Monday, July 25, 2016

๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿ’10 Things Every Coach's Wife Wished You'd Understand๐Ÿ‘ฐ๐Ÿผ❤️

#1 It's not just a game. It's our livelihood. Our husbands spend an obscene amount of time working during the season. So be supportive and understand losses are hard on us too. I have literally cried after a game knowing how important it was to win that particular one. Our husband's invest so much into every game.....and coaches wives spend A LOT of our time making sure that can be done......by holding everything else together. I'm also not going to miss a single home game because of that (Sorry to all of you with fall weddings๐Ÿ‘ฐ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‚๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‘Ž๐Ÿผ!)

                                                                  


#2 Our loyalty is to the team where we are at. I really don't care about any other score during the season, but my husband's team. He played for the Wisconsin Badgers, and even though I am from Madison originally, I truly only care right now if the Jackrabbits win......ok ok.....maybe the Minnesota Vikings too๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿฐ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿ’œ.
                                                                   

#3 It ain't over till it's  over! Nothing drives me more nuts than when people leave early before the game is even over. I don't care how much we are ahead or behind......it's called being supportive and a good fan. Don't even get me started when they leave when the game is close.......are you kidding me๐Ÿ™„?!???




#4 There is no "i" in team. Our husbands work a ridiculous amount of hours during the season, have weeks of recruiting in the winter and spring, camps in June (and some through July), and August training camp. Coaches wives are truly the glue that holds it all together. When I gave birth during football season, I had to deal with recovering from a C-section on my own. Last May, our moving truck unloaded, and my husband left that next morning recruiting. I can literally say I packed and unpacked the entire house by myself.....with four kiddos.We wear many hats as coach's wives ๐Ÿ•ต๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ”จ๐Ÿ“ฆ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ‘ฎ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘ท๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿผ.

                                                                                    


                                                                       

#5 It can extremely be lonely. Sometimes our only meal together during the season is Thursday night after practice. Recruiting.....that could literally be a whole different blog post๐Ÿ™„.  But during recruiting, in all honestly, weeks can go by without seeing each other. Then there’s moving......saying goodbye to friends and having to start all over again. It's always nice to hear from family or friends! We also greatly appreciate visits.....even better....stay for a game!



#6 Vacation?!?? There is only a small amount of time off for coaches-usually in July. Sometimes we spend our vacation traveling far to see family/friends.  Sometimes a family vacation means him working an out of town football camp....or moving to your next job that summer. It's never easy traveling with kiddos (especially little ones).....but it is still important to get away. Even, if many times, it's worked around something related to 
football ๐Ÿ™„๐Ÿ›ฃ๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ.
                                                                     

#7 We can't help geography. Coaches need to go where jobs are.....even if it's not close to home. The luxury of having family members close is something that many coaches do not have. We miss a lot......from help with babysitting (it gets expensive ๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ’ฐ) , celebrating special occasions (birthdays, holidays, baptisms, etc), and even those little moments you might take for granted like baseball games, school concerts, science fairs, and baby's first steps⚾️๐ŸŽบ๐Ÿ”ฌ๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ.


                                                                               
                                                                                         
#8 We have a football family. Some of my dearest friends are coaches' families.....they just get this crazy life. I get many messages from coaches' wives (some I have only known for just a season) seeing how a move went, how a job search is going when my husband is out of work, or how I am holding up in general. I will always be extremely loyal to their love and support❤️๐Ÿˆ.



                                                                           

#9 Our kiddos didn't choose this life. I chose this life when I married a coach, but please remember our kiddos didn't. We have moved 9 times in 14 years of marriage, but just because we have done it a ridiculous amount of times, it does not make it easy on the kids. They need all the support they can get as they navigate making new friends and being the new kid at school.......even a phone call just to see how the first day of school went goes a long way๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ.




#10 Getting fired is part of the business. Every Saturday, 50% of the teams who play, lose their game. Administrators and fans have much higher expectations however, which leads to good coaches with winning records being fired every year. So while at your job, you may have to commit some major misconduct to be fired, in coaching, firings are very common and they do not carry the same stigma. When your livelihood is linked to the performance of 18-21 year olds.....what could go wrong....right๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿˆ?


Thursday, July 14, 2016

๐Ÿšฃ๐ŸฝA football family and experiencing the Cabin life๐ŸŒฒ

                                                    Eck family Vacation 2016
Our summer vacation this year was heading to Northern Wisconsin. Some of my fondest memories growing up were from my family's annual week at the cottage each summer. Now, with four babes (kiddos) of my own, I get to share the same kind of experience with them......with an Eck family twist to it.


1. Pack into the vehicle like sardines. I don't know how to pack light with a baby!!! The Pack'n Play, portable high chair, diapers/wipes, multiple outfits for each day, baby blankets, baby's sound machine, and on and on. Plus still fit in the bags for the 5 other family members. If anyone has some tips on how the heck they pack light with a baby....and would like to share.......it would be greatly appreciated๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿš๐Ÿ’ผ๐ŸŽ’๐Ÿ™„


2. Speeding ticket......reallllllly!!!!! After a couple hours into the start of our trip.....my husband gets pulled over for speeding. It wouldn't be an Eck family trip without a little drama.....trying to get there on time. Why?!?!?! We have 5:30 dinner reservations.....with over a nine hour drive๐Ÿ™„๐Ÿšจ๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿš”๐Ÿ‘ฎ๐Ÿป๐Ÿฝ



3. What ETA? Drive. . . stop. . . .drive. . . . .stop. . .drive. . . .stop. Seriously!!!! My family texted me for our ETA.....really?!?!? There isn't an actual ETA traveling with a big family. From nursing the baby, to answering every "I am hungry," hearing recruiting calls, potty breaks, stopping for gas, poopie diapers, DVD changes, the list goes on. Why don't family vehicles have those nifty windows that go up like in limos.....seriously?!?!? Can't a mom just get a nap after some greasy McDonald's๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿš๐Ÿ™„๐ŸŸ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ›ฃ⛽️๐Ÿ’ฉ๐Ÿ•‘๐Ÿ•”๐Ÿ•—๐Ÿ•š๐Ÿ•š


4. Relaxation.....really?!?! Do you know how long it takes to plan and pack for four babes (kiddos) for 5 days? It took almost an hour just to pack up the car.....an another hour to unpack it. Then you have to put together the pack n play, high chair, and practically be on your hands in knees in a bear crawl making sure there isn't anything dangerous for baby when you get there. You know no place is ever safety proofed like at home. ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘ถ๐ŸผThat brings me to my next point.


5. Rest.....on vacation.....what sleep? Someone SERIOUSLY needs to figure a way to make portable cribs more comfortable. My baby was sleeping through the night before our trip and during vacation was waking up 2-3 times during the night UGGGG!!!!! Plus not having the convenience of having him in his own nursery. When baby figured out he was rooming with us......guess who was eagerly ready to wake us up that much earlier every morning?๐Ÿ›Œ ๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ˜ด
๐Ÿ˜ซ

6. A Football family in Nature ๐ŸŸ๐Ÿ˜ณ๐ŸŒฒ?!?! My kids really did love this whole lake/up north experience this past week. My 5 year old caught his first fish....of course he did drop it immediately after how "slimey" it felt LOL๐Ÿ˜๐ŸŸ. We roasted marshmallows.....losing more than a few to the fire or on the ground. My older sons tubed for the first time.....which I almost lost the bottom half of my suit trying to teach them how to get on it๐Ÿ›ฅ๐Ÿ‘™๐Ÿ˜ณ. Plus we also had to jump into the lake once after losing Maverick's perfectly matched sun hat to the wind......baby's still have to look cute and accessorized up north....right??!๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ’™ Yes, we were pretty much rookies to the up north lifestyle.




 
So after 5 days of vacation we are on the 9 hour drive back to South Dakota. A DVD playing, all of us itching from one too many mosquito bites, listening to Colin Cowherd's latest podcast, the kids all packed in tight...again, and full of some happy memories of being on the lake. This football family enjoyed cabin life and all the new outdoorsy experiences that came along with it๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ๐ŸŒ™๐Ÿšฃ๐Ÿฝ


For me, in all honesty, I am now anxiously awaiting my greasy McDonalds breakfast and latte, my own bed, all my baby gear/safety proofing at home (I know all mamas out there can agree it makes life so much easier๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ), and some much needed sleep......once I get the baby back on schedule that is. Really......I have to admit.....I truly get now the whole "I need a vacation after a vacation."

So we may not be the most outdoorsy/up north kind of family, but they experienced a different way of life that can't be found on the football field๐ŸŒ™๐Ÿšฃ๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŸ.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

๐Ÿ‘ถ๐ŸผThe "Perky" Perks of Breastfeeding๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿˆ

I have nursed all my four babes ๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿผand have absolutely loved the bonding experience from it. Plus we are all pretty familiar how wonderful it is for baby right? Lowered risk of SIDS, they get sick less and lowered risk of allergies, get nutrients that help strengthen/develop their immune system in a way no formula can, and the list goes on for baby. Plus some of you probably are aware of the healthy benefits for the mama......breastfeeding lowers the  risk of depression, can reduce your risk of diseases, it helps the uterus contract and return to its previous smaller size, and again.....the list goes on. 

So I am going to be 100% real.....there's some vain reasons to make nursing sound even better! Even though it's pretty amazing on its own, I'm going to share these 5 little bonuses......I think we all like something in it for us too......right?


#1 it's FREE!!!! That's right you save a lot of money breastfeeding......like $1,700 or more a year actually. That's a lot of dough for a great handbag....just saying.๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿ„๐Ÿค‘๐Ÿ‘œ


#2 It's ready to go!!! No bottles, formula,  water, etc. Nothing makes me happier knowing that when my baby's hungry he can be fed immediately. I don't have to fumble for a bottle in my diaper bag on the go......or at a football game๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿˆ.....I am ready. I have enough to remember with four kiddos, and I am happy to not need to remember more. My baby cries, milk lets down, and he eats.....pretty cool super power skills๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ

 



#3 Calories.....who cares!!! You don't have to limit calories or diet at all while nursing. In fact you need as much as 500 a day.......woohooooooo!!!! Coming from a girl who loves food-this is huge! Breastfeeding makes it easier to lose the weight after baby. I am almost at my exact weight before baby.....and I get to burn calories by cuddling and feeding my baby.....yes please!!๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿˆ๐ŸŸ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ•๐ŸŒฎ







#4 Amazzzzzzing Breasts. To be completely honest milk breasts are the best. They're big, round, perky, and 100% real. They look like fake boobs.......without being rock hard. Who in their right mind would be at all disappointed by that?!?๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿ‘ถ๐Ÿผ๐Ÿ‘ซ



#5 Breastmillk.....it's "liquid gold" people!!!! Seriously, I had pink eye for the first time while nursing my son. The medicine didn't seem to be helping, and I was wearing Jackie Kennedy inspired sunglasses around the clock because of my eye being so swollen and disgusting. I decided to take matters into my own hands. I expressed some breast milk and poured some of my milk into my eye.....yes.....I did that. Guess what, it felt better and looked better within a day or two tops......100% true story. I have also read articles about it helping Eczema, ear infections, rashes, clogged tear ducts, acne, and so much more๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿ„๐Ÿค’.




So enjoy these added, but not so talked about perks, on breastfeeding. I 
am still currently nursing my 10 month old, and did it for at least a year for all my 4 babies. There's nothing more amazing than cradling that sweet babe in your arms and knowing you are feeding them the best. I will say, however, I am currently nursing a biter......just keeping it 100% real. With all the health benefits, as well as the fun benefits I listed a above.....the pros by far outweigh the cons (or the bites that is๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿ˜ณ). So enjoy feeding your baby......and all the great benefits that come with it๐Ÿ˜‰.