Why I have chosen to be LDS (Mormon)

Being LDS in this day and age is a hard thing. Being Christian in this day and age is a hard thing. It's sad to say but unfortunately true. I wasn't going to share a post about how I feel about being apart of the LDS church because for me it's one of the most personal and sacred things I hold dear to my heart. It's hard when something you hold so dear is misunderstood but I decided it is time for me to share why it really is so important to me.
Often times I wonder if it would be truly easier to be in a different religion. I wonder and think about it and then the thought leaves as quickly as it came because I know this is something I want for my life.
Even though it's difficult to go, I know this is the right path for me. I want to be there because I have chosen to live this lifestyle.
The reason why I live this lifestyle:

 

This is why I have chosen to be LDS. My Family. When Zack and I got married they didn't say until death do you part, they said for Time and all Eternity. That was the best day of my life. BDE best day ever!!! Now that our little Claire is less then 7 weeks away from joining our family I am even more grateful for that day because I get to have her forever too. Being LDS is hard, it's hard following a lifestyle that is so different from the majority of the world around us, it's hard but it's also amazing and wonderful.  

God loves each and every one of us, whether you are LDS or not. I know that to be true, even if you don't believe in Him, He loves you anyway. He wants you to be happy. Another great lesson that I have learned is that what is important to you is important to Him. He will help you find a way to get what is important to you because He does want you to be happy. Whatever your path is that leads you to your own happiness God will be there to support and love you because He always does. 

My family is the reason why I have chosen to be LDS because I want to be with them forever. I want this happiness to never end and I know that with the gospel it wont. For me this is the path that makes me the best version of myself and that is why I want to stay on it, even though the road ahead is going to get crazy I know that it will bring me peace and joy and love. 

More baby updates will come later, sorry I haven't posted much about the baby but she is doing great!

XO

Caitlin

Pregnancy Updates: Week 23

I can't believe we are over halfway through this pregnancy! Each day brings new surprises and a new found love for this growing family of mine. Right now I am 23 weeks! The baby is the size of a papaya and has finally reached the 1lb mark. I think that is true because at our 20 week Anatomy scan the ultrasound tech said the baby was measuring at 13 oz. So in 3 weeks the baby could easily get to 1lb. At our 20 week ultrasound we found out we are expecting a girl!!
I am so thrilled for a girl, I would have been just as excited for a boy, but I really wanted a baby girl so I am just so excited. I used this picture to announce her gender on Facebook:

It's so true, she already is the favorite of everyone and she hasn't even arrived yet! I can't wait for September to get here. At the ultrasound we got some pretty clear pictures and she is definitely 100% a girl, no questions about that! I wont post any of those pictures up, but look at this cute little profile pic, her baby nose just looks so adorable:

 I just stare at it all day. I even put it as my phone background for now because I just love it so much! 

I have felt her kick every day since week 20. I first felt her move at week 18, it was more like she was swimming around at that point. Now I feel her kick all the time, she even is kicking a little bit as I am writing this post! It's such a fun feeling and I love being reminded that there is life inside there, just growing and getting stronger with each passing day. 

I have been feeling a lot better, I do throw up on a occasion, but not every day now like it was during the first trimester. It was just really bad during that first trimester. I was sick constantly and couldn't really keep up with any housework, now I am doing much better and I am back to my regular activities. I feel like I am my old self again which is great. 

We have several names picked out but our number one name right now is Claire Rachel Holladay. Zack picked out the name Claire and I just love it. Rachel is after my sister, and my great great grandma, so that is fun. We want to have all of our kids have family names. Zack doesn't want to commit to Claire just yet, he wants to see her first to make sure that is her name. The other name we really like is Lucile Rose Holladay (yes spelled with one L).  At this point we are 99% sure her name is going to be Claire. We have planned on that from the beginning, before we even got pregnant but I guess it is a good idea to wait and see her face to make sure it actually is her name. 

I am officially wearing maternity pants now as my regular ones wont fit and I have a very clear baby bump as well. Its fun experiencing all these changes. Zack is just the cutest dad already. At night he always rubs my belly and talks to her, she kicks a lot at night but when Zack touches my belly she kind of stops kicking for a while. I have a feeling she knows who he is. We are so excited to be parents. At the beginning of the pregnancy we both picked up brand new copies of the Book of Mormon, we read through them and find insights that will help us to be better parents. It's been a fun new way to  look at the scriptures and let me tell you there is a lot of really good advice in the Book of Mormon on parenting. 

Well that's it for now

XO

Caitlin

Baby Holladay!!

I am finally getting around to blogging about our little guy! (Confession: I don't actually know if its a boy or girl yet, we make that appointment this week at our 16 week checkup. I keep calling the baby a boy though so maybe its a sign?)
How we found out:
In December Zack and I decided that we should actually really truly try to get pregnant that month. I took a bunch of ovulation calculator tests and they all said our time frame to get pregnant would be between December 6th - 10th. That was our window. We were pretty dedicated during that time. Two weeks after it was Christmas and I was supposed to start my period two days before Christmas. Christmas Eve came and went, and so did Christmas. Luckily I had all of the parties and festivities with family to keep me distracted from the fact that I hadn't started yet. Then Friday came, the day after Christmas and I just couldn't wait any longer. I didn't have any left over pregnancy tests so I ran to the store and purchased a few. I got home and took one first thing (that is a long time to hold going to the bathroom). While in the bathroom I just sat there, patiently waiting for the result. After about a minute I couldn't stand it anymore so I got out and started folding laundry (of all things to distract me). Finally after about 10 minutes I went back into the bathroom and red the test result: Pregnant! I started crying, I immediately got down on my knees and prayed, I thanked Heavenly Father for blessing me with a baby and promised I would do my absolute best to teach the child about Christ and Love and Forgiveness and everything else. I made a lot of promises in that prayer.
I showed the test to Zack and he said I knew it! He claimed I had been way too moody that week for it to say anything else. I was so excited and started taking precautions right away to prevent another miscarriage.
My doctor had prescribed me progesterone to help prevent a miscarriage. Progesterone is a hormone that your body produces until about week 12 of your pregnancy, it helps build up the Placenta and to help the baby develop. I started taking 200 MG of Progesterone once a day and called my doctor. He had me come in at week 5 to take some blood work to make sure I wasn't miscarrying again. After 3 miscarriages we were willing to do anything to make it work. I went in and had two tests done, one for my progesterone count, the other for my HCG count. I was to come back in three days. I went back and took the same 2 tests again on Friday January 9th. The doctor called me Monday January 12th and told me my HCG levels were rising normally but that my progesterone count was really low (it was 15 and its supposed be at 20). He put my on 200 MG of progesterone twice a day. I followed the instructions and went back into the doctors office week 8. I got an ultrasound done and heard the babies heartbeat! It was so strong and healthy, I was so amazed that I could hear it. I stayed on progesterone until my 12 week appointment when my doctor said the placenta was taking over now and that it had enough progesterone to keep the baby growing.
Current update:
Now we are 16 weeks! I have an appointment on Wednesday and then my next appointment will be to find out what gender we are having. Zack wants a boy, of course and I secretly want a girl. But I have this feeling its going to be a boy and I'm fine with that. Either way I truly will be happy. I have been extremely sick this entire pregnancy. During weeks 6-12 I threw up (sorry to be gross) twice a day, and was nauseous the rest of the time. Now I just throw up once a day and I am not as nauseous. I have more energy now and feel like I am getting better everyday. I don't have a bump yet, and probably wont for another 4 weeks or so.

We are so beyond thrilled to be parents. Everyday I get more and more excited. We already have a list of boy names and girl names picked out which I will share later when we announce what we are having. Although going through each one of my miscarriages was hard and not something I would wish upon anyone, I learned a lot through those times. I now know that this is the right time for us to have a baby, we can afford all the care our selves (something I always wanted to do because I am pretty independent that way), we are in a position where I can be a SAHM if I need to/want to or I can work if I need to/want to. It's great to have so much flexibility. We have a much stronger marriage and Zack and I are much better at communicating with each other now than we were even 6 months ago. Things would have been different had we gotten pregnant then. I am so grateful for everyone's advice and encouragement after I shared about my miscarriages. It really helped me to feel like I wasn't the only one experiencing that trial.

More updates to come
XO
Caitlin

Mac Makeup Haul

Hey all! So I finally got a huge order from MAC for Christmas. I don't usually get MAC products because they are so expensive but I do really like them. I just can't afford them all the time. My MAC collection has grown quite a bit and I am excited for these products that I purchased recently. This may not seem like a lot of products but trust me this cost a lot of money so less was better.

1) I finally went ahead and bought Fix+. I feel like every beauty blogger/beauty You Tuber talks about this stuff and I just never took the plunge. I always used Elf Mist and Set or another brand for a setting spray. So far I really like Fix+ and I feel like its a very versatile product.

2) I also finally splurged on MAC mineralized Skin Finish in Light Plus. This is a setting powder that I use to set my foundation and I just like the effect it gives me. It doesn't make my face look cakey and I really like the new packaging.

  
3) MAC blush in Dame. Just look at this color, I love the little flecks of silver/gold you get in the mix as well. 

4) Another MAC blush in Melba. Again a popular blush and for good reason, check out the swatch, its very pretty.

5) I bought a couple of lipsticks this time around. This is MAC Patisserie a very pretty pink.

The next lipstick is MAC syrup a very pretty mauve color which would be good for everyday wear. 

6) Last thing I bought was a quad with 4 eyeshadows. I got Nylon, Patina, Satin Taupe, and Sable.

Left to Right: Nylon, Patina, Satin Taupe, Sable

So there you have it, not many products but I am super happy with all of them, especially the blushes and I will probably wear them all month.

What are some of your favorite MAC products?
XO
Caitlin