At the beginning of the year my husband and I decided to get rid of TV. We realized we were only watching the news in the mornings and some kid shows here and there. We decided to keep some streaming services and resume TV once college football started back up. Even though I didn’t watch much live TV to begin with, not having it felt strange for some reason. I had enjoyed my morning routine of coffee, news, and play time for the boys. It has now been over six months and I have realized that not having that hour of news in the morning has made a huge difference in my mental health, especially with everything that has happened this past year.

I wanted to share what I have realized by not watching any type of main stream news (still will read articles to keep up) over the last half year. These are just personal reflections, so take them with a grain of salt. Do you still watch the news? I would love to know!

• You are consuming what they want you to consume… it is hard (if possible) to truly find non-biased sources now days.
• For every side to a story, there is always another. It is good to learn both and to be able to think critically and form your own thoughts/opinions.
• There is constant negativity/fear being thrown at us. This is the mindset I would be in starting my day…
• Stories are on repeat day in and day out so those thoughts/feelings start to become at the forefront of our minds.
• News outlets are constantly reviewing analytics and recognizing what increases watch time and what doesn’t just like any business would.
• Many people take stories or information as the end all be all without asking a single question. Why is that?

I am so thankful that I stepped away from constantly consuming main stream and had time to shift my mentality and get in a better head space. I am not against the news, I just had the time to reflect and notice the change in my personal life!

As always, sending light and love.

Blessings,

Jac

My husband and I recently celebrated our six year wedding anniversary. As I was looking through pictures and videos from that weekend, I began thinking about things I am so thankful we did. I thought I would share those today and would love to know anything you are thankful for from your wedding day or weekend!

You can also check out my previous marriage posts here: 3 Things We Do In Our Marriage & 3 Things We Do In Our Marriage: Part Two.

1.All The Girls Together

Since my husband and I got married down the road from my parent’s house my bridal and house party all stayed at their house Thursday & Friday night. I am so thankful we were able to spend that time together and that my parent’s had the space for everyone!

2. Bridal Lunch

I know not everyone wants a bridal lunch the day before, however I am so glad my mom hosted one. Once again it was at my parents, so most girls were there aside from family and close family friends who joined.

3.Church

Our venue typically hosted the ceremony and reception, however my husband and I are pretty traditional and really wanted our ceremony in a church. I am so happy we went that route and were indoors. Texas summers are no joke when it comes to the heat!

4.Parents In Ceremony

We really wanted all four of our parents to have a part in the actual ceremony so we asked both moms to read a scripture and my father in law to play a song on the guitar. My dad walked me down the aisle. I am so thankful they were all a part of it.

5.No First Look

This is not a popular opinion, but I am still thankful we did not do a first look. Although I absolutely love them for other people and think they are amazing, we wanted a more traditional approach. I think there is something so special about your soon to be husband seeing you for the first time walking down the aisle.

Looking back I realize that the details people can easily get caught up in truly don’t matter. People remember the feeling and energy from that day/weekend which is what is most important!

As always, sending light and love!

Blessings,

Jac

I recently had my son’s two month appointment and it had me thinking about how thankful I was to already know what to expect. I personally feel like I was caught off guard multiple times with my first pregnancy and son when it came to appointments. Knowing what to expect truly helps me so much. My boys have both had very similar appointments and care which is great since we have been in two different cities. I figured I would start sharing what to expect with newborn wellness checks for the first year! You can also check out more info on my IGTV or Youtube.

Wellness Check #1: First 3-5 Days

I have had two different experiences with this. Our pediatrician visited our older son in the hospital for his initial wellness check, while our younger son went into the pediatrician around day 3. They will basically do a standard physical or wellness exam, discuss feeding, and answer any questions you have.

Wellness Check #2: Two Weeks

I went in at two weeks for both of my boys to once again do a standard physical exam but to also check to make sure there was sufficient weight gain and the umbilical/circumcision areas looked good. With our older son they also did the heel prick for the second round of blood work, however with our younger son I had to take him back to the hospital. This was also the appointment where I got the go ahead to let the boys sleep as much as they wanted to at night instead of waking them every 3 hours.

Wellness Check #3: One Month

Once again your baby will complete a standard physical where they will assess everything and check in with feedings, sleep, and questions. Each checkup they will also chart and graph growth for weight, height, and head circumference. I was given information about vaccines and the schedule with our younger son, which I really appreciated. They will also check in on insurance or discuss how you plan to pay for visits. Most doctors will also tell you what to focus on before the next appointment. For example, ours suggested 1-2 hours of tummy time a day broken up into 5-10 minute chunks.

Wellness Check #4: Two Months

Once again your baby will complete a physical wellness check. Prior to the appointment (online or in office) you will most likely fill out a survey covering developmental questions. For example, “does your baby grab your finger?”. You will also complete a personal survey regarding your mental health and feelings toward your child. If there is anything concerning from either, the pediatrician will discuss those topics. They will also discuss growth, feeding, sleep, etc and any questions or concerns you may have. Your baby will also receive three vaccines at the end of the appointment (with the nurse) as well as an oral medicine for their stomach. We were given a Tylenol and Motrin dosage chart with our younger son, but not our older so I would definitely ask for one in case Tylenol is needed (Motrin can be at 6 months). The doctor will also discuss goals for the next appointment (4 months). You will most likely be given a monthly sheet at each appointment covering feedings, sleep, safety, etc which is great!

Blessings,

Jaclyn