Friday, June 29, 2012

No good, very bad day


My poor baby has a double ear infection and is cutting teeth. :/ 
I can't begin to imagine how awful he feels and here I am complaining this whole week 
about how tired I am because he has wanted to stay up.

We took him to the doctor Monday for a small fever and drainage. 
They gave us a decongestant and sent us on our way.
Well he was getting worse and not wanting to sleep or eat so I decided to take him in this morning.

I felt like an Horrible momma for not going in sooner. 
Too often I freak out and take him in though and he doesn't have anything wrong.

So today we are having a stay in our pajama's, lay in front of the television and veg out all day on yummy food that will make us feel better.


It's way to hot out today anyways (108!) 
Hopefully he will be back to normally in no time 
and we can get back to having our fun summer.



Now I have to try and get the dishes done before he wakes from his nap.
With Much Love,
Ashley

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Finding Peace

I did this post on Finding Peace for my sister's
blog Sweet Little Somethings a few weeks ago and
I thought I would share it with you all just incase you didn't get to check it out.


Finding Peace.

It can be hard as we get caught up in our day to day life to find peace. 
To stop and reflect on what is going on around us and not miss out on the little moments. 
I find myself having to slow down and breathe just to remember that a lot of the time.

I realize that I find peace in the moments that really make life matter most.
Cuddling with my husband before we fall asleep. Listening to his heart beat as my head lays on his chest.

Rocking my son to sleep or taking the time to lay down and nap with him 
instead of trying to get stuff done around the house.



Making time for myself even if it is just 30 minutes early in the morning to enjoy my coffee on the porch.
Running and taking in all the things around me. The Breeze. Flowers. Birds. Kids playing.
Reading a book for a few minutes before I fall asleep at night.

I find peace in knowing that I have truly been blessed with an amazing family, supportive family and sweet son who looks up to me and comes to me when he needs anything! 

Peace finds me when I least expect it and calms my nerves, my stress, my racing heart and reminds me to 
Just Breathe. Look around. Embrace this crazy beautiful life!


I hope you guys can find peace in the things that surround you in your life and
incase you guys forgot tomorrow is Friday! =)
With Much Love,
Ashley

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

What Inspires You: With Love, Jamie


I am super excited to have Jamie from With Love, Jamie. 
I adore her blog and was so happy when she agreed to share with us what Inspires her.
Enjoy and make sure to go check out her blog! ; )


Hello, my name is Jamie and I blog over at With Love, Jamie. I am a wife and stay at home mama. I love being creative & crafty, hoop dancing & healthy eating, music & tattoos. I blog about my life, inspirations & personal growth...come on by and say hello!
I absolutely love sharing what inspires me, so when Ashley asked me to do a guest post, of course I was excited! I also love making lists, so I decided to create a list of some of my favorite inspirations, to share with you.



*What Inspires Me*

-Good song lyrics. Like Bob Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man.
-Sunset walks.
-Art journals.
-Poetry books. I love Rumi.
-Past eras. I love the 50's, 60's, 70's & 90's.
-Hunting through antique shops.
-My son. His imagination.
-Sitting under trees in parks.
-The ocean.
-Good books to get lost in. Anything Francesca Lia Block.
-Self-love.
-Doing good to my body. Eating well & doing yoga stretches.
-Hoop dancing. Getting lost inside my hoop & the songs.
-Encouraging verses & quotes.
-Polka dots.
-Bright pink.
-The woods.
-Writing.
-Complete silence.
-Good movies. Like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.



I make lists like this all the time in my journals, to keep me inspired & thinking positive. And I love the idea that someday I can look back & remember what made me "me" :)
Now...go get creative and make your own lists!

Lots of Love, Jamie


So, I totally told you all she was amazing! 
Thank you so much Jamie for sharing with us and
 you all make sure to go and check out her blog
Like I do uhmmm everyday. =)

Until Next Time, 
Ashley 

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Little Notes

Happy Tuesday Friends things have been super busy in our little household lately.
Thought I would share some of my little thoughts. 
Loving long flowing summer dresses

Dear Laundry,
Come on now I will take a break at anytime. However, I am loving all the beach towels I have been washing from the pool time and lake time. *lovin' summer*

Dear Mommy's Little Man,
Get to feeling better soon and then we will head out to the pool again!

Dear Hubby, 
Thank you for taking care of me and loving me even when I over indulge on my mommy day and drink a little to much. Your the bestest! (Don't worry I won't be doing it again ANY time soon)

Dear Dishes,
I wish you would wash yourself already.

Dear Workouts,
I am loving all the time we are getting together and I am loving the transformation I am seeing in my body, strength and energy!

Dear Summer Heat,
Loving the time with the water we are getting with you but we could stand  for it to be a few degrees cooler and hey even a small afternoon storm while we nap would be lovely.

Dear Bloggy Friends,
Sorry for slacking on blogging I am enjoying all of the time I am getting with my family.

My Sweet Momma's Boy

Hope you guys survived through Monday and that everyone's week is going great.
Until Next time,
Ashley 

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Pontoon

Hello Sunny Sunday!
I am so excited for a day out on the boat with my loves.
to share my excitement I thought I would share this fun song since this is what I will be doing.




Have a Happy Day Friends!
Until Next Time,
Ashley

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Happy Weekend Friends



This video simply warms my heart!
Had to share because it brightened my day and thought it would yours as well.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and 
that you find peace and love surrounding you in all that you choose to do.

With Much Love,
Ashley 

Friday, June 22, 2012

July Button Swap


I am super excited to be doing my first ever Button Swap and I would love for you to be apart of it!
I would keep your button up for the month of July and you would keep mine on your page as well. 

You can also do a guest post or giveaway and
 I would love to post on your page if you would like. 

I need to know by Monday if you would like to participate so I can get all the details to you 
and get your button on my blog by July! 

If you are interested you can comment below or email me and I will get everything out to you.
Looking forward to hearing from you guys.

With Much Love,
Ashley 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

July Excitement

all pictures found Here

I am so Excited for July!
Even Though it is HOT it is one of my favorite months and even more so now that it is when we get to celebrate my Precious Son's Birthday. This year is the Big number 1. 
Wow a year old already. *Tears*

I was browsing Pinterest and thought I would share some fun things I look forward to this July.

Celebrating our son's First Birthday. 
Going to Florida to visit our family and friends.
Decorating my front porch all festive.
Wearing cute festive clothes.
Making a new wreath for my front door.
Bar-B-Ques.
Going Swimming. Pool. Lake. Beach!
The 4th of July with the one's we love.
Reading some new summer books and some old classics.
Flowing comfortable dresses.
Sandals and Flip-Flops.

I can't wait until this next month and all that we are going to get to do as a family. 
I love all these special moments we get together and treasure them so much.


Don't forget about my giveaway over at ABCDE it ends tomorrow!!!

With Much Love,
Ashley 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Love and Thanks

It took a lot to share with you guys on my loss. 
I did it so that maybe someone else would find a peace
 that they were needing and find away to also cope with their pain. 

 I feel so blessed to know that I have so many people who 
care and reached out to me during this hard time.
God never ceases to amaze me with how he blesses us even in hard times. 

Via
I would like to share a Pray that my friend Ami shared with me during my hard time.
She wrote this pray for herself when she to had a deal with a difficult time in her life and was kind enough to share it with me.

"God who gives and takes away, please comfort me.
 Hold me in Your loving arms, allow me to feel Your warmth. 
Be with me on this journey, allow light to hold back the darkness, 
and faith to get me through. 
You have a plan, God, please allow peace to fill me. 
Help me through daily tasks and obligations until my spirit is whole.
 In this hard time, allow me to see beyond myself and to help others.
 In Jesus' precious name, give me a new attitude, 
a new way to see the plan until we are all reunited in Heaven. 
Thank you for every blessing you have given my family.
 I know that we are not worthy and
 every piece of happiness I experience is a gift from you. 
Thank you God, for all that you have given- please send peace and insight.  Amen"


Via
Thank you Ami for sharing this beautiful pray and 
thank you to everyone else for all of you kind words, prayers, and love during this hard time.
I love you all and thank God for each one of you being in my life.

With Much Love,
Ashley 

Monday, June 18, 2012

What Inspires You: With Eryka

Hello Lovlies. 
I am swapping blogs with the wonderful Eryka from ABCDE again 
and she is sharing with us what inspires her. 
Make sure to also head over to her blog and check out the Giveaway I am hosting! 
It's my first ever giveaway and I am stoked. =)

Enjoy. 


Hi Thrifty & Nifty Modern Day Momma readers! Im Eryka from ABCDE. I blog about my life as a wifey. I am the type of girl who gets way too attached to movie//book and tv characters. I love pinterest, and making new friends. Feel free to come say hi! 


Ashley is over on my blog hosting a giveaway today and Im over here writing about what inspires me. I am inspired by this quote. 


I love this and try my best to live my life following these three things. One person who helps me live my life this way is my lovely husband Daniel. He always is there to make me laugh. He is constantly teaching me to be to be a better person and to be 100% honest with him. 


I challenge you to try to live your life by this quote. You can find it here. Thanks Ashley for having me over, be sure you all head over to my blog and enter the giveaway!!! :) 

XO
Eryka

Thanks again Eryka and as always it is wonderful to have you share with us. 
Don't forget to go check out ABCDE the giveaway starts in the morning.

With Much Love,
Ashley 


Our Weekend

We had such a busy weekend here at the McGowan Home, but I loved every minute of it.
I am starting to feel myself again and taking advantage of every minute of it.
Friday we had a Yard Sale which of course meant early morning and 
stuff all over my home and yard.
We did pretty good with it and then I donated what was left over.
Trying to clean out our storage unit so I had no room for it here. =)



Friday evening our nieces stayed the night and we had a sleep over. 
It was wonderful! 

Baked cupcakes, did their hair, painted our nails and 
camped out in the living room floor watching movies.




 Saturday we made breakfast and went to the pool. 
I adore them so much and it was so great to spend time with them. 



Saturday evening Daddy and Little Man hung out and had guys time 
so Mommy could go out with some of my friends for my besties birthday!


 We went to the winery and had such a great time.
While catching up we had decided that since it had been 
5 years since we had all went out that we wouldn't wait that long to do it again. 




Sunday we had a day full of family time celebrating my hubby's first fathers day! 
(I am an awful person and got zero pictures on fathers day!) 
Lunch with the family. More family stopping by to say hello. Our Sunday Family Shopping trip.
Then of course dinner and cuddly movie time on the couch. 


It was such a wonderful weekend.
 I fell so blessed to have all these wonderful people in my life.

With Much Love,
Ashley

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Clayton: 11 Months

It is just so hard to believe that My Baby Boy is already 11 Months Old. 
Unreal really and hadn't even completely sunk in until I started making out his invitations 
for his upcoming 1st Birthday! (I Cried)
Via Instagram anmcgowan

It seems like every day he is becoming more and more independent and it breaks my heart.

At 11 Months he is:

Walking
Has 8 teeth and cutting 2 more
Throwing Fits =)
Into EVERYTHING
Becoming more and more vocal
Waving Hi & Bye when he wants too ;)
Eating pretty much everything well with some exceptions
Still Breast Feeding 
Loving Bath Time
Favorite Thing to do is Swing at the Park
Enjoying 2 hours naps (most days)
Sleeping mostly through the night
Climbing Stairs
Trying to climb onto furniture and chairs
Did I say into EVERYTHING?!
Favorite Cartoon: Mickey Mouse Playhouse


This age is so much fun and I love being able to be with him as he learns all of these new experiences! 
I can't wait as he starts to talk more and starts even more first. Being a momma truly is the most amazing thing in the world and the joy it brings me is so wonderful. 


With Much Love,
Ashley

Monday, June 11, 2012

What Inspires you from Sweet Little Somethings

I am super excited that my oh so sweet sister and myself are swapping blogs for the day! 
She is such a beautiful person inside and out and I love how much her blog reflects that, so please make sure to visit her over at Sweet Little Somethings and also see my post on her blog.



Hello cuties! Jessie here from sweet little somethings. If you didn't already know, Ashley is my beautiful sister. We're swapping blogs for the day and today I'm writing about what inspires me.


I try and find inspiration everywhere possible. To me, it's the little things in life that keep me going. I try my hardest to slow down, even if I'm having a busy, hectic day, and take a few seconds to take in the beautiful world around me.

 I especially draw inspiration from nature. Everything about nature inspires me. Baby animals. Sunsets and sunrises. Beautiful green grass and lush trees. Cute little mushrooms. Hummingbirds and honey suckle. Old, beautiful trees on the river. Listening to the birds sing while I sit on the porch with my morning coffee.








Something else that inspires me is little treasures that I find while thrifting and antiquing. It's something that I have really grown to love - I think that secondhand items, expecially vintage and antique items just have so much character and personality. Even if I can't afford most of the items that I love, I still try to set aside some time once every few weeks to go and explore my favorite indoor flea market in town. Sometime I'm mostly just looking for the sake of looking, but sometimes I manage to find some pretty neat little treasures...








And last but not least, the whole blog world inspires me! Blogging has become a pretty big part of my life and daily routine. One of my favorite times of the day is when I first wake up and get to sit around and drink my coffee while reading blogs. There are so many inspiring, beautiful blogs and the ladies behind them that I draw inspiration from. I seriously can't imagine my life without blogging or what I would do.


Thank you so much Ashley for having me today!

xo,
Jessie

I love her so very much and she makes this big sister so proud everyday. 
Make sure to visit her blog and show her some love. =)
Until Next Time,
Ashley

A Mother's Loss...This Mother's Loss

I have sat here for the longest time trying to think of the best way to tell you my story.
The only thing I can come up with is from the beginning. 
I know that sharing this will help with my healing.

Four weeks ago Saturday after being 3 days late for my monthly cycle,
 I took 3 pregnancy test and much to my surprise they were all POSITIVE! 
We had been talking about how we wanted to start trying soon 
so Clayton could be close in age with his brother/sister, so with him almost being a year I was so excited.
I love being a mother and everything about it and want nothing more than to have a large family.

I did the next thing that I should do which was make a doctors appointment for the next week.
Where they did blood work to confirm for sure and that came back the next day positive. 
They also gave me my estimated due date from my last cycle and I was beyond giddy to find out that it would be on January 22nd, this was my daddy's birthday! What an awesome gift.
So we scheduled my next appointment for 8 weeks out.

In the mean time we are telling all of our family, excitedly talking about the babies room and themes, how I want my birth plan to be a little different this time, all kinds of babies names. Will it be a boy or a girl. What an amazing big brother Clayton will be! All of the fun stuff that goes with expecting a baby.

I then started cutting things out of my diet like caffeine, of course alcohol and added folic acid and a prenatal vitamin back to my everyday routine.  Along with lots of water and healthy foods.

Everything was going fine for the first two weeks after I found out I was pregnant. 
The normal stuff being extremely tired. Hormones starting to go crazy. A little Nausea and so forth.

Then the middle of week three I started having some very light spotting. 
Which of course freaked me out because I didn't have any of that with my son.
The doctor wanted me to come in the next day. They did blood work, an exam and an ultra sound.
The ultra sound didn't show anything but the doctor thought maybe we just had my day off and the spotting was from implantation bleeding. 
We got the blood work back the next day and my HcG numbers were at 87. 
Which seemed kind of low so he wanted me to come in Monday the next week and have it ran again.
In 48 hours with normal HcG #'s it should at least double. 
We had 72 hours in between my test and on Monday my numbers only went to 130.

This of course was a concern for my doctor along with the pain I was starting to experience he was concerned with it being ectopic. Then we are faced with having to tell family what is going on when we don't even really know. How do you explain something when you are yet to have all the answers?

He scheduled more blood work for Wednesday and these numbers went up from 130 to 220.
Yet again another increase but not doubling like it should.
 Soooo more confusion and pain and lack of answers. 
Normally with a miscarriage when you are spotting like I was your numbers will decrease not increase.

By the next afternoon I was in extreme pain and bleeding heavily. 
This of course meant my body was taking care of this on it's own. 
This past weekend was extremely heart wrenching. I was in so much pain I could barely get myself to the bathroom. I was completely exhausted from the pain, crying and not being able to eat.
Also, dealing with all the mental questions and burdens of why and how could this happen we had been so careful. 

I had a complete miscarriage this weekend and we lost our baby.

 I guess if you want to be technical which I am sure some people would love to be it wasn't just yet a baby. In my eyes and heart it was though.
It was the addition to our family that we had prayed for and wanted. 
I loved it so much already. Started my cheesy little conversations with my baby.


I have done a lot of soul searching the past few days and though I know I have a long way to go and that I will forever question and wonder why and what this baby would have grown to be. 
I know that everything happens for a reason and it was God's will. 
I may not understand why he does everything he does or what his reasons are, but he has never let me down before. In time we will try again and if it is God's will then we will one day welcome another precious little one into our lives. 

Thank you for reading my story and allowing me to share. This is a way for me to get things out and try to find a way to heal. If you think about it or wouldn't mind send a prayer up for us as we still find a way to cope with this chapter of our lives.


With Much Love,
Ashley


Saturday, June 9, 2012

Summer Days



An Irish Prayer 
May God give you... 
For every storm, a rainbow, 
For every tear, a smile, 
For every care, a promise, 
And a blessing in each trial. 
For every problem life sends, 
A faithful friend to share,
 For every sigh, a sweet song,
 And an answer for each prayer. 


 Friends I hope that wherever you may be and whatever the
 weather may bring your way today that you find a peace and comfort.
 I hope the day that puts a smile on your face and a warmth in your heart. 
Happy Saturday! 

With Much Love, Ashley

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Greatest Man I Ever Knew



Today was one of those days when I wanted nothing more than to be able to talk to my daddy and hear his kind words and amazing advice.
 God truly has a time for everything a reason behind all he does.
Of Course I would go through such a trying time on the day my daddy passed away 4 years ago.

I was able to feel his love and compassion and hear just what he would say to me if he were still with us.
It was calming knowing that even though he is gone from this earth he still surrounds me and looks after me like he always said he would.

My daddy was such a kind man who would do anything for anyone who needed it. 
My mom, sister and myself were his world.
He never stopped showing us and never stopped trying to take care of us
 even up to the very moment he said his last word and took his last breath.
 In that very moment he was still more worried about us more than himself. 
I hope that as I grow and continue to mature in a better woman that 
I can one day have half of the selflessness that he had!

I miss you more today than I did when you left daddy and
 I love you more today than I did yesterday
 and less than I will tomorrow. 
Thank you for all that you always did for us and for still showing me the light when I sit in the darkness! 
You are my Hero and always will be.

2007, Tybee Island 

My Daddy
With Much Love,
Ashley 

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Patience My Child

5.

This is something I have NONE of.
They should offer these classes at the hospital along with the Birth Prep Class, since it is something as a parent you HAVE to have.

Life can be so confusing and well let us down at times and as I am trying to figure out just the reason for my current trials I am working daily on trying to become a more patient woman. momma. wife.

I may not understand everything that we are currently facing and
 let me tell you that is gut wrenching.
However, I can control my happiness and how productive I am with our day.
Reminding myself that I am so blessed to have the amazing son that we do and such a loving husband gets me through each and every day.

one day at a time.


With Much Love,
Ashley

Friday, June 1, 2012

Pandora and Pinterest

What a wonderfully relaxing Friday evening this girl has had. 
Got some wonderful cuddle time in with my sweet son.

Now that he is asleep and resting well, 
I thought I would indulge in some Mommy time with Pinterest and Pandora.

I haven't done a Pinterest post in awhile so I thought I would share some wonderful things I found that make me happy, inspire me, remind me of why I enjoy summer.

What I am listening to

Wish I was there


Want a Pin-up girl Tattoo!

Adore this office

Love Summer Layers

Beautiful

Yes Please!

I vow to have a Pinic with my hubby in June

Love

Nudes are my favorite

going to try and keep up with this month on
 instagram @anmcgowan

I will take all this...

and this

and this!!!
Happy Weekend and June 1st friends. 
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

With Much Love,
Ashley