It's December already?

The last month of the year is always more important to me than the first month of the year. Yes, it's important to start strong but I think that sometimes the starting in life is easy. Yes, I started a new diet today but will I continue until I reach my goal? Will I finish strong? That's kind of how I feel about December. I want to finish 2017 on a high and continue it into the next year.

Ok, enough motivation talk.

This last month was pretty life changing for The Veras! We closed on our first home! It was a long process but it was totally worth it. We quickly started making it our own by painting and re-doing some things in the kitchen. It looks so different now and is totally more our style. We took about 3 weeks to make it our own and are excited to move in!

Also, my brother came down from Michigan for Thanksgiving! The last time he was in Texas was when Jax was born in June. We all missed him very much but no one missed him as much as my mom. If you caught my instastory when we picked him up at the airport you'll remember she was pretty emotional. She kept telling me, "you'll understand one day when Jax is away from you."

My brother and I are pretty close despite having totally different personalities and living a thousand miles away from each other. Nate loved getting to see Jax. He also quickly learned that he scares pretty easily when he let out a giant sneeze in the car and Jax started crying. I see a little bit of my brother in Jax, Nate also has the dimple in his chin. They both are little goobers together that's for sure.

When my brother knew he was coming down he asked if Fabian and I could take him to Austin. I planned a two day trip for us as we coordinated with Glamma to have her watch Jax. It was our first trip without our baby and it was pretty great. It was weird to not have a baby on my hip or to be travelling with so much stuff! I thought that I would have some anxiety being away from him but Fabian and I both knew that he was in great hands. It was nice to recharge and have that time together. We explored some of our favorite spots in Austin as well as new ones. Nate had a good time and said he wanted to come back. He's a videographer and a creative weirdo, Austin is the perfect spot for him. Of course we had to make a pit stop at Magnolia Market on the way to ensure that Nate got the full experience.

As far as our family goals for this month, we just have one main goal. Make our house a home.

 

We're excited to make each room feel and look like us. To finally have space to invite friends and family over without feeling cramped. To get Jax out of the hallway he has been sleeping in and give him an actual bedroom. And we can't wait to host our first Christmas brunch! Let's finish 2017 strong! 

Happy December!

- F & B and Jax

It's September! [Vera Family Goals]

It's here! A new month! Every time we hit a new month it seems to take me by surprise. Summer is coming to an end and here in Texas that means, the chain of 100 degree days has been broken. The weather is becoming tolerable which will allow us to go for evening walks as a family. I feel like the past three months have been a whirlwind. Things at home have continued to run smoothly however both my husband and I know that it can be better. Our teamwork can be better as husband and wife and also as papi and mama.

So since we are starting a new month we wanted to set some goals for us. Personal goals and family goals. We went out last night to a new spot for dinner and talked about our goals for this month. Reconnecting during a busy week is so important for us and what better than to reconnect over some good barbeque from Heim? I know Jax doesn't look too thrilled to be third wheel on his parent's date night but he really was excited. Probably a little jealous too that he couldn't eat the brisket yet.

We want to encourage you to make some goals for yourself this month. Take a look at your life and pick a couple things that you're passionate about and really go for it this month. Pick an area that you need improvement and commit to making it better. Whatever your goal is, remember the cliché statement... no goal is too big or too small! Commit to achieving them, celebrate when you do, and go ahead and ride the motivation into the next month and set some different ones. Here's a peak into our goals for this month.

Family Goals
Manage our finances better.
Find a house.
Pack our lunches during the work week.

Fabian's Goals
Stop drinking Coke.
Read more to Jax.
Take my wifey out on dates.

Bee's Goals
Complete a Whole30 (for real this time).
Stop saying, "No, it's ok."
Speak more Spanish.

What are you goals? Share them with us!
-F & B and Jax

5 Mama Life Hacks

Yesterday was one of those Monday's that nothing got done at my home. However, the reason nothing got done at my home was because my husband took the day off and we spent it together as a family. I loved yesterday but the mama in me wanted to get the laundry done, finish my grocery list, and for the love of all things holy...take out the garbage that was stinking up the kitchen.

When Amanda from allthatsdarling tagged me on instagram to share my #mumlifehacks I thought how perfect! I am a new mom (7 weeks and 3 days to be exact) so my mama hacks are still under construction. But, yesterday I was able to put one of them to the test.

1. Family over everything, and that includes the laundry. 
What doesn't get done today will get done tomorrow. We've all left a load of laundry in the washer, dirty dishes in the sink, and gotten McDonalds because we still haven't gotten groceries. It's ok, your family functions better when you're connecting and spending quality time with one another.
2. Say yes to the help.

Whether it's your baby daddy, grandparents, or a grocery store employee. Say yes to the help. I am learning this even with my husband, it's like I want to be this super mom who does it all. Obviously I have a pride issue that is still being worked on. But when he says, "I got it love." I need to let him. When someone offers to load up my groceries, I need to let them.

3. Your life is great but it's not just about you.

Conversations when you have a newborn can be very self centered. I've been consciously reminding myself in conversations to really make the other person the focus. Turn it back on them and remember their life is just as cool (if not more) than mine. I need to ask them about it!

4. Your crockpot is your bestie! 

I've been letting my crockpot cook my dinner one night a week. Not only does it make my husband think I've been slaving away in the kitchen all day because our house smells amazing but it saves me mucho time! 

5. Celebrate your success.

Sometimes as a mama you feel like you're doing nothing right. Take the time to celebrate your success. Whether it's a conversation with your baby daddy talking about how your teamwork was awesome that day or arriving to an event clean and on time. (looking passed the fact that only one hand has nail polish on it because you didn't have time to paint your other nails.) Celebrate the fact that your a mom and you're killing it! 

-B

My Mama Moment

I found myself using the phrase, "I need a mama moment" yesterday as I was talking to my husband on the phone in the Target parking lot while a waterfall of frustrated tears were streaming down my already makeup free face. Despite having a child constantly attached to me I was feeling alone. Here I was, this stay at home mama who was doing everything for her family and her home to function smoothly but I was feeling like I was flying solo. Can you relate?

I needed a couple hours to check myself before I wrecked myself. A couple hours to regroup and stop any selfishness that was trying to creep up and steal my joy. A couple hours to find the root of my emotions. A couple hours to remember that when I feel alone, God is right along side me cheering me on. A couple hours to really step back and look at my life to see how blessed our little family has been. A couple hours to realize that my communication in my marriage needs some work. A couple hours to really appreciate how hard my husband has been working for our family in order for me to be a stay at home mama. A couple hours to smell the popcorn that permeates the Target aisles to snap me back into reality. A reality that is pretty amazing. 

This mama moment for me was significant. I needed it in order to put me back in a truly selfless position. To help organize my emotions in order to allow myself to communicate them successfully to my husband. I am discovering that feeling alone is only a small price to pay for the experience of bringing my son into this world and growing together as a family. Instead of "sucking it up" (my hormonal cry fest Target parking lot solution), I am going to embrace this season. This God given season of Motherhood. A season where in the solitude of my home, while I hear the little toots coming from my son's crib, that I truly feel whole in Him.

-B

One Month!

It has been one month since our little Jax was born. Everyone always says that time goes by fast when you have a little one, and that is so true. My husband and I have learned a lot about our son and the value of teamwork in a marriage over the past month.

Jax has still kept all of his hair that he was born with and grew so much more over the past weeks. He loves grasping your fingers when you feed him. He will give you flirty little smiles as he is falling asleep. Those little smiles help to remind us how much we love him when we're up at 3am feeding him. Thankfully we haven't had any sleepless nights, Jax is an excellent sleeper! He still doesn't quite enjoy his baths but loves the towel snuggle at the end. 

Having a newborn is definitely a different lifestyle. Life is less spontaneous. You can't just decide last minute that you want to go to the movies. We've learned that magical love that is like no other. Our love for each other as husband and wife is different than the love that we feel for our Jax. Fabian and I both have learned a new level of patience. Patience with each other and patience while we still learn our sons cries and queues. Our teamwork isn't perfect but we're making it better day by day. I've learned that I need to be less stubborn and when someone offers to help, accept their help. I've also learned to conquer my fear of breastfeeding in public the moment my sons cries started echoing through the isles of Hobby Lobby.

Our lives have changed for the better and we wouldn't have it any other way. Happy 1 month Jax!

F&B

6.17.17: Now a family of 3!

Friday, June 16 I was at my lowest point in pregnancy. I was so large and so uncomfortable. I was 39 weeks +4 days and so amazed that I was still pregnant! I had been on maternity leave for 2 weeks already and needed to get out of the house, so I decided to treat my swollen feet to a foot massage. I had tried everything else to help the labor process begin except a foot massage so I figured it wouldn't hurt. I left the massage relaxed but still feeling like this baby needed to come out so I called my mom on the way back home and broke down sobbing. "I just want this baby out now!" After pulling over and getting myself in control my mom was able to talk me out of calling my doctor to have her induce me. I went home, laid in bed, and put Iron Man on with every intention to fall asleep. 

My husband came home early from work around 3 and we just relaxed and continued to watch Iron Man while discussing what we wanted for dinner. At this time I was timing contractions that were about 5 minutes apart but still irregular. By 4:40 my husband went to pick up dinner for us as well as insisting that I needed a yoga ball to sit on. I told him do not get me a yoga ball because, what he didn't know was, I had just used the restroom and felt a tremendous amount of pelvic pressure. So much pressure that I was unable to sit back on the bed. I moved into the living room to wait for him to bring dinner back. Well 5 minutes later I called my husband (who had not listened and was on his way to get a yoga ball) and told him to turn around because...my water broke! (side note: I had been praying towards the end of my pregnancy that God would allow my water to break. To me that's a tell tale sign of "hey, you're gonna have a baby!") My husband came home and handed me a towel to wrap around my waist as I stood up to get ready to go. All of our stuff was packed so we just grabbed it and headed out the door. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was 5 o'clock on a Friday afternoon which meant that traffic was going to be rough. We drove halfway to the hospital with our hazard lights on while I continue to lose more amniotic fluid soaking the towel beneath me and my now dark grey joggers. On the way to the hospital we called our families and texted the prayer warriors that have been praying with me throughout this pregnancy. Everyone was so excited for us! 

Once we arrived at the hospital I walked my soaking booty in the door and into triage. "Are you here to have a baby," the lady at the front desk asked me? "Yes, please" was my response. Like my soaking wet pants weren't a dead giveaway. I was admitted and dilated to a 4. On the way to my room we passed the anesthesiologist, I told him to feel free to follow us into my room. He came in and hooked me up with my epidural which went to work immediately! Now the waiting game began. 

By 4am I was finally dilated to a 10 and it was time to push. I pushed for 2 hours and was not making any progress. Little Jax was not budging. I was tired and knew that I needed more strength. I asked my husband to put on Do it Again by Elevation Worship. I needed that delivery room to really be full of God's presence and I needed some supernatural strength. We then called my mom who was in Michigan and put her on speakerphone having her intercede and pray that Jax would move. I also asked my husband to get his mom from the waiting room and have her come in. I had one Mama praying in English and one Mama praying in Spanish. Jesus was in that place! After 1 more hour of pushing, it was decided that baby Jax would not be able to fit. We made the decision to have a c-section. I was exhausted and I had no desire to be a hero and keep pushing. I wanted a healthy baby over everything. And after 3 hours of pushing, I already felt like a hero. 

Once the decision was made for a c-section everything moved quickly and in a little over 30 minutes we were hearing the little cries of our son. I remember being in the operating room and feeling so much peace. I knew I was about to have major surgery and that the recovery was going to be different but it all was overshadowed by the peace that I felt about the whole situation. God knew that this large little boy was going to have an amazing story and that there was a fight to bring him into the world. 

At 7:37AM on June 17, 2017 our Jax was brought into this world. Words cannot describe the feeling his father and I felt when we heard his first little cries. We are both honored and so blessed to be the parents of this amazing little boy. We pray with him every night and empower him already to be the man of God that he will become. 

What we learned in 1 year of marriage.

When people say that the first year of marriage is the hardest, I always let that opinion go in one ear and out the other. Our first year of marriage hasn't been perfect by any means and how boring would that have been? We have learned a lot about each other and also accomplished a lot together as a team. Here's a few things we learned in our first year of marriage.

1. Always pray with one another. Start the day with prayer and if you stay awake long enough, end the day with prayer together.

2. When needing to use the restroom or the shower check with the other spouse before hand. We only have one restroom so it's important and super nice to double check with one another before we take it over for a while. What happens in the restroom, stays in the restroom.

3. The balance of family and marriage is important. With so many family members, birthday parties, and get togethers it's important to learn to balance everything and to remember that our marriage takes effort and if we don't take the time to put the effort into it then it will become second to everything else.

4. Always communicate. With both of us it's important to keep the communication going even when we find ourselves in a busy week. We have also learned that there are moments when it's ok to pause the communication in order to respond with the right tone and the right mindset. However, the longer you stay angry the worse things will get. Fix it if it needs fixin'.

5. Laugh and laugh a lot. There is a lot of laughter in our marriage. Laughing at ourselves and with each other. Joy in a marriage is important!

6. Serve one another without looking for a thank you in return. I (bee) can have trouble with this sometimes and will look for acknowledgment for things that I have done thinking that I deserve a thank you. Serving one another in marriage is the secret to a great marriage.  I choose to have a great marriage instead of a thousand "thank you's."

7. Trusting God with our story. About 4 months into our marriage God was really speaking to both of us about trusting him in regards to adding children to our family. We were told others opinions and for some reason it just never really lined up with what we were feeling for our future family. We continued to pray about it and put everything in God's hands. Now we sit here today awaiting the arrival of our first born little boy. See, God knew!

8. Work as a team when handling our finances. When we got married we made it a goal to take care of our debt and start fresh together as soon as possible. Thankfully we didn't have a lot and we tackled it within the first few months of marriage. We both believe that not allowing ourselves to accumulate a whole bunch of debt has really freed us up as a couple to bless others around us and also to travel and visit family more.

9. Check in with one another. This may be scary but it also may be insightful. It's good to see if we're doing something that is just really minor but kind of annoying to the other one. For instance, I (bee) will forget to rinse dishes out after eating dinner and then "accidentally" forget to wash the dishes at night so the next morning there are dishes with food stuck all over them. That's a minor check in but was something that was annoying Fabian. I am still a work in progress but I think he will tell you I am getting better.

10. Have fun in your marriage. Don't take everything so seriously. Don't miss memories because of your attitude. Do life with one another because you are better together!

- F & B

Weekend Wrap Up [ pancakes, tulips, & bears, oh my! ]

I love to spend my weekends two different ways. The first includes pjs, the couch and plenty of Netflix binging. The second includes family. This past weekend was spent with Fabian's family and from start to finished we filled the day with new experiences, laughter, and good food.

Our sunny Saturday morning started with breakfast at IHOP and ended back at his parents in the evening after the temperature dropped about 25 degrees (we were not prepared for that.) We drove for about an hour to Pilot Point to the most beautiful tulip field. Coming from Michigan, I had been used to Tulip Time every year. Seeing all the beautiful Texas tulips was a bit nostalgic for me.

We enjoyed walking through the aisles looking at all the unique colors and figuring out how to pick them from the ground properly. While at Texas Tulips we saw a sign for a wildlife ranch. We ventured down the street after picking tulips to check out Sharkrosa Wildlife Ranch. I think that's why I love spending time with my in-laws so much. Everything is spontaneous and it stretches me out of my comfort zone (I am a BIG planner). It was really cool seeing all the unique animals they had and being able to feed and pet them. We ended our time at the Ranch with a freezing cold tram ride getting us up close and personal with the wildlife. The whole day ended with pizzas. The perfect Saturday.

Enjoy some moments from our family weekend. (Also, I am aware that Fabian and I match. Let the record show he did get dressed first but I already had my outfit planned in my head. Oh well, we just went with it.)

- F & B

5 Month Bumpdate

23 weeks, 5 months of life for our little Baby V. I am and will always be so amazed at our God of miracles. The miracle of life is just that, a miracle. For God to create a body to create another body just blows my mind. As I continue to read about the development of our baby boy I am so humbled to know that God has chosen me to be his mama. And even more grateful to have such a loving husband and papa to be along side of me during this journey, he has a lot of grace towards me during this season.

Up to now I have had a pretty smooth journey. My bellybutton is in this odd transition that just makes me laugh every time I look at it. My nose has developed superpowers which is a blessing and a curse depending on the scent being smelled. I am fully embracing this double chin that I am rocking and reminding myself that this body won't be like this forever.

I love feeling my son's movements and have even spotted my belly moving from the powerful punches and kicks he gives his mama. He responds to our voices and also any type of music that is playing in the car. He likes to jam alongside of us! And I promise you, this boy already has a solid sense of rhythm. I haven't been craving anything strange however, I do get picky and more specific about my food every now and then. As he continues to grow the time between restroom stops has decreased for me. It's been important to not only know where the emergency exits are at all times but also where the restroom is. Don't get in the way of a pregnant woman who needs to pee.

Time has seriously been flying by, I cannot believe that we're getting closer and closer to meeting our son. To seeing what color his eyes are and if mine and Fabian's curls will be passed onto another generation. To revealing to the world the name that God gave us for our little bear cub. We will continue to await your arrival with so much anticipation!

-B

Adios 2016 | Hola 2017

2016 was a year of sitting back and watching God's hands at work over our lives. Not only did we get engaged and married in 2016 but we also announced that God was adding to our family with a little one (baby Vera to arrive in June 2017). This whole year we've been surrounded by family and friends celebrating life. We don't plan on changing that, cause we sure do love our family and our friends. 

Engaged. 

Married. 

Baby. 

Some other awesome things happened in 2016, our church released a new single called 'Plans for Me' that has been an anthem for our lives as well. Being able to record with family was a dream come true!

We were able to travel to Michigan a few times to be with family, celebrate Gramma's life before she went to be with the Lord, and also celebrate with family and friends who were unable to attend our wedding.

After our wedding we were blessed to spend a week in San Diego. It was the perfect way to start our lives together as we soaked in the sights and the sun! We were also blessed by family who wanted to celebrate our marriage with us.

 We both grew in our relationship with God in 2016, as well as gained confidence in our leadership as members of Tree of Life Worship. We've grown in unity and have sensed the presence of God like never before. 

Going into a new year always has us thinking and coming up with a list of of goals and "to-do's." This year as husband and wife we do have a list of goals but as always we will continue to allow God to guide our steps and be obedient to what He says. We have teamed up in agreement that in 2017 we will change our prayer life by stopping to thank God and be grateful instead of asking God for what we want. We can believe that God will give us what we need as well as bless us with what we want when we present grateful attitudes. We're believing BIG for 2017 and want to use our lives to inspire others along the way. Hola 2017! 

-Fabian & Bee