The Combs Krewe

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about the Supreme Court ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby today. This ruling was a huge deal in that it supported both religious liberty and personal freedom. While I am very happy with the outcome, I have been bothered with many of the details of Hobby Lobby's stance on contraceptives. See, the whole case is about how Hobby Lobby refused to comply with government mandates on providing certain drugs through insurance. Hobby Lobby does not want to provide "emergency contraceptives" because they believe them to be abortifacients. It is their position that life begins at conception therefore they do not support the use of drugs which could abort a fertilized egg (after conception but before implantation--which is when it's generally agreed upon that pregnancy begins). Here's a screenshot of an article I read where their representatives express this viewpoint:  Specifically they refuse to pay for the c...

I've seen and pinned lots of ideas on Facebook and Pinterest about keeping babies and toddlers busy. I love the idea of sensory bins and busy bags and water tables but today I thought I'd share a few things that have been working for us.  If you have toddlers you might... Keep a basket next to your bed filled with books you'd like to read, your journal, etc. and of course pens.  Skip cabinet locks. Keep your costume jewelry in a low drawer. Hand them a coloring book and crayons. Watch them throw them down one at a time saying uh oh each time.  Sadly I didn't get a picture of their banana smashing adventure or their favorite educational activity: tearing the entire toilet paper roll into tiny pieces and/or putting an entire roll of toilet paper directly into the toilet.  What are some of your favorite ways to keep baby busy?  Anyone want to babysit? 

I joke with my mom that she has asked me if I'm pregnant every month since I was 15. Five times I've said yes.  A couple of weeks ago my mom shared her heart with me. "I hope you don't have any more," she told me. She explained that she wanted me to have a life of my own, things of my own. "It's a big sacrifice being a mother," she remarked.  My mom is seeing me be a mom. Seeing me struggle. Seeing me feel overwhelmed at times. Seeing me do without. And I know that's hard for a mom to see, because as parents I think we all want our children to have nice things, good experiences, and a happy life. It's pretty common for parents to want "better" for their kids than they had.  For many, "better" means bigger houses, shinier cars, more stuff. If you haven't guessed by now, it's hard to keep up with the Jones with a large family. There are a number of reasons I've heard as to why people shouldn't have "too ...

Brooklyn and Braelyn are one year old!  Over the last month Brooklyn has learned to scoot around pretty fast and can now pull up on her own. She has crawled a very short distance on her hands and knees a couple of times. She still nurses throughout the day and night and eats solid food well. She is not picky at all! Her favorite toys by far are balls. She actually has a pretty good throwing arm! Braelyn is a super fast crawler now! She has stood on her own twice. Braelyn nurses more frequently than Brooklyn often throughout the night. She still prefers sleeping with mama. Braelyn is a bit of a picky eater. She has to check out what we are offering her. She loves eggs and peas (though not necessarily at the same time). Like her sister she loves playing with balls. She also hugs and kisses her babydolls.  We celebrated the Saturday before their actual birthday with a princess party for the twincesses! Lots of friends and family joined us. We served crown-shaped sandwiches, fruit...

Tonight, per a certain three-year old's request, I squished myself onto a (very sturdy) toddler bed. I laid there beside him stroking his hair while he curled into my body and whispered "I love you" and "Do kangaroos have arms?"  His nightlight behind me, I made shadows on the wall.  He didn't mind that I can only do a duck and a spider. Then he tucked his head into the crook of my arm and stayed there until his breathing became slow and steady and his body grew heavy with precious rest. He didn't see the bittersweet tears streaming down my cheeks. I'm so thankful that despite all the times I've failed him, I must have done something right to deserve this sweet boy's love. 

Friday marked 2 months for the twins! The last month has been such a special time because the girls have grown so much and there have been so many firsts. The best "first" has been their first social smiles. I noted Brooklyn's in my nursing log on April 9th. Since that morning she's been happily grinning at us each and every morning. It's no wonder because she sleeps SO WELL. Most nights she sleeps 5 hours; one night this week she slept 6 and a half. This is just unheard of in the Combs household! She has also gained great head and neck control. She has been called the "Traci baby" since she was born but I didn't think she really looked much like me until this week. A friend had her on her lap; she sat there looking around wide eyed and it was like looking at one of my baby pictures! I also see a lot of my dad in her. She definitely takes after the Ladd side of the family! Braelyn has definitely been stingier with her smiles. She has suffered th...

Brooklyn has become quite the morning person. After sleeping FIVE WHOLE HOURS, it's no wonder. And her mama is loving this whole sleeping, smiling stage!

  Can you believe it's been one whole month already? I would say no. Jackie might say YES, ha ha. There is a quote I love that says something like "parenthood consists of long days and short years."  The more children I have, the more I appreciate this truth. Now--six children into this life--I can sit in bed at 2 a.m. battling exhaustion and love every minute of it. (Okay, most minutes of it.) I can snuggle my nose down beside their little heads nestled into the crook of my neck and be completely content with life. I know that all too soon one month will be two and the days will slip right through my fingers and before I know it all their tenderness will be concealed beneath a teenager's sharp facade. And then I'll wish again for these sweet moments when it's so simple to convey my love for them. Because for now all they want in the world is a warm embrace in which to find nourishment. But I suppose in actuality that's all we all truly want! I sp...

A few weeks back my friend Amanda asked if she could throw me a diaper/wipe party. Of course I said yes! Since I've never had a "real" shower I was thrilled at the prospect of a girls night in musing over babies and baby stuff. I was a bit nervous, however, that I might not make it to the shower date still pregnant. One of the reasons I've never had a real shower is because every time someone plans one, I end up having the baby early. I would be just over 34 weeks pregnant this time and I had no idea what to expect with twins. The day finally arrived, though, and I waddled downstairs to Amanda's apartment. This cute sign was waiting to greet me! Then I stepped inside and knew this wasn't your typical baby shower. The lighting was low; candles twinkled here and there. Soft jazz was playing in the background and her apartment was decorated beautifully. The pictures really don't do it justice. And on that table? Some SERIOUSLY delicious food. No...