Hannah Morrison

Knox’s 8 Month Update

Wow, you guys. Eight months. It has been eight months since Knox Chandler made his [very dramatic] entrance into the world! I honestly can’t believe it. I sorta… ok definitely… started planning Knox’s 1st birthday already. I am just so excited! God gave me a baby at Christmas, and I live for Christmas. It was only a matter of time before I got the itch to start planning.

IN SHORT: I LOVED MONTH SEVEN!

I feel like Knox is more of an actual little boy every single day. It makes me ache a little, but I also am obsessed with the boy he is growing into. I think I say this every update… But he really is the happiest baby on the planet. He is always smiling, always laughing, and always playing. He is incredibly independent, and loves to hang out in his nursery and study his toys. For real, he studies them. He checks out the back of them to see how they work, and he loves anything musical. I am calling it- he will be a singer or musician.

It’s such a rare occasion that he’s grumpy, and it’s usually because he is tired/hungry/or teething.

Ugh, teething. THE FREAKING WORST.

Month seven really was all about standing in our Joovy, learning to walk alongside things like the couch or table, and eating more solid foods. This kid is fast, and can absolutely get anywhere he wants to be in the house. I am having to close doors constantly, and am on Amazon searching for all the “baby proofing” items. He likes to pull away from the couch or if he is holding our hand to try to stand by himself. He can hold a sturdy stand for a couple seconds before he plops over. I think by my 10 month update, we will absolutely have a walker on our hands.

We are a hit or miss still if we feel like eating “big boy food”, but when we are feeling it, we love provolone and cheddar cheese, and raspberries! I still give Knox a bottle for every feeding every 3 hours, but am offering food on his chair with it. He usually drinks the whole bottle and then plays with his food, occasionally putting something in his mouth, but it’s progress!

Knox is taking 2 solid 2 hour naps in the morning and afternoon still. PRAISE DA LAWD. Those are my hustle hours I get to work. He goes down at 7 PM and sleeps through the night usually until 7 AM. Month seven, we had about a week of him consistently waking up a couple times throughout the night due to teething. For about two and a half weeks, Knox had flu-like symptoms from teething. It was awful and I just wanted to hold him all day. He still hasn’t even fully cut his first tooth, so I am bracing myself for what is to come. He has had a clogged tear duct in one eye since birth, and it hasn’t completely fixed itself yet. So when he gets sick, that eye is significantly worse and the issues are heightened. His poor eye got so bad, I literally would have to use a warm washcloth for his eye to open in the mornings. It was awful. But Boogie Wipes are THE BOMB. Before I got them, his eye and under his nose was chapped from the wipes I was using. These Boogie Wipes, though, are so gentle and made for wiping boogies away specifically. It made a massive difference for us!

As Knox is becoming more and more a boy, not just a baby, I find myself praying even more for who he will be. I see his personality shine more every single day. I love him so much. Gosh, it makes my tummy ache. Like actually hurt a little from how much I love him. I was reading Ephesians 6 a couple weeks ago, and it hit me differently than it has before. I have read through the armor of God plenty of times, but this time verse 10 stuck out to me. “Be strong in the Lord in HIS mighty power.” As I raise a young man in today’s world, I pray I raise a strong, bold, courageous boy who knows all his strength is from and through the power of God. I pray humility to recognize where his strength comes from. I want my kid to know he is strong and can do anything he puts his mind to, but above all else that he is capable through Christ who gives him strength. I love the picture Ephesians 6 gives me of raising up a child. I will equip him with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fit and ready to spread the good news, a shield of faith to deflect the schemes of the enemy, a helmet of salvation, and the sword of truth. I imagine my son gearing up every day for battle as he grows older, knowing he was placed on this planet with purpose. I pray he knows that from as early as possible. He has purpose, he is loved, and he gets to play part in the most amazing love story and epic battle against evil that will ever be written.

Moms and dads, you’re doing incredible. I pray you feel confident in your role more than ever before. You get to raise a kid to be kind, loving, strong, courageous, and bold. Take that role on with such ferocity.

xoxo, Han

Top Fave Protein Bars RANKED

Hey, girl, heyyyy! So I don’t know about you, but finding snacks that keep me full during the day is a tough task. I want filling things that are easy to grab, because, well, I am chasing a baby around. And, I also have diet restrictions as well as simply wanting to keep to a healthy lifestyle. UGH. So many check boxes to mark. If it were without consequence, I would 1000% go for the hot, fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookie all day erryday. I am a cookie monster, y’all. The Sprinkles Gluten Free chocolate chip cookie is possibly the best thing on the planet… for real.

But, since I can’t eat a chocolate chip cookie the size of my face every day, I set out on a mission to find THE BEST protein bars for post-workout that actually taste good and satisfy my killer sweet tooth. There have been plenty of terrible ones, but today I am sharing my favorite bars that range from OK to HOLY CRAP that’s amazing.

  1. ONE Protein Bars: My absolute, #1 TOP CHOICE. Like, holy smokes you guys. These things don’t taste like they’re supposed to be healthy. I don’t know how the heck it’s only 1g of sugar… but dang. It’s not chalky at all, and the flavors for these are the only bar that actually tastes like the flavor it says it is IMO. The birthday cake one… wowzah. Actually feels like eating a vanilla cupcake with sprinkles.
  2. Orgain Bars: These are arguably *maybe* as good as ONE, but not as filling and there aren’t as many flavor options. They are smaller and are less calories than most protein bars, but also less filling. They are great with a cup of coffee, though! I dip that chocolate chip cookie one in a piping hot cup of java for my afternoon pick me up, and it’s very tasty!
  3. Quest Bars: These are great, and it actually is the first protein bar I ever got into while working at a Pure Barre studio. These bars can be a hit or miss on texture though. Sometimes, I get one that is perfectly chewy while other times I have had ones that hurt my jaw from having to chew so much. I also once had a very firm one that I couldn’t even bite into. However, if you can heat these up for about 20 seconds… it tastes amazing. The S’mores one is the BEST. As for the Quest Cookies… WOW WOW WOW. SO GOOD.
  4. Vega Bars: I tried one of these at my gym, because they sold them at the shop and I was starving. I enjoyed it, and the size was what caught my eye! It was really big, but not too crazy in calories (290). However, though it was tasty, I would say it has a chalky after bite. I liked it enough to finish, and I would buy one again if I was in a bind and needed to eat something. This one would be a great meal replacement bar if you’re on the run and need calories.
  5. RX Bars: Listen, this one is my least favorite, but I would eat it if I needed to. Paul loves these. I hate the texture. Do NOT eat one of these on the way to anything. They will be in your teeth for the next hour. The Chocolate Sea Salt one is tasty. But there’s just no getting around the texture and how it sticks in your teeth.

As for my workouts these days, I have been loving the gym more and more! Ladies, if it’s intimidating to you to go to the gym, just get over the initial awkward hump. I feel more confident every single time. And, I am seeing results. I love doing a sweat sesh on the ellyptical or stair stepper, and then I go do some machines and ab workout of sorts. I have created a highlight on the top of my Instagram where I will be keeping my workouts I share in my stories. See my ab workout from this week below!

 

 

Scripture To Cultivate a Thankful Heart

 

Happy Tuesday, my friends! If you got my Sweet Thoughts devo this morning, then you know last week was an unwelcome series of events… to put it kindly. Big picture, beyond just this past week, this season of life has been one that more than ever I have needed to go to worship in trial to combat my tendency of freaking the flip out. I can quickly dig myself into the pits of “woe is me.” Anybody else dramatic and tend to think the whole world is against them? Just me? 😉 I will share more on this season in due time.

Did you know that Satan absolutely, 10000% has to flee at Jesus’ name? It’s true! The Bible says so! James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” The way to resist the devil and his schemes is to run to Jesus and worship. If all of us began to worship when trials came rather than getting angry at our husbands or friends, or numbing ourselves with whatever it is that takes your mind off the present… my goodness. Things would look a lot different for us when we started to freak out, and I think our relationships would look a whole lot different, too.

Yesterday, I was on my way back from the gym. It was a good day, and I felt pretty freaking awesome. Hilarious how some days I feel like the world’s greatest mom while others I feel like my head is chopped off and I am the biggest failure EVER. But yesterday, dang I was nailing it. I had a great quiet time that morning, Knox napped right on schedule, I got in my workout & I was right on schedule for the day I mapped out in my planner, and Knox was feeling better after being sick for a few days. Things were going GREAT. Ugh, and then my Jeep started to overheat. I seriously was about ready to SCREAM. I was like, “Uhhh God, you’re kidding right? Like, on top of last week’s series of events… this is going to be added to the list?” I freaked for about 10 seconds, and then I COMMANDED my car to not overheat. I told it, in Jesus’ name, that this was not going to mess today up and we were NOT going to have a car that needed fixing. And, well would you believe it, the radiator gauge went back well under the halfway point. I commanded it twice, and then prayed for all green lights so that I wouldn’t have to stop (which is what would cause the car to heat). From that second on I. hit every. single. green. light. EVERY SINGLE ONE. It caused me to fall into worship. As silly as commanding my car to not overheat may sound, for me it was a reminder God cares that I feel overwhelmed. It was a reminder that if we have the faith as small as a mustard seed, then when we command the mountains to move they WILL. Praise God, right?

I was reminded yesterday that the greatest weapon we have against the enemy is WORSHIP. I am not saying that my car overheating was an act of satan. Who knows, maybe it was. But, he IS definitely lurking around to manipulate my response to crappy situations. He wants us to be angry rather than worship in times we feel overwhelmed. He wants YOU to be angry at God and run to your vices when things aren’t going as planned. Yet when I commanded my car to cool off, satan couldn’t stick around. My heart was bursting with joy that God is that present, and he had to flee. I kept singing, “I’ve seen you move, you moved the mountains. I believe I’ll see you do it again.” See, this tiny glimpse into how much God cares for me with my car reminded me that he is 10000% in the bigger things that I feel swallowed by right now. If I can see him move my radiator gauge TWICE and give me green lights, then certainly he is in the other things I keep laying down in prayer at his feet.

Gratitude in times of trial, thankfulness in moments we feel we are lacking. That, friends, is what we are created for. When we recognize the Lord is in every corner of everything we face, we can’t help but worship him. For all he has done and all that he is yet to do. A few months ago, I felt I was in a season I was called to just truly be audibly grateful. Of course, we are called to be thankful in every season, but this one particularly I felt I was supposed to say aloud what I was thankful for daily. So I would wake up every day and say, “Thank you God for this home, for my dog, for my healthy baby boy, and my husband.” I now have carried that act of obedience with me into a new season. It’s so basic. Those are four things I prayed hard for, and God responded faithfully to. As basic as this act of gratitude has been, it’s  no doubt been shaping me for this new season where I have had what feels like daggers being thrown at me left and right. But because last season prepared me for this one, my freak outs are shorter and my perspective is more narrowed in on what matters. Things are chaotic, again I will get into that in due time, but my foundation is firm. Gratitude leads me to worship, and in worship the enemy has not even a pinkie toe in my path. He can’t.

Here are scripture for YOU to cultivate a heart of thankfulness. In Christ you lack no good thing, my friend. Believe it and walk forward in that truth. 

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14

“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure. Because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:9

“For God does not change his mind about whom he chooses and blesses.” Romans 11:29

“Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm.” Colossians 3:2

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” 1 Timothy 4:4-5

“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:15

“I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” Psalm 95: 2-3

My whole outfit is from Landry Kate! This mini skirt is my favorite item in my closet right now. Actually, all three of these items (shoes, top, skirt) are my current faves. They’re all perfect for transitioning to fall! I have been wearing them since early July, and they will go clear into winter. I love me some versatile pieces.

My skirt: here | My Shoes: here |

My top is sold out right now (y’all nabbed it fast from my stories!!), but here is another flutter sleeve top I am obsessed with at the store!

My make-up is linked below! LISTEN, you CAN WEAR red lipstick. Wear it proud. I was at my lady doctor last week (LOL), and she wanted to see photos of Knox so I showed her a couple of these. Her response was, “RED LIPS! I wish I was able to wear a red lip.” And I said, “YOU CAN!!!” Be bold, rock a color on your lips. Once you do, you’ll never go back. 😉

All photos by my girl Cottonwood Road Photography 

Baby Jogger City Luxe vs City Mini

Hey friends! I am so excited about today’s post, because I feel it can really help you moms and mommies to be with the massive decision of which stroller to invest in. First of all, I am 1000% Baby Jogger all the way. So, I am comparing two strollers BY Baby Jogger. I test drove and read reviews for every single brand of stroller there is on the market. Baby Jogger continuously hit the mark and had the best reviews all in all. I felt so confident with our *HEFTY* purchase, and I don’t regret it one bit. Zero buyer’s remorse over here, folks!

Today’s comparison is between the City Luxe, which is what I have, and the smaller City Mini. A lot of it will come down to price and your personal lifestyle. I have a bestie who went with the Mini, so next to my own experiences with the City Mini as I was testing strollers, the pros and cons list for that one will heavily come from her personal use and opinions. (Thanks Mikayla! xoxoxo)

The City Luxe

This is the stroller I have! It feels sort of like the G Wagon of strollers. I mean, seriously. The price shows it, but it was worth every penny IMO. Why did I go with it?

Firstly, the size. Though this is a con in the same degree (I will get to that later), the catch all below is amazing. In fact, while choosing my stroller I considered grocery shopping. This is a main reason I went with this one! I don’t have to take the carseat in and put it in the cart. Instead, I actually just go grocery shopping and put my groceries in the catch all below. It made shopping with Knox one less step of carrying in the car seat and getting him situated in a cart that now has zero space for me to put groceries in. Now that Knox is big enough to sit in the actual seat (we no longer attach the car seat to the adaptors on top of the frame), it is SO EASY to go anywhere and do any shopping.

The add-ons: The City Luxe is THE stroller to have if you plan to have any more kids. We are future thinkers, and this fit the bill. The City Luxe has the ability to add on seats, benches, and bassinets. Meaning, When Knox is, say, 3… and I have a newborn… (hypothetically speaking haha!), then I don’t have to buy a new stroller. Rather, I simply add a bassinet to the frame and the seat attaches at the front. It’s AMAZING. So, though we spent $600+ on this stroller, we will only have to buy an add-on seat down the road. More now, less later was our mindset.

The Durability: I am really impressed with how sturdy this carseat and stroller are. We have travelled with it on road trips multiple times now, and it went to Georgia with us by plane. I am very impressed! The warranty is also fantastic.

CONS

Clearly the pros of this stroller outweighed the cons, but there are a few worth mentioning. It IS big. This works great for us, because we live in a home and don’t need to worry about being in tighter places. However, when I have been shopping at the mall with Knox or tried to navigate more narrow spaces, it’s been near impossible. But, since majority of shopping that I do is Target or wide aisles at the grocery store, it really hasn’t been horrible for me.

You have to buy any extra necessities. Ex: cup holders for the handle bars, a tray for the front when baby sits up and can eat, etc. These are all extra. They are cheaper than I expected ($20 on average for things, give or take), but when adding that to your $600 stroller/seat + $300 carseat… every little things adds up.

It’s heavy. My mom mentions it every time she pulls it out of the car, and she says she needs to buy herself a “grandma stroller.” It is no doubt heavier, but even still, it’s very easy to fold up and steer. It’s light as a feather once you’re maneuvering it.

The City Mini

This one is petite and sweet. And, hundreds less than the City Luxe. This one is no doubt a better option for people who live in the city or apartments, and have only one kid. It takes up way less space in your closet, and it is significantly more narrow for elevators, tight squeezes, mall shopping, etc. It doesn’t have the ability to add on future babies, though. If I had the money, I would have bought both the Luxe and Mini to be honest. I would love to have the mini on hand for when I am going places I know I will want to be able to maneuver in and out of spaces easier. It’d be easier to travel with, too. But, again, it doesn’t have the capabilities the City Luxe does. But, come on, that cognac brown leather on the Anniversary Edition makes me drool.

It is GREAT for running with baby, because it’s a great cross between a jogger and a true stroller with the sleek narrow build & three wheels. Mikayla says “It’s so freaking functional!” It easily weaves in and out of stuff, and is sturdy on gravel because of the wheels. It’s very easy to fold and pack!

CONS

Can’t be added onto, and -like the Luxe- doesn’t come with add-ons like cupholders for mom or trays for baby.

Mikayla ended up buying a different carseat brand, because she felt it actually worked better with the stroller than the actual Baby Jogger CityGo. I didn’t have this experience with City Luxe, but it’s definitely worth looking into if you are going with the Mini!

All in all, if you want a Baby Jogger, either of these are honestly amazing options. It truly depends on you. We are two very happy first time mamas with the perfect Baby Jogger stroller for each of our personal lifestyles. The Luxe made sense for Paul and me with our neighborhood and home. I also am not a runner! I didn’t need that piece of the puzzle for my stroller choice like Mikayla did. She lives in the city and in an apartment, so the mini was perfect for her! The Mini is so cute, and IMO a little more sleek looking, too! So, again, it’s all down to preference or if you want to think ahead for more babies.

Below I have both strollers linked, the CityGo carseat, the CityGo Adaptors needed for the carseat to the frame until baby can sit up in the stroller (around 5-6 months), the adaptors for a second seat, and a couple add ons I have or will get (with a second baby- which isn’t anywhere near happening FYI lol).

My Favorite Personality Tests

 

Okay, listen, personality tests were never even on my radar until I went to college where they were a huge deal. You had take the Myer’s Briggs as a freshman, and it helped place you in jobs on campus. I wasn’t so sure about the whole personality test thing, but now it’s a go-to conversation starter. I am obsessed with them. They are not only fun for yourself and discovering how and why you work the way you do, but it helps you understand friends and family better!

This week alone I have said “Oh no, my developer is coming out!” at least 3 times. (That’s one of my Strengths Finders characteristics. 😉

I cannot suggest enough taking one of these (or all!). It really is in a lot of ways like a mini counseling session the first time you take them, because it helps uncover why and how you do things. Then, if you really use it well, you can start sifting through situations and people in your life that have helped shape your views and personality. It’s fascinating!

Anyways, here are my top 3 favorite tests (though there are definitely a lot!)

Myer’s Briggs– The letters test. I am an INFJ, also known as The Advocate. We are known as the extroverted introverts. I need alone time -in fact, I will prefer it over anything unless I force myself out- and I definitely don’t LIKE to be the center of attention or having to entertain large crowds…But, I am really good at faking it haha. Absolutely everything I do, I need to know there is purpose or I want nothing to do with it. Thus, I am in ministry, a worship leader, and a writer. INFJ’s are also only 3% of the population. We are rare… 😉 But, funnily enough, we are often creatives and writers, and so a few of my friends happen to be INFJs. I guess we are attracted to one another. I am open about what I choose to be open about, but I am extremely private where I can be. (SO DANG TRUE!) This test is so accurate, it says in the “careers” portion that INFJ’s are often authors of blogs. Believe me yet that these things are ON POINT? I have taken this test probably 8-10 times over the last 8 years, and I have tested as INFJ-T every single time. (Long before I was a blogger!) Take the short version of the test, here. (FREE!!!!)

Enneagram- This one is newer to me, but I really love it! I am a 9, wing 3. You will see a theme between all of your personality tests if you take your time and are completely honest on them. (Don’t take it with what you like to be in mind for your answers, but answer what is your actual natural tendency!) The 9 is a peacemaker, and I can have a tendency of anxiety and playing “referee”… ugh. YES. It says 9’s are devoted to seeking internal peace as much as external. We like to see everything working right, and we can live in denial if we see things intruding on our peace for the sake of staying in peace. Like the Myers Briggs, it says we often start our own business that have purpose or we should be teachers/life coaches/counselors. At our best, we are fully alive and in deeply rooted relationships. At our worst, we can say “yes” to things we don’t like in order to “keep the peace.” This test is only $12 to take, and it’s truly amazing. I am newer to this one, but am diving deep into it. Take it here.

Strengths Finders- I LOVE THIS ONE. It’s kind of like identifying your DNA. Once you’ve identified your top 5, you can then figure out how they work together. It also is incredibly helpful in marriages and friendships. We use this one the most in our home to help understand one another. It’s helped us significantly. You can take a test for $20 that gives you your top 5. Or, you can take one for $50 that gives you ALL of yours, 1-34. My 1-5 are Empathy, Maximizer, Context, Activator, and Developer. When I got these I was like, “I always get the fluffy ones!” HAHA. Take it here. 

Empathy leads me on pretty much everything. I feel people’s pain and I go to the depths with people whether I want to or not, because I don’t know how not to. Maximizer, I like seeing the positives in people and calling it out, and I like making the best of people and situations. Context, you better be able to tell me how something worked in the past before I believe it will work in the future. Context also would contribute to why I am so nostalgic and love looking back on things from my personal past. Activator… I am real impatient. If we say we are doing something, well dangit we better get going. Developer, I don’t like being bad at things… haha. I ignore things that could reveal I am bad at it, but I love being good at what I am good at. This means I hate trying new things. But, I love developing and making better what I like. I celebrate every little win.

I hope you take these and see how they can help you in your relationships as well as getting a deeper understanding of self. Lastly, I want to know what you are! Comment below!

Let’s chat about this jumpsuit! I am in love with this thing. I have a hard time with jumpsuits, because I am 5’1. But this one is *supposed to be* culotte fit, so on most it will fit a little higher on the ankle. But, for me it fit like a full length haha. Anyways, you can snag it here. It’s got a beautiful open back, and can be dressed up or down! Heels or cute sneakers would work with this.

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