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You know the drill...
You're woken up earlier than desired by your little army of energy balls... You change them, feed them, send them off to school, change them again, feed them again, pick them up from school, feed them again (change them again somewhere in there too), send them off to practice something, feed them again, bathe them, and put them to bed. Anyone else's day look like this? No? Just me? Well, I have 5 boys under 7...3 of them in diapers...I feel like I may be in the minority...but you get my point... And that's it...that was your day. Feeling super productive aren't you? Now, as much as I do believe the saying on the infamous coffee mug : "TODAY'S GOAL : KEEP THE TINY HUMANS ALIVE" I also believe that we can CHOOSE to feel productive at the end of each day, aside from just keeping our tiny tribes alive. HOWEVER...Before I go any further... If you are in a season of survival...don't read any further. You're going a GREAT job if all you accomplish are meeting the basic needs of you and your family. When you're feeling like your head is coming out of the fog...then, feel free to read on! If we are intentional, we CAN squeeze in just a couple extra things in our day to give us that feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment we mommies crave. Now, that DOESN'T mean we strive to DO IT ALL EVERYDAY... That DOESN'T mean we beat ourselves up if we fall short of our goals for the day... What it DOES mean is that if we STRIVE to address these 3 areas, each and every day, we will end our days with a feeling of accomplishment...with a feeling that we were productive! And most importantly...with a feeling that what we did today mattered. Do you have an extra 10 minutes?? Lets see what we can do with them... 
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Spring is in the air! I can feel it! I can see it! I can hear it! After a long holiday drought since the Christmas season, Spring always excites my soul that there is MORE to be celebrated! With Easter just around the corner, Education.com asked if I would share this adorable Easter cross word puzzle with my readers. I was delighted to partner with them again, after their activity "How To Paint Like Georgia Okeefe" was such a success last year (click HERE for that activity)! My first grader absolutely LOVES crossword puzzles, and I'm thrilled that he is now at the age where he enjoys these types of activities! To my excitement, this Easter Crossword puzzle was a complete hit! It helped grow his excitement for Easter morning when he'll wake up to his Easter basket! Whether it's an after school, rainy day, or car ride activity, I hope that your child loves it as much as mine did!
RELATED POSTS: How To Paint Like Georgia O'Keefe  It was such a blast being a part of this years Moms For Moms Online Summit. I honestly never envisioned where this little blog would take me, and I'm so honored to have presented alongside like minded mommas who believe we shouldn't do this mom thing alone!
In my presentation, I shared how our family is using essential oils to help battle all the big and little overwhelming moments of our day. So, without further ado...Oils Before Overwhelm... We are now a family of 7! We want to introduce you to Beckett. Born 10.9.18 | 12:28pm | 7 lbs 10 oz | 19 in This little life is truly a miracle, and we’d love to share his story with you… We knew going into delivery that there were traces of meconium in my amniotic fluid. A Respiratory team of doctors and nurses were brought into the delivery room as Beckett came into the world to check him for signs of distress. At first, he passed all tests and the team cleared him of any issues and left the room for mommy and baby to begin bonding. Within five minutes of Beckett attempting to adjust to breathing on his own, swaddled and in my arms, my labor and delivery nurse noticed something wasn’t right…many somethings weren’t right : color leaving his lips, nostrils flaring, and labored breathing. She checked his oxygen levels, which revealed Beckett was now in respiratory distress. She immediately rushed him down to the nursery and called for backup. My husband rushed behind them, and stayed with Beckett while he was put on oxygen to help him breathe. A chest x-ray was ordered and the pediatrician called to make a diagnosis. Shortly thereafter, I was able to join them in the nursery, where we learned that Beckett had a Pneumothorax in his right lung (a hole in his lung that was releasing air into his chest), compressing his lung, and possible traces of meconium in his lungs. A small procedure was done to release the air out of his chest, but the next X-Ray revealed the chest was filling with air faster than they could get it out and a second hole had developed on the left lung and began slowly leaking air. Arrangements were made for Beckett to be transferred to another hospital, an hour away, and as we awaited the arrival of the NICU transfer team, his condition began to quickly decline. Upon their arrival, Beckett was not stable enough to transfer, and the team had to put in a chest tube to release the accumulating air. They then had to intubate and sedate him, in order for his body to rest for the trip off the mountain. It was here, where we said our goodbye’s to our sweet little baby, only having been with him for minutes after his birth, not knowing the condition he would be in the next time we saw him. In the sea of uncertainty that plagued our thoughts, one thing we did know to be true and certain, was that the God who created this little life, was also the God who was in control of it. Our God had the power to heal him if He chose to, and we rested in the promise that He loved little Beckett more than we do and had already gone before him to begin to write his story. We just prayed that we’d get to be a part of his story for longer than just this one day. As we awaited news of his arrival to the NICU, as we awaited the news of when I could be released so we could be by his side again… In those moments our hearts broke. In those moments, our souls ached. In those moments, our faith was tested. In these moments, was the deepest pain we had ever faced. BUT… In those moments, we felt His peace. In those moments, we were reminded of His love for us. In those moments, we trusted in His faithfulness. In those moments, we clung to one another and poured our hearts out to the Lord. In those moments, we felt EVERY.SINGLE.PRAYER being uttered on Beckett’s behalf by family, friends, and strangers. In those moments, we chose to believe that we would be okay…even if things weren’t “okay.” AND… In those moments, GOD WAS PREFORMING A MIRACLE! 
We all love a good baby registry list.
The adorable footie outfits, the cute little shoes, the soft and snuggly stuffed animals, the practical swaddles and blankets, early development toys, and on and on an on... Yes, these are ALL necessities (well, minus the shoes...they are pointless regardless of their cuteness) and pretty fun to register for if you're a first time mom... BUT... If you're on #2, #3, #4..... OR If you're in my shoes, and have received the news of BLUE 5x in a row... There is not much left that you will need for your little one, aside from diapers, of course! No items on a registry that you don't already have stashed away somewhere in your house. BUT... There's still a little part of you that would like **something** to celebrate your new little life who's on their way to join your family. ENTER THE 5 MOST THOUGHTFUL GIFTS FOR EXPECTING MOMS WHO HAVE IT ALL!! My friends and family are masters of thinking outside the box, and without them, there would be no list like this in existence... THE BEST GIFTS THIS MOMMA OF *almost* 5 EVER RECEIVED... ...wasn't something you could scan onto a registry... ...wasn't something I had to find a home for in our closets or drawers... ...wasn't something I had to wash or clean daily... BUT IT WAS... ...something that saved me time... ...something that saved my sanity... ...something my baby would NEVER grow out of... ...AND something that made me SO HAPPY because I would have never bought it for myself. If you're looking for the PERFECT GIFT for a family member or friend who is expecting, someone who seems to have it ALL already... These 5 Thoughtful Gifts for Expecting Moms Who Have It All has you covered!! 
I never anticipated this feeling.
I never prepared for these emotions. I never thought it would be this hard. My season of hard began when we decided to step out in faith, leave our home and families, and follow where the Lord was leading my husband...with our 4 boys (six years of age and under, including 6m old twins) in tow. My season of hard continued after I realized how much I depended on the comforts of home, the help of my family, and the community I had built up over 30+ years. My season of hard began to consume me. I was drowning.
I was bringing destruction into my home...with my attitude...with my words. Not joy. Not grace. Not love. It hurts to say it out loud, but it’s true. At my core, I desire to be a women who brings joy into her home, who enjoys her children and points them to the Gospel, and who builds up her husband and continues to be united with Christ at the center of her marriage. But, my mundane was blocking out all these desires. The struggles of my everyday were leading my thoughts. I was focused on the HARD. I knew I needed the Lord to step in and change my heart. And he lead me to Philippians 4:8...a verse He's lead me to many times before. But this time...I saw the answer to my overwhelm clearly presented in His words... "Finally brethren, whatever is TRUE, whatever is HONORABLE, whatever is RIGHT, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is ADMIRABLE, if there is anything of EXCELLENCE OR WORTHY OF PRAISE, dwell on these things." I created this challenge from a place of great need. I needed to change my perspective on the overwhelm I was feeling as a mother with young children, living in a new place, and surrounded with the needs of the everyday that had to be met, but maybe YOU need to change your perspective because a different kind of HARD is consuming you. Maybe your health is in a state of decline. Maybe a loved one has gone astray. Maybe you have responsibilities and demands at work you feel are extremely difficult to meet. Maybe this season of life has met you where you never pictured yourself being. And maybe you're not walking in a hard place. Maybe you're just tired of the everyday. Maybe it's been a while since you've felt the presence of God in your life. Maybe you just need a change. I encourage you to join me! 20+ Encouraging & Practical Tips for Expecting Moms of Twins : Surviving My Twin Pregnancy (Part 3)7/24/2018 
When we found out we were pregnant with TWINS, you couldn't shove enough information in front of me! (Read my WHOLE STORY HERE!)
I scouredPinterest and Googled EVERYTHING twin! At first, I felt like I was in my own universe, having to navigate a world I knew NOTHING about, and even though I had a 4 and a 2 year old already, I felt like I was pregnant for the FIRST TIME again! It wasn't until we made the announcement to friends and family that we were expecting twins that OTHER TWIN MOMS started coming out of the woodwork! Especially within our home church. Within several months after learning the news of our twins, I felt as though I had a pretty decent network of moms who I could draw from for support and ask all my crazy questions to! When I was carrying my twins, I just couldn't fathom what life was going to look like those first few months AFTER delivery (let alone what delivery would be like...but that's a post for another day!). How was I going to nurse twins? How was I going to get ANY SLEEP? How would I have time for my older boys? How would I be able to keep up with housework? How was I going to grocery shop let alone cook? If you are finding yourself with the head spinning news that you are expecting twins, I hope these tips that I pulled from my twin mommy friends, along with a few I threw in, is as helpful for you as it was for me in mentally & physically preparing for life with your new bundles of joy!! (This post contains affiliate links) 
I will never forget the scene.
I walked into another twin momma's home...desperate for tips...but also desperate for a good deal on a twin nursing pillow. Our 5 littles played while we managed to try and have an adult conversation. As much as I wanted to listen to her advice, I was SO DISTRACTED.... Lining every wall of their playroom was TWO OF EVERYTHING, and along one wall were plastic tubs stacked to the ceiling! I couldn't believe my eyes. SO. MUCH. STUFF. I decided in that exact moment that I would do everything in my power to NOT aquire TWO OF EVERYTHING just because I was having twins. I'm no minimilist by any means, but I also can't handle chaos and disorder, and I could only imagine adding two more of everything to the everything else that we already had from our older two would be the end of my sanity. PLUS, NOT buying TWO MORE OF EVERYTHING would help cut down the costs heading into this new life with 4 kids. As we journey this life of DOUBLE JOYS, DOUBLE TROUBLE, and DOUBLE LOVE, I am striving to keep the STUFF (and the chaos) at a minimum... This post contains affiliate links. Read more about what that means, here. 
I'll never forget the sight I saw at 20 weeks into my first pregnancy.
As we settled into our "anatomy scan" appointment, laying there draped with paper and anticipation of what our future would behold, I couldn't help but WANT A BOY first. Being the oldest of 4, and the ONLY GIRL in our family, I had always dreamed of what it would be like to have an OLDER brother. I even went as far as to wish I had a twin brother! Something about having a protector. Someone who would always be looking out for me. My husband shared my desire for a BOY FIRST. Being the youngest of 3 and ONLY BOY, he was fully hoping for a boy to start off the lineup in our home. So, as we sat there awaiting that magic wand to wave over that perfect "spot"...BOY was on our mind! Without hesitation, question, or pause....our hopes were revealed with a VERY OBVIOUS view of our son in all his "glory"!! Little did we know that we would sit in that exact same place FOUR MORE TIMES and see that "glory shot" EACH AND EVERY TIME!!! FIVE BOYS is sometimes hard to swallow as we look ahead at the road the Lord has prepared for us, but we know that he has placed each one of these boys into our care for a reason. HOWEVER, it is NOT EASY. IN FACT, it can make you feel a little CRAZY (let's be honest...A LOT CRAZY most days) As a "boy mom", I have had to come to the conclusion that..
And so, I began to equip myself with wisdom from others who have been there and survived! And it didn't hurt to realize I wasn't along in this Boy Mom journey... These 4 Books helped me see my world as a little less crazy...and a little more normal. (This post contains affiliate links.) 
"Is this a good cry or a bad cry?" my ultrasound tech carefully asked me, moments after delivering the news that she was seeing TWO babies on the screen.
"A good cry," I responded, totally in awe that I was carrying TWINS. This was my 3rd time around going in for the initial 8 week ultrasound. I had a 4 and a 1.5 year old at home, and my husband decided to just stay behind and watch them, so going to my appointment alone was a welcomed little get away. Weeks before, we had met with our midwives, but unsure of exactly how far along in my pregnancy I was, they suggested having an ultrasound done just to be sure. So, here I was 11ish weeks pregnant, excitedly waiting to see that little peanut on the screen. Seconds after placing that wand on my belly, I was kinda shocked at how much bigger that little peanut was that I had seen in my other 2 pregnancy's.
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Welcome to Dwelling Well Mom! I'm so glad you are here! I'm Christi, wife, mom of boys, Christ follower, picture taker, DIYer, chocolate eater, and coffee drinker. Born and raised a Florida girl, now braving the mountains of Boone, NC, I'm on a journey to find peace in the midst of my mundane. Join me!
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