Baby #2

Oh hey look! I'm pregnant!
Here we go again!
So the Malkiewicz's are having another little pumpkin. Tonight I took a pregnancy test. And HELLO mister two lines. My period is pretty regular. I never go longer than 30 days before another cycle (tmi?) so today I was three days late and I just knew. Sure enough, I was right.
As of right this moment my ONLY symptom of pregnancy is constant pee'ing (tmi again?) but if you know me you know that that is common even when I'm not pregnant. And let's just pray it stays like this... No seriously pray for me because my last pregnancy was a BEAST! Everything that could possibly go wrong in a pregnancy, did.
I started off pregnancy with some serious strep throat. I was dog sick. Once that healed up it was severe morning sickness... All day long. Who ever decided to name that "morning sickness" anyways? It so doesn't just come in the morning! I literally threw up all day long for 10 months. Around week 21 my stomach started itching like a beast. I just assumed it was from it growing so I tried not to scratch because I didn't want to make stretch marks. But I could not fight the urge. At one point I just didn't care and scratched alllllll day long. Eventually they turned into little bumps and created some serious stretch marks :( but I noticed that the bumps were spreading all over my body. I wish I still had the picture on my phone so I could show you guys! It was so insane. All over my legs, arms, back of my hands, stomach and had even started up my neck! The itch was uncontrollable. You know when you get an itch and you scratch it and its like instant gratification? Yeah. This was nothing like that. I would be up crying in the middle of the night itching my skin that could not be satisfied. I went to the doctors and they could not believe what they were seeing. At one point 3 doctors were in the room just staring at me and a one hour appointment turned into an all day event. I ended up having PUPPPS. Which is basically an allergic reaction to PREGNANCY. Seriously? I've never had one allergy in my life!
So yeah, let's just hope this goes smoother.
My initial reaction? I do NOT want to do this again. Embarrassing to say but I still haven't lost the weight from my first one who is 15 months old. "/ I dread stepping on the scale at the doctors and inevitably gaining MORE weight. My second thought? Seriously? My daughter just started walking, she eats real people food, no bottle, and sleeps through the night... Why would we want to disturb this? We got a good thing going on. :)
Third thought? im a little sad that its not just gonna be me and Rae anymore. I want her to always feel loved and cared for and i would never want to make her feel like shes not the center of our attention anymore. I will have to give her my undivided attention for the next 10 months and then work extra hard to make sure she always feels important and loved. she'll be a great big sissy. Fourth thought? I believe that God has a plan and a timing for everything and although I'm still trying to get used to the fact that we're having another baby I know that this is Gods will and that he will supply all of our needs!




Good night my friends.
Until next time
GodisLove
-Laura-Ashley

A father?

Tonight as I was scrolling through good ol' Facebook I came upon a status update that really struck a nerve with me. As I am reading this girls update about how every little girl deserves a daddy to love and protect them and to call them his princess but how she had never had that, in fact her dad did the opposite, made her feel unsafe and was always commenting about her weight. My heart literally ached while reading this.

It is true. For a little girl, a daddy is crucial to how she will grow up and how she will feel about herself. Not only that but a daddy should set the tone for how any other man in her future should treat her.

I am utterly and undeservingly blessed with a dad who came home from work and played with my sister and I. Who kissed us and hugged us. Who coached our softball teams. Who even (and I found this out way later in life) delayed a house payment in order to pay for the sport that I was in that required traveling. You may say I was spoiled (and believe me I've been called that before) but my parents did everything in their power to create a life of love and stableness for my sister and myself. And I could never thank them enough.

In less than a month I will be 25 and I still don't understand why God gave me a devoted father and loving mother (I certainly did nothing to deserve it) but I'm eternally grateful that he did.

But my heart aches for all the little and even old girls/woman out there who have pathetic "dads" and working with teenagers I've heard it all. Rape, abandonment, abuse, addicts, work-a-holics... You name it I've heard the story.

To all the dads out there,

Be your kids number one fan. Besides God and your wife don't put ANYTHING or ANYONE in front of them. Even after a long day of work and all you want to do is relax... Spend TIME with them. You can never over use "I love you." When your kid talks to you, listen. Be your kids hero. And it will mold them into who they will become. In a world full of dead beat dads be the example.

To all the unfathered girls,

I'm so sorry that you got the short end of the stick. I'm sorry that you didn't have someone to protect you. I'm sorry that you never had someone say to you that you mean the world to them. I'm sorry that you never had a dad that called you his princess. Im so terrible sorry that a man who was supposed to be your hero left a void in your heart. And while I realize that nothing can ever change that, you should realize that even though your earthly father was/is a coward, you have a Heavenly Father that loves you more than even you can fathom. His love is never ending and there is NOTHING you can do to take his love away. He died for you. He is the king which makes you the princess. If you allow him he can fill the emptiness in your heart and give you a joy that you've never know before. He watches over you and protects you. Just give him a chance!

Until next time
GodisLove
-Laura-Ashley

A million things

Ever have a Million things on you're mind but have nothing to say?

That's me, tonight.

Ever just want to go away for a week or two... or three?

That's also me, tonight.

I hate the ups and downs of life. 24 years old you would think I'd be used to it. But right now, in this moment, I'm over it. Waiting for someone to call me and tell me I've won a vacation getaway... ??? Anybody?

Hmm, well that's all. Just keeping it real.

GodisLove
-Laura-Ashley

quick update

blog blog blog.

Hey guys,

So I know I don't blog as often as I should. I keep thinking I need to write more often but then the day flies by and its time for bed already! :) I am currently working on getting better at this.

Life for the Malkiewicz's is good right now. God is good, my family is incredible and my friends rock.

My sweet girl is 13 months old and beautiful as ever. She just took FOUR steps today by herself. Such an exciting time and so much fun watching her learn new things every day.

My husband is incredible and works so hard to provide for myself and my daughter. He is up and off to work before the sun even comes out and works a full day. He is my soul mate and I love him more than the day I met him, 10 years ago.

I have got to hang out with my best friend every weekend the the past four weekends! We live an hour apart so its difficult to get good quality time together! I thank God for this amazing friend of mine. It's nice to just have a friend, thats not your husband. lol. We get to have girl time and do girly things :) love her to pieces.

I still have the worlds greatest parents. Not sure what i would do without them, I will never get too old to need my mommy and daddy.

I have the best In-laws a girl can ask for. :) and most people can't say that!

My sis ( from "Life of a not so ordinary wife" blog) and bro in law are going on the disney cruise in 6 days! so jealous, my husband and I did the disney cruise for our honeymoon! Hope they have fun, they deserve a good vacay!

Life is good and all is well, I am a blessed girl!

until next time
GodisLove
-Laura-Ashley

Booty rash

Hi everybody! :)

My daughter is almost 13 months old and she has NEVER had a diaper rash. She was only sick once her whole life and never even got sick with shots.

The other day my poor sweet girl got a bad case of the runs. Not a big deal, we can manage that... However now her poor little bum is almost blistered with a rash from having diarrhea.

I had to leave her with my parents tonight to go with my husband to get some new lights for our church. When I got to my parents house my mom told me she went number 2 and ran away from her crying cause she knew she had to be changed and didn't want to because it hurt too bad. :( poor baby.

All day today she was so cuddly, all she wanted to do was lay with me and if I was doing something she just laid on the floor watching cartoons.






On the way to my parents house she cuddled her lemur and wouldn't let him go.





She's a trooper though. One tough cookie. In the midst of her pain she still tries to laugh and play. Love her to pieces.

Here's to praying she gets better soon!

Until next time
GodisLove
-Laura-Ashley

Teenagers

Today I was skimming through Facebook and I came upon a long status from a lady that I know. I almost didn't read it because I was in a hurry but I read the words youth pastors and I knew she had gone to my parents youth group. It was a long status about how she appreciated that my parents didn't lecture her or point out her flaws but instead loved her and looked her straight in the eyes and encouraged her. She went on to say that "it changed who she became"

Two things:
1. I'm so grateful to have parents who truly love people. Who see the best in everyone. I love that someone can walk in the room and while everybody might have written them off they would/do see the potential in people. I want to be like that! I want to always see the good in people.

2. It seems like a lot of adults these days sort of think that this generation is "going to hell in a hand basket" that all teenagers are up to no good and that they just can't be trusted. I'm sort of sick of it. The problem these days is not the teenagers, it's the adults who have labeled them "troublemakers." Teenagers will ALWAYS rise to the expectation you set for them. If you have a teenager, set the bar high for them. Don't say to yourself that's an unrealistic goal. If YOU believe in them they will rise to the challenge. Love on and encourage a young person. Maybe you don't have any teenagers, you'd be surprised at how many teenagers there are out there who don't have parents who care about them. Show them some love. Stop telling them everything they do WRONG and encourage them to do what's RIGHT.

Because you never know, it might not only change who they are... But who they become.

Spoken out of working with teenagers for 10+ years now. Late night thoughts.

Until next time.
GodisLove
-Laura-Ashley

ONE

Well my friends it official.... This girl.....




Is officially one!!!!

I seriously cannot believe it. All day today I told my husband what we would have been doing this time last year. Woke up: raegan was born an hour ago. At noon: we had a few visitors at the hospital. Night time: well, everyone was leaving the hospital
And it was out first night alone with her. I'm not sure if everyone did that but I did, I couldn't help it. I didn't want to put her to sleep tonight because I didn't want her birthday to end! She made it to one and now she needs to stop growing. :)

We had a fantastic party yesterday for her at the park. My family was such a huge help and I honestly don't know what I'd would do without them.

We had the party outside since its AUGUST and it's been so hot the last month. But of course the ONE day we have a party we woke up to rain and it was so windy and cold. People were wearing jackets and blankets! I couldn't believe it. I almost cried like 7 times before the party started. All of our decorations that my sis and I made wouldn't stay down and our pretty glass center pieces kept falling and shattering. It was kind of a nightmare and I kept saying "this is not how I imagined her first party going" and my dad, in all his wisdom, said "get used to it, doing things with a kid now usually never turns out how you would have imagined" but at the end of the day we were surrounded by family and friends and a whole lot of love and it turned out great!




And she went for the cake! Two hands in it and everything!




Digging in all of her presents!

One year has flown by, and she's such a blessing to our family! xoxo

Until next time
GodisLove
-Laura-Ashley