, so there is no reason to buy small bottles when you'll be finished using them before your baby is 3 months old].

I am obsessed with the Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets!!  They are so soft and lightweight.  They are the perfect blanket to use for a swaddle [unless you have a swaddle ninja on your hands] and are breathable so baby doesn't overheat.  Plus, they have the cutest designs on them that I cannot get over!!

Munchkin has a Rubber Ducky that tells you if the water in the bath is too hot!  It is very reasonably priced [if you can't justify the expense of having the thermometer bath spout - which also looks pretty awesome], and it's a fully functioning rubber ducky [you know... it floats and looks like a rubber ducky - there really is no other function].

Boudreaux's Butt Paste is the best thing ever!  Jackson had diaper rash very early on for some reason.  We tried Desitin and the Burt's Bees Diaper Rash Creme.  They would protect the skin from it getting worse, but neither seemed to make the diaper rash go away.  The very first time we used the Boudreaux's Butt Paste, it cleared up immediately!  We still use it at every diaper change just in case, and he hasn't had it since!

I resisted giving the pacifier to Jackson for probably a good three weeks.  I didn't want him to create a habit so early on, however I did finally cave and gave him these Nuby Orthodontic Pacifiers.  They were great and he loved them, but they kept falling out of his mouth.  I decided to give the WubbaNub a try and it worked the a charm.  The weight of the stuffed animal attached seemed to keep the pacifier in his mouth.  Problem solved!  And a bonus, it's a sensory object for him to hold on to [once he figures out his hands work].

In one month, Jackson has had quite a few adventures!

On September 12, Jackson got to go to his first doctor's appointment.  He weighed 8 lbs, 1 oz. and the doctor was very happy that he was already over his birth weight.  He peed all over the table and the nurse.  He sure likes to pee wherever he gets changed.  Maybe one of these days we will figure out how to change him without that happening!

At one week old, we took him to the Dallas Arboretum for his first concert.  Unfortunately it started pouring down rain and the concert was cancelled.  We had just enough time to eat dinner and make it under a shelter before the rain started really coming down.

The following weekend, Jackson had his first experience as a model!  He spent 4 hours sleeping on different fuzzy things and had pictures taken at his newborn photo shoot.  They turned out absolutely incredible and I couldn't have been happier with them!! 

On September 29, Jackson's umbilical cord fell off!  We finally got to see his cute little belly button!

On September 30, Jackson got to meet his Aunt Meredith and Cousin Corgan for the first time!  Aunt Meredith was a bit more excited than Corgan.  I think Corgan was a little scared of the baby.

I found out I was pregnant on December 28th, 2015.  After 5 years of trying, we were finally going to have a baby!  We decided to opt-in to taking a blood test for all genetic defects for a couple reasons.  Not only would this give us the peace of mind not knowing y husband's genetic history [he is adopted], but we would also be able to find out the gender MUCH earlier than the anatomy ultrasound!!  On March 8, I found out what we were having - and the following day, I sent Ryan an edible arrangements to break the news to him!!  On March 9, we told the world we were pregnant!  I was completely overwhelmed with the love and congratulations that was sent our way over the next few weeks.  On March 19, we announced that our little peanut was a boy!  Although I was a tiny bit sad that we weren't having a girl, I was completely thrilled to be blessed with having a child!!

The following 9 months were trying to say the least.  Not only was I pregnant, but my husband was living 6 hours away in California [see "My Life in a (fairly large) Nutshell" for that story]!!  Thankfully, I was surrounded by my friends and plenty of distractions!!

The ladies in the picture above (along with my mother and mother-in-law) threw the best shower a girl could ask for!  I couldn't have asked for better friends or a more special way to celebrate our little bundle!!

The last day before baby... September 6, 2016

Welcome to the world Jackson Bradley! September 7, 2016

Newborn Photo Shoot Shutterbugs by Blair September 17, 2016

A little background...

I was born in Dallas, raised in Illinois, began my marriage in Arizona, and started a family back in Texas.  I always seem to do things the hard way, and never learn from that mistake.  Consequently, it has made me who I am today.

My name is Chelsea and I have a wonderful husband (Ryan), beautiful baby boy (Jackson), 3 dogs and 2 cats.  I am a stay at home mom in my mind, but work outside of the home.  With the holidays approaching, I am more excited than ever to start traditions with my little family of three.

My husband and I got married in 2010 at Sea Breeze Point at Walt Disney World.  To say it was perfect would be an understatement.  We had made the decision that two weeks after we got married we would move across the country from Chicago to Phoenix with no jobs and nowhere to live - seriously!  We stayed with Ryan's parents for about 6 months while we found jobs and saved up some money to move out.  We both found jobs within a month of moving out there and built a pretty awesome life out there.

My husband is a fitness fiend, and although I love the idea of being fit and healthy, I really hate the fact that you have to work to get any kind of real results.  He works for a gym and runs the fitness department there.  He has moved laterally in the company multiple times and has had promotions here and there.  It wasn't until this November of 2015 that everything would get turned upside down.  His gym was closing in the area and he was offered a position to stay with the company, but move out to California.

I went to school to be a teacher and for the last 7 years, have absolutely had a passion for teaching middle school students and being a positive role model in their lives.  I taught 6, 7, and 8th grades in multiple subjects over that time span, but my niche was 7th and 8th grade science.  I dedicated every waking moment to my students and my school and loved every minute of it.

When my husband found out he was getting transferred to California, I couldn't consciously leave in the middle of the school year.  I would feel like I was abandoning my students, my coworkers and my friends.  I didn't want to sever all the relationships I had so intentionally built.  So started the longest 7 months of my life (to this point), while we decided to live apart until the end of the school year when I would join him by the beach.

The following four weeks were a whirlwind of ups and downs.  Ryan's father passed away unexpectedly just one week after he packed up and moved out there.  We went to Cabo San Lucas with my parents for a pre-Christmas getaway.  I visited the beach cities where I would soon call home.  And then, we found out that after 5 years of 'not trying,' we were pregnant!

There were so many emotions running through my mind that I didn't even know what to do or think. Should I continue with the plan and stay at school and live apart from my husband during the first 6 months of my pregnancy?  How would I go through that all alone?  When I move, could we afford to live on the coast in California where Ryan got transferred?  Would I be able to find a teaching job out there in time to qualify for benefits and get myself grounded before I had this baby?  How would I find a doctor out there?  How will we raise a family with no help from family in the area?

I was completely overwhelmed by my own thoughts.

By the time March came around, I was so distraught about money and the daunting fact that we wouldn't be able to afford life in that area that I looked anywhere for a solution.  Ryan started looking for jobs that would move him back to Phoenix, or would take us closer to my parents in Dallas.

In the beginning of May, we found out that the company Ryan was working for would transfer him to a location near Dallas so we could be near family.  It was the answer to all of my prayers!  We would be near my parents, I would finally live back in Texas (something I had wanted since my parents moved me away back in 1998), and I would have a job and be covered by health insurance by the time the baby arrived.  While I am not teaching at the current time, I am beyond grateful for the opportunity that was provided.

We had Jackson on September 7 and it changed our lives completely!  He is an absolute blessing and the center of my world.  Everyone always says that you don't understand how you could love someone so much until you have a child of your own - and that is so true!  When he cries, my heart hurts... when he smiles, it brings tears to my eyes.  How can such perfection come from two very imperfect people?!  I may never know the answer to that, but I will enjoy every second of this blessing.

Like I said, we don't do anything the 'easy' way by any means, but it's our life and I wouldn't want it any other way!