Hannah Morrison

Sharing the News

June 8, 2017

Sharing I was pregnant with Paul was nothing romantic or exciting like I had always dreamed about doing for him when the time came. I couldn’t stand waiting to take a test when he wasn’t around after I felt convinced I had to be pregnant, so I took one while he was on the couch chilling with the door to the bathroom wide open. (#marriedlife right?) When the test said “YES”… I literally couldn’t keep it a secret or hide my shock. It was a sweet moment.. but nothing fun or creative.

SO FOR OUR PARENTS…

I had some creative redemption to do. It was Easter weekend and my parents and grandparents decided to come to Mckinney to celebrate with us at Anchor, which was so special and so perfect. We had Easter lunch and dinner at our apartment with them and my sweet mother in law who lives in Mckinney near us. I got each parent an Easter basket filled with candy and one golden egg. I had written out on card stock “we”, “are”, and “pregnant”. These mommas have been begging us to make them grandmas since the day we got back from our honeymoon (lol), and it was the greatest joy of my life to tell them they were going to be one! My daddy’s reaction makes me cry every time I watch, too. There’s just nothing like a bond between daughter and daddy, I just wanted to squeeze him as tears filled his eyes.

Then it was finally time to share with ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.

Y’all, keeping this big of a secret from that many kids… so hard! There was almost a full month I couldn’t make it to Wednesday night, because of how sick I was and we had to make up something new every week as to why I couldn’t be there… it was rough! Sunday mornings on worship team in April and May was so hard, too. I would wake up at 5 AM to try to let the sickness pass before I had to be at church at 9. I never did puke on Sunday morning up on stage, but I had an escape plan ready in my mind if I had to!

We had no clue how our students would respond to the news, honestly. Like, we knew some would be stoked, but we thought some might be a little weirded out. You just never know… So we made a video announcement a couple weeks before with Jordan Stratton, like we would for any weekly video announcement at church or a Wednesday night. We staged it as if it were going to be about some fun things coming to Anchor Students over the next year… and we totally fooled them.

Their reaction, in all seriousness, made me cry so much because it was a tangible expression of the family that has been created in Anchor Students. We never could have dreamed we would have over 100 kids feel like they’re our own before ever having an actual child of our own… but that’s 1000% what it feels like. I am so thankful beyond words for the season God brought growing a family to our hearts, because that child is going to be one loved, well-babysat, and taken care of baby.

I truly feel like the luckiest person in the world to be surrounded by such an amazing community of people in the most exciting/kinda scary/transitional time of my life. Like, genuinely, I can’t even express well how much every single person in our life means to us, and how every single time we told somebody we love, their response was beyond what we could ever imagine or expect. It is such a testament to the amazing people we have the opportunity to know and do life with, and I am humbled by their love and support.

AND I am completely humbled by YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT. Literally, I can’t say thank you enough to your overwhelming response of announcing baby Morrison. I literally was just in shock and crying pregnant tears for hours. Your DM’s, your comments, your emails… every single one was read. I had to give up responding to each of you individually, because Instagram made me. No, like really… it stopped letting me reply to people because it was too much at once. HA. But, know that I love you all so much and have read each of your comments and cried a lot.

You have extended a kindness and generosity beyond what I could have ever hoped this community on The Cake could have been, and I just truly am so humbled and so thankful.

xoxo- Han

First 3 Weeks of PG & A Summer Look

June 5, 2017

Alright y’all, I have been writing a BUNCH over the last three months, keeping logs of what I was feeling and experiencing each week- both emotionally and physically. I will be sharing those throughout the coming months, as well as current updates! I also want to promise you this: The Cake by Hannah is not and will not be solely a “mommy blog” now. If you aren’t pregnant or a current mom, this community is definitely still for you. I am not changing who I am as a blogger, just adding something new to the mix! You will still see Presley, my marriage, my shop, my closet, and my faith. There just happens to be a growing belly involved now, too. 😉

I seriously have been so blown away by all of your comments and messages. I am still trying to soak in everything that’s happened over the last week.. but I can’t seem to fully grasp it all still. Thank you so much for being part of my life, y’all! You made this experience ALREADY so much more than I could have ever expected. Paul and I feel so overwhelmingly loved, and just so humbled. Did I say “thank you” enough yet?

Okay, okay, so more about the first few weeks:

As I had mentioned in my announcement post, I found out I was pregnant two weeks in, which was definitely earlier than most. Mind you, we had been trying so we knew to take a test regardless, but it was pretty easy to know… “that time” hadn’t come yet and my dog was CLINGY AS EVER.

I had no suspicion I was pregnant at all though after I had convinced myself I was definitely pregnant the month before and turned out not to be. I was also traveling with my mom the whole first week of pregnancy, and she even joked about me being pregnant because I was nauseous a few mornings. But, I chalked it up to something I had eaten and lack of sleep, because that happens fairly often for me. Then when I finally got home, life never slowed down and I wasn’t able to think much about my symptoms I was already experiencing. I really thought they were all my normal life symptoms of being tired and doing too much. I was always starving, waking up sweating at night, having creepily vivid dreams, and my dog wouldn’t leave my side. They can smell when you’re pregnant, and a mommy instinct kicks in (real life) and Presley literally was guarding my door, following me everywhere, and laying on top of me any chance she got. I also usually want sweets but I was grabbing popcorn, chips, and stuffing my face with all the broccoli and pickles I could. I always love pickles, they’re not strictly a PG craving by any means, but I ate an entire jar in 24 hours week 2.

I started researching OB-GYNS week 3, and picked one close by. I will share all about what I have decided to do for labor and my pregnancy journey soon. (which I am sure will make someone care enough to post about me on Reddit and say I am stupid… 😉 If you don’t follow my Instastories… don’t worry about it, haha.) So anyways, I decided to switch doctors because my doctor was in south Dallas, but with the nature of pregnancy and visits being far more frequent, I decided to find someone in my town.

First Few Weeks of Symptoms

Irritability… out the roof y’all. OUT.THE.ROOF. I think I will start the hashtag #GodBlessPaulMorrison

Just kidding. But no, really.

Emotions… OUT THE ROOF. Crying, yes, and angry as heck at everything.

B L O A T E D and C R A M P S. We are talking like, “Whoa, I know that can’t be my PG belly yet. But my WORD.” While your body is transitioning and the uterus is doing its thing, you are uber bloated and cramping as if you are on your cycle (it’s like a pinching sensation- nothing crazy or super painful, but you can feel it for sure).

PEEING. ALL THE TIME. Week 3 we were at a conference one day with church staff, and I literally had to get up every thirty minutes. I was definitely drinking water, but I was like “What the heck is happening?!” So, of course, I googled if this was normal. It is. In fact, week three your embryo is finishing attaching to your uterus, and that is what causes you to pee a lot.

Who knew.

HOT. I am very cold natured all the time. But, I started to sweat a lot and get really hot. The day after we found out I was pregnant, I was leading worship with our students for Student Sunday. We were jumping around 20 x’s more than a usual Sunday service, and I was about to pass out. I was so out of breath and seriously dripping sweat. My hair underneath looked like it does after a cycling class. I had to keep ducking down, sitting on my heels any chance I got during rehearsal, and I wanted so badly to be like, “I AM PREGNANT, Y’ALL. Don’t mind me.” I also snapped at our friend and guitar player, and I was like OMG, Hannah… get it together.

I immediately started reading mommy blogger’s posts about pregnancy, their favorite products, etc. and started to get incredibly excited. (Thank you Katey Mcfarlan!) We started planning how we would tell our parents early on, and decided to tell them fairly early because my parents were going to be here along with Paul’s mom at Easter. That would put us right around 5 1/2 weeks.

Weeks 1-3 were just like being on your period, for the most part as far as symptoms go. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but enough to know to take a test if you really pay attention!

Okay, cool, but what about this outfit?

This dress is from Pink Blush, and I absolutely love it!!! It’s the perfect summer dress, and I totally have been wearing it before baby bump. Although… I don’t think that will be much longer! I can see a bump starting and I am so freaking excited. Pink Blush has maternity clothes as well as cute clothes for the non-pregger lady. 😉

You can shop my sandals and make-up below through the links! This heeled sandal I have on is my go-to through spring and summer. My super fun aviators are from Diff Eyewear, here.

xoxo- Han

All photos by Cottonwood Road Photography for The Cake by Hannah

We are…

June 1, 2017

P R E G N A N T

Y’all.

It’s real life.

We are having a baby.

I literally cannot believe that I am saying that. It’s been so hard to keep it a secret from all of our friends for so long, and from you! Yes, my three weeks of being sick back in April… and I just couldn’t quite shake it… pregnant. Weeks 6-9 to be exact, haha. But now, no more living in secrecy!! We found out week 2… soooo I have kept this quiet for almost three months. (!!!!) And on Saturday I officially start my second trimester. PRAISES. I can’t wait to journey through the next 6 months with you.

The Story

Back in December, long story short, I knew I was definitely not pregnant when it was “that time”, and for some reason I was disappointed. I had never ever toyed with the idea of trying since getting married, and I have never even been that kind of girl that gawks over babies and loves little kids. (Does that make me sound horrible?) My friends always joked that I would be the first person to get pregnant just because fate would have it that way for someone who swore she never wanted kids for the longest time.

When Paul and I got married, I knew he wanted babies and that I was not so sure about it. He never pushed or pressured me one way or the other, though. Other than knowing he wanted kids, we never talked about it. He was happy with whatever made me happy. Adoption was always appealing to me, and it very much still is, but the idea of having babies -like the actual delivery process- horrified me. And, I feared having kids that could hate me. (Just being honest.) With all my health stuff, too, I was told it could be really hard to have babies and it could harm me. Babies just weren’t anywhere on my radar.

So then, when December came around and I was experiencing these thoughts of wanting babies, I starting wrestling with that thought and praying through it. Two months later, I still hadn’t been able to shake the thought which is when I reached out to my besties (because, duh) and I decided to bring it up to Paul. We went out for our anniversary dinner at Whiskey Cake, but we started to fight (derp) because Paul left his wallet at home and we almost left. We stayed though, and were waiting outside for our table trying to shake off our little “quarrel” in the parking lot… haha. I knew I wanted to tell Paul tonight, but wanted to wait until we got to our table and the night already didn’t quite start like I had hoped.

We sat down for dinner, and I puked out the words no man wants to hear, “I have something I want to talk to you about.” Of course, Paul thought immediately he was in trouble about something. And I just started talking about December, how I have been wrestling with the thought ever since.. and now this.

Paul replied with a grin and the words “I have been waiting for you to tell me when you were ready.” Paul had been praying for the Lord to change my heart toward having a baby for months, and He slowly was.

The Power of Community

The biggest influence on my change of heart toward babies was 100% our church community. One of my biggest fears has been if we have kids we would just fall into the trap that our lives become our kids and my marriage is secondary. I don’t want that- I am selfish for my husband and I want to be best friends forever. Mushy? Yes. True? Yes. Having friends our age and doing life with amazing parents our age, and seeing couples with young kids who still choose each other over their kids, and very intentionally do so, has completely changed my fears and view of having babies. I could do this- and the idea became warm to me for the first time in my ENTIRE life.

So we started trying, and by God’s grace the process was freaking fast. Truly God’s grace, because we were told I could have a hard time conceiving with some of my health stuff. I had truly convinced myself I was pregnant the first month, but found out I wasn’t. So the second month when I actually did conceive, I had no clue. I wasn’t letting myself go there, I was traveling for 3 weeks, and truly chalked up every slight symptom I had to travel, sleeplessness, and multiple time changes. We had just sprung forward and then I was in Arizona for a week, which was 2 hours more off my normal schedule. It was a mess!

Symptoms/How did I find out

Okay, so, when everything came together for me and I decided I should take a test, I was laying on the floor trying to workout and the dog would NOT LEAVE ME ALONE. Suddenly, I remembered reading something about how dogs often will know you are pregnant before you do. They become super motherly, clingy, and bark at everything. For a few days, Presley was more clingy than ever and was literally guarding doors and growling at any noise she heard. She legit would lay by the door and growl at nothing as if to warn anybody she was ready for them if they did decide to intrude. I had also been so freaking hungry for a couple of days, too, y’all. Pickles are not strictly a pregnancy craving by any means, I eat them all the time. BUT, I went through an entire jar of pick halves in less than 24 hours, and started on the Bread and Butter pickles. I was eating broccoli by the loads to try to fill my hunger without regretting it.

I popped up and told Paul, “okay, that’s it. I am going to get a PG test. I just gotta know.” He was like, “Wait- you think you might be? You haven’t had any symptoms have you?” Everything was coming together in my head finally, and I realized maybe all of this wasn’t just because I had been traveling and was off my routine…

I went to Target down the road, and I was so uncomfortable buying a PG test, that I walked around the whole store and managed to pick up two pink bath towels that were on sale for $5. Then I grabbed a test, stuffed it between the towels, and went to self check-out. I know.. so stupid. I don’t know why I am so awk.

Anyways, you can put the rest together. It was positive and here we are a couple days away from our second trimester. I cannot believe how fast things have gone, and I am just getting more excited by the second. This morning was our 12 week exam, and baby Morrison is healthy and heart beating strong! It still takes my breath away every time I hear it, and it’s such a reassurance. As my first trimester symptoms have died down so much the last week or so, I started to think maybe I wasn’t pregnant anymore. The anxiety before my 12 week exam was REAL.

I have logged everything the last few months to share with you guys throughout my pregnancy, and I vow to be real and honest about everything I am experiencing while also being super clear that everybody’s body is different and every pregnancy is completely different!

The main surprise for me so far? How much weight I have LOST (despite my eating of 7, yes SEVEN, chocolate chip pancakes yesterday… errrr…). Every woman is different, but I have definitely lost weight and wasn’t expecting that. I am just ready for that little bump!

xoxo- Han

Now, about this sunrise photoshoot with Cottonwood Road Photography… holy moly. I literally cried during the shoot and totally cried when I got these back. I am so thankful for this images, they seriously capture our joy so beautifully. Thank you so much, Hannah Hagaman!

Dress C/O Fillyboo

Eyebrows and Tinting C/O Southern Chic Wax

3 Tips to Make Reading Your Bible Easier

May 16, 2017

We have surely asked it a few times ourself, and heard it plenty,”How do I read my Bible?”

Y’all, I feel clueless more often than I would like to admit when it comes to navigating my Bible, and I have been a Christian literally for as long as I can remember. Plus… I am a pastor’s wife… aren’t I supposed to have it all together and be that person who always has it together and wants nothing more in life than to read the Bible? (haha) Y’all… believe it or not, nobody is always like that, and I will be the first to say that ain’t me. Sure, I wish… but no.

Rest easy, feel normal, and let’s dive into this together.

Let’s face it. The book is pretty dang big, it covers thousands of years of information, and it’s super important but also slightly intimidating. Can I get an amen?

I wanted to share a few tips today to help you as you sit down to read your Bible for quiet time, whenever that is for you! I am not here to say “You must be up at 5 AM reading your Bible before work.. or else you fail at life”, because though I think there is benefit to starting your day off like that (not particularly the 5 AM part), I know that for so many, quiet time is simply whatever part of the day they get to sit and be still. That can be lunch, after work, before bed…whatever works for you, do it.

I have been through a roller coaster of seasons over the years in regards to reading my Bible. Seasons where I cannot do anything until I read my Bible to seasons where I can go days without a single scripture and not care. *gasp* As you can imagine, though, the latter seasons lead to incredibly dry and thirsty ones. Our souls are meant to receive scripture like food, and when it is lacking our soul responds accordingly. We are “hangry” if you will, and it shows in the way we speak to our spouse, our energy we have to pour into others, our work ethic, our self-talk (those conversations you have with yourself about others and yourself, which can be a dangerous space)… it effects everything is what I am getting at. I am here today to encourage you in your journey, wherever you’re at, to say you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be at right this moment. And, in 3 months, you’re going to likely be at a completely different spot and that’s PERFECT. I pray you’re always seeking, growing, changing, and learning.

So how have I learned to easily navigate my Bible and incorporate it into my routine? Glad you asked. 😉

Kiss Intimidation Goodbye

This is the first key step. Opening your Bible will neither instantly make you feel on top of the world nor will you be instantly condemned and smited for flipping back the pages. All are welcome- remember that. Just give it a little look-see, I promise it won’t hurt. But in all seriousness y’all, the intimidation factor of reading the Bible varies with every person. Perhaps you fear guilt, shame, not being able to understand what it’s saying, the size… we can come up with all kinds of reasons that can make us fear reading it. Do I just start in Genesis and read through to Revelation? You can! It can feel overwhelming, filled with so much rich history and life giving messages to grasp, but bottom line, it’s not scary. Once you’ve made your mind up that the Bible is a story you get to read and be part of, it changes the way you view it. It’s not rules, it’s not guidelines to live by or just a story about a man that is good inspiration to live by that we can never live up to. In fact, that’s actually THE WHOLE POINT. We cannot live up to perfection, but Jesus can and did, and we get to be encouraged by that truth every time we open our bible. The entire book from start to finish is the foretelling of his coming (we are talking THOUSANDS of years before he EVER came), to his life on Earth, to his and resurrection, then the effect his followers had on the entire world after he left, and his return.

It’s a living and breathing story that hasn’t ended, and we are invited in to play. But, it certainly isn’t scary.

Find A Plan or Study

The best thing you can do for your quiet time is have a little structure. Find a good plan that you can follow or a devotional to go through. I am currently doing the She Reads Truth 365 day plan. I LOVE IT. I have never actually read the entire Bible on a plan before, and I am so excited to do it. I am a history junkie, and my greatest affirmation to faith is seeing the timeline of history pre and post Jesus. You cannot deny this guy lived and did what prophets thousands of years before said he would do. Everything recorded pointed to Jesus’ coming, death, and resurrection. This study with She Reads Truth gives me two Old Testament chapters and then a New Testament reading alongside it. This means I am reading the earliest years of mankind, which I find fascinating, followed by the fulfillment of the prophecies I just read. It’s an app on my phone, and I read in the morning right when I wake up right on my phone! Then, when I complete the reading for the day I check off that day and it shows me what percentage I have completed of the entire plan. I am currently 3% through it… haha.

Last year I read Shauna Niequist’s Savor, and then would read She Reads Truth daily entry. They go through studies they’ve written and have guest writers do entries every single day. It’s great!

Shauna Niequist also just released a bible study for her book, Present Over Perfect (which was AMAZING), and you can find it here.

Prayer and Meditation

Prayer life is the best life. That’s so cheesy and sounds like it should be on a tee shirt in a Lifeway Store… but it’s so true. When you live a life that is consumed by continuous conversation with God, you do things a little differently. I find myself saying “Help me Jesus” without even thinking all the time, but it’s my way of recognizing throughout my day I cannot do this on my own. Likewise, when you sit down to read, pray before. Be silent before diving in. There is something in store for you, and quieting your mind is essential to hearing and seeing what it is. Prayer and meditation before and after gives your mind time to wind down and focus before just “checking off” your to-do list, and it allows you time to soak in what you just read.

Hopefully this helps you out a little in navigating your Bible. Seriously, read Shauna’s books. Cold Tangerines is another great one that’s perfect for the summer! I read it poolside this time last year, and it’s so good.

Love you guys! We are chomping at the bit to share a project/crazy story we have been working on since… last July. Soon enough we will share the whole thing. There will be new items coming to The Cake Shop soon, too, but don’t miss out on the current pieces. They’re my favorite, and I literally wear one of them on the daily. I am currently sitting in my Gilmore Time Tee and I rocked my Red Velvet Tee yesterday. They’re perfect for casual summer days with denim cutoffs! Don’t miss out!

xoxo- Han

5 Tips To Living A Happy & Full Life

May 12, 2017

Let’s face it, we are human and have crappy days. Maybe even months, weeks… or even your year…

We go to sleep to Friends every night, so it was bound to show up in here somewhere.

Hey, they’re going to happen! But, in general I would say we could agree that we all want to lead happy lives. Right? We want to feel fulfilled at the end of every single day, wouldn’t you agree? A couple years ago, I set out on a mission to stop saying “I’m tired” every time someone asked me how I was. It was like without thinking, those words were always what came out and I was so sick and tired of being sick and tired. My journey to fullness started with narrowing down a schedule and routine that was right for me. Being intentional with my friendships, investments, and time has also been key to coming home full every day, as opposed to my tank always on empty.

Today I am sharing with you 5 things I do that creates a positive environment in my day to day life.

1. Early Riser and Slow Mornings

I am that person who loves her routine, and follows it by the book. If I have to be somewhere at 7, I will be up at 5 AM to be able to slowly start my day and do the things that I know will start my day out right. This means breakfast, reading, sitting with my dog and a cup of coffee, watching a bit of the news, and writing out my whole day (hour by hour) in my planner. On the very rare occasion that I do not get to do these things before running out the door, I end up frazzled and feel like a chicken with her head cut off the whole day. Starting slow and feeling on top of things for the day will keep you ahead of the game throughout your work day and everything you have to accomplish.

2. Healthy Choices

I am not saying to not eat the sweets every now and then. Listen, I have the world’s biggest sweet tooth and I will be the first to say I eat something sweet just about daily. But, what you choose to eat for your substantial meals truly will effect the rest of your life. Believe it or not, your gut determines the overall health of your body. I am a walking testimony to how a change of diet will completely change everything. When I found out what foods were not good for my body, what I didn’t respond well to and what I was allergic to, my energy levels shot out the roof, my attention span grew, and I was accomplishing more in my days and yawning a lot less. Not only does your body feel better and more capable of hard work, but you just feel better about yourself when you make smart choices. Pick that juice or smoothie rather than the afternoon cup of coffee. Go for the healthy protein instead of a burger from the local joint. I am all about healthy balance, so say yes to things now and again, but on your daily choices- go for the greens and whole foods. It really will make a huge difference.

3. It’s OK To Say No

I lived my life for way too long feeling obligated to say “yes” to everything. This led me to a very busy yet empty life. I was always tired, always frazzled, and always spread too thin. The best advice I was ever given was to say “no”. It’s a GOOD THING to say no to people, because ultimately when all you do is say “yes”, you will absolutely let people down. Either your work will be subpar or your ability to counsel or be fully present will be next to nothing. You don’t have to be at everything you’re invited to. GASP. Know who your core people are, this group should be smaller than you probably think. Your core group of people should be no more than 3-5. They are who you do life with, share everything with, and who positively influence you. By knowing your core people, you can easily filter your yeses and nos. If you have time for something on a slower week with people outside your core, do it! But stop fulfilling “obligations”. It will be the death of you.

4. Exercise

I know, I know. If you aren’t someone who likes to work out, you just made a face and are skimming over this one. BUT DON’T. Y’all, when I graduated college and was no longer part of a dance team to keep me in shape, I had a major fitness identity crisis. I gave up for a while and I was miserable. Now, no matter what my day looks like, I get in some kind of physical activity. It boosts my overall morale, energy levels, and I even think of my best new ideas often while working out. Taking time to take care of yourself for 30 minutes to an hour a day is so important. Like the food you’re consuming, your physical activity directly correlates with your work abilities, ethic, focus, and overall happiness. As Elle from Legally Blonde would say…

“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.”

And all our husbands said “amen.”

5. Turn Off Your Phone

This one is the hardest for me, but so important. No matter what your job is, be it a blogger who is always on social media, a teacher, an accountant… whatever you do- we all are on our phones and computers all day long. When you get home from work, or when it’s time to “clock out” if you work from home like me, do everything you can to shut off that part of your life until the next day. Paul and I both have to remind one another to unplug, and it’s so imperative for our relationship that we do. The longer we work and stare at our phones, the greater our disconnect to one another and the people we love. This is what will leave you emptier than anything else. We were made for relationships, not a phone screen. Be present and fight for your relationships daily. This means hanging up. DO NOT have your phone out on the table during dinner dates with your significant other or with friends. Fight for your relationships and hang up when it’s time to unplug.

I hope these tips help you start a journey of choosing happy & full over empty and tired. At the end of the day, if what you are doing with your life every single day isn’t using your talents and bringing joy, find something that DOES. Your life will change significantly when you step out in faith to pursue your dreams and create a life that you want.

Love this romper I have on? ME TOO. I am so obsessed with it and have worn it to a couple fun events already since getting it. You can nab your own here from Tobi!

xoxo- Han