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Amy Raelene

LIFESTYLE BLOG // Wife + mama in the southwest sharing style, braids, faith, and real life. I'm so glad you're here!

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December 20, 2018

Crop Tops + High Waisted Jeans (For mamas too)

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NOW and THEN. ⁣⁣ Swipe to see a remake 3 years in the making. Take as many pictures of your babies as you want, because one day you’ll remember that you took a photo of your little 7 month ball of squish in a similar way and it will take you right back. 💛 I don’t know how I remembered one specific pic from so long ago BUT I can’t remember where I put my keys most days. 😅 ⁣Anyways, Luke’s adorable lion outfit is from @thelittleharkley! A mama-owned-small-shop for our babes. Use code AmyThePro for 15% off your order - even the summer sale going on right now. 🌿 ⁣ +++++++⁣ ⁣ Also, you guys had me crying at all the love and support from announcing Leo’s name yesterday. Feels like he has a bunch of aunties around the world excited for his arrival. 💛 Thank you to my fam and friends and those friends far away for always being in our corner - I love sharing it with you all!

Leo Vance, we love you so much. 🦁💛 There’s something in a name that is so special to me, and I’ve loved this name since I heard it. When my sis was pregnant and not sure if she was having a boy or a girl, Leo, was in the running for her new babe. But she birthed a sweet little girl named Mia and Leo was available again. One day Bran’s grandma was talking about her brother, a POW in WW2, and she spoke so fondly of him - his kindness and his bravery. His name was Leo. I love that it means lion and brave, while our Lucas means light, and when I think of this sweet baby, my mind always calls him Leo. 🦁☀️ I don’t know why, it just feels definite and right, like we discovered a name always meant for him. Vance is from my maternal grandfather. He passed away when I was 4 but I do have fond memories of his goodness and joy. And I love his name! It sounds strong but also surfer-like and Van reminds me of the ocean. My favorite place. I pray both my boys live out the meanings of their name (but of course I won’t put undue pressure on them). Luke is already a bright light and makes people happy everywhere he goes. We can’t wait to see who Leo is. 💛

Rounding out 24 weeks. 🌿 Regular shorts and pants are no longer an option, he kicks and moves and stretches all the time, I feel amazing - no aches or pains, and thank God I can still sleep on my stomach. 😄 Also, this belly is bigger than Luke’s was so it’s making me hopeful that I will go full term with this babe! (Luke was delivered at 36 weeks.) Although I’ll admit I’m a little nervous for how uncomfortable people say the last 4 weeks are since Bran will be traveling for work around that time. Were you miserable the last few weeks before you delivered?!

I never knew raising little boy[s] would be this good. 💙 Remind me I said that when they’re teens and telling me all the ways they could do it (whatever it is my future self is attempting to do) better. Also, we decided on a name for baby brother!! Every time I think of this little bundle, this name is the one I say in my head. So I convinced Bran to love it too!! 🥰 He kinda named Luke (and lost a bet with me about the @chickfila drive through - keep reading if you wanna know the bet), so I had final baby name decision power! But I didn’t have to use it cause Bran came around on his own. 🙌🏻 #wearesomature ⁣ ⁣ - - - - - - - - ⁣ Bet story: We went to chick fil a one time for lunch but we were pressed on time. If you don’t know this, Bran and I always think we are right - so when one of us does something, the other usually chimes in. 😅 The drive through that day - like most days - was super long so Bran said he was going to park and we would go in. Being the chick fil a connoisseur that I am, I told him, nooooo babe don’t be fooled, the drive through is faster. He said no way we are going in. I said how much you want to bet I’m right? (Bets are how we squash disagreeing 😂). I come here all the time. He said we will name the baby the name you love if you’re right - if I’m right we go with the name I chose and I’ll never question you again. DEAL! So we wait in the loooooong line INSIDE and Bran watches as the car we would have been behind goes through the drive through before we get our food.... #marriageisfun

We got to see baby brother today. 🥰 He’s growing healthy and adorable and weighs 1 pound 5 oz at 24 weeks. He was breech and folded in half, and we got to see his little feet crossed up by his face! One of my favorite parts of getting ready for him is filling his closet with these tiny neutrals and earth tones from @sorastreetboutique. I can’t even put them away cause I like seeing them out too much! 😍 They were kind enough to give me a discount code so you can shop for your babes too! Use SORALOVE for 15% off. 🌿 You can save this post for future reference!⁣ +++++++++⁣ Also, today, Luke learned how to take a breath when swimming and I hit a curb and got a flat tire in the parking lot of swim lessons. 🤪 Another full and exciting day in the Pro house. 💛 How was your Monday?

A photo of a woman who feels very free and very much in love with the man behind the camera. 🌻⁣ Been thinking lately how those two correlate. Love and freedom. I think people often distort love into other things like control, oppression, expectation, possession. Those are all rooted in fear. Fear of losing something, fear of rejection, fear of loneliness. So if you say the word love, but your actions discredit their opinion, tear down their convictions, make them doubt their self-esteem, control their decisions, or belittle their aspirations, you haven’t built a relationship. You’ve built a cage. ⁣ Whereas love was designed to be freeing. ⁣ Free to be oneself, free to be vulnerable, free to choose, free of judgement, free of unrealistic expectations, free to be self-expressive, free of insecurities. ⁣ Jesus loves like that. ⁣ And it’s a beautiful thing when you find someone who loves you that way. ⁣ It’s a beautiful thing when a parent loves their children that way. ⁣ It’s a beautiful thing when the love YOU give makes someone else feel that way. 💛 ⁣ “Want to bring happiness to the world? Go home and love your family.” - Mother Teresa ⁣ ⁣

I don’t think my body would recognize a straight line if it saw one. Curves on curves and a baby bump! This is the bod I have - so this is the bod I love. ❤️ It doesn’t need to be perfect to be worthy or beautiful! ✌🏻 Also swipe to see my outfit today! One of my favorite parts of this holiday is seeing everyone’s red, white, and blue. And we are about to jump in a pool so these are probably the only pics I’ll get! 🇺🇸 #happy4th #23weeks #thebodythatgrewme #thebodythatgrowsbabies

I like big braids and long summer nights. 💫 Showing you how I did this @barefootblondehair enhanced braid on my stories AND how I edited this photo using the @tezzaapp! The Vintage and Almond filters are my go-to! 🙌🏻 You can download it using the link in my bio. #tezzaappgiveaway #tezzaapp We are getting ready for swimming and bbqing and fireworking tomorrow. Luke and I are also going to make the American flag cake you see everywhere. I want to start some fun traditions for him and our family! What are yours? Also teaching him how grateful we are to live in the land of the free, protected by brave men and women. 🇺🇸 The greatest love is this, that we lay down our life for each other. Let us not forget. ❤️

This is how our summer is going! ☀️ He’s tanner and blonder than all of us at this point! And what did we do before our kids made the world seem so magical?! ✨ Here are a few of the questions I’ve gotten this week: 1. Mommy, what’s inside a fairy egg (what Luke calls an acorn)? 2. Mommy, when we go to the moon, can I be the captain? 3. Mommy, where does Jesus live? He lives in your heart, buddy! But how does he fit? 4. Mommy, when is Toby going to talk? (Toby is our dog.) I just love him and his imagination, even if I have to ask him to take a break from talking my ear off sometimes! 🙃 Please tell me yours say stuff like this??

Chasing the Son and striving to be the light. ✨ Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, It chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine. I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away. 💛 ⁣ ⁣ - - - - - - ⁣ I have no significant reason to be dancing in the desert at sunset, with a @barefootblondehair mane of hair, covered in flowers that I thrifted for $4 from @goodwillaz. But here I am. And here ill stay. I see beauty all around me - even the dry and dusty desert. I want to do the things I love, even if they seem silly. God feels the same way about us. He sees beauty in our barren, broken parts and He wants us to do the things we love, especially if we feel silly. Because in those moments we gain the confidence and the opportunity to glorify Him. We don’t need to be perfect, we just need to be ourselves. 💫 [Edited with the @tezzaapp Almond and Vintage filter. @tezza #tezzaappgiveaway]

#IWantToRemember how in the early, chilly mornings of our camping trip last week, Luke would call out in the trailer, “Mommy can I come get warm with you?” And I’d pull myself from the depth of sleep to scoot over and rearrange the blankets and pillows to make room for him. Bran would stir and get comfortable, draping his arm over my waist, as Luke climbed into bed with us. Half asleep, he’d lay his little head on the pillow and snuggle backwards into my chest, his baby brother stirring in my belly like he knew that his family was getting comfy all around him. I’d put Luke’s cold feet between my knees and tuck the blanket under him. ⁣ One morning, Bran whispered in my ear, how do you feel in a bed with all these stinky boys? And I whispered back one word, “lucky.” Then we all drifted back to sleep. 💛 ⁣ #memorykeeping ⁣ ⁣ I’m thankful that photos prompt me to write a memory. And re-reading a memory evokes an emotion. 💛 Tell me a moment recently that you want to remember. I love hearing them! [edited with the @tezza app using Almond and Vintage filter! @tezzaapp #tezzaappgiveaway]

22 weeks and nearing the point of viability. ✨ I’m so in love with growing our babies. Also!! Bran and I can’t decide on his name. We each love different ones. 🙃 Which boy/gender neutral names are your favorite?! [edited with the @tezza app Almond filter! @tezzaapp #tezzaappgiveaway]

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