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Hi friend, I’m Renee and I yearn to live a life that is nothing short of authentic.
I’ve always had a heart that wants to share, to be the open-book kind of person where nothing is off the table to chat about. So that’s what you’ll find here. Snippets of my story, my faith, real struggles and how I’m journeying in general.

come as you are

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Renee and Sam

Long-Distance Relationships: We Answer Six Core Questions

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August 15, 2018 No Comments

Look to the Light

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June 17, 2018 No Comments

Hope is Vulnerable

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May 5, 2018 No Comments
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I know I’ve been so absent lately, so I want to I know I’ve been so absent lately, so I want to say a little hello. It’s quite overwhelming to know where to start when I feel like a whole new person these days. ⁣
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Motherhood truly has changed me. ⁣
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I knew I would be stretched in big ways, but no one mentioned how in meeting my baby, I’d also meet a whole new other person in myself.⁣
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Almost every minute of the last 7 weeks has been spent soaking up and adjusting to life with Elsie. It’s been so challenging at times but just when I think I can’t cope a minute longer, indescribable joy is found in such a small moment. ⁣
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This love requires so much of you but gives even more back. ⁣
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I’m craving creative time but for now I know giving her my all is what’s needed and she’s only teeny for a short while. So here’s to life right now; some days we’re surviving, some days thriving. But I’m trying to be right here, present in it all.
One week with Elsie 🌻⁣ ⁣ The past week has One week with Elsie 🌻⁣
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The past week has been a huge transition, but we couldn’t be more in love with this little person. I’ve spent countless hours just staring at her, taking every inch of her in. Challenges and all, I wouldn’t change a thing. ⁣
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A few little (tired) notes on our first week together: ⁣
- She’s so much smaller than anticipated and swimming in her newborn clothes. ⁣
- The first few days were particularly overwhelming, especially after we brought her home and lost that handy midwife “save me” buzzer (especially come night-time). ⁣
- There are no inbetween moods with Elsie; it’s either total angel or the world is ending. ⁣
- Her skin is SO soft I cannot handle it. Also, loving the smell of a newborn’s head is a real thing apparently. ⁣
- Breastfeeding is really hard - by far the biggest challenge for me personally. But we’re slowly making progress and learning together. ⁣
- She had her first bath and LOVED it, which resulted in two very happy parents who loved it maybe more than she did.⁣
- Nurturing mental health is always important, but even more so during this transition. Hormone shifts are intense and a whole factor on their own. ⁣
- Our medical care experience only continues to impress us and has been so so positive. ⁣
- I’m healing really well post surgery and feel so much lighter without my big preggo belly. Our bodies as women are incredible - I’ve never had so much respect for my body. ⁣
- This season very much calls for taking everything one little step at a time. ⁣
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Here’s to the next weeks to come with our little love.
Introducing Elsie Philomena Brebner. The sweetest Introducing Elsie Philomena Brebner. The sweetest gift from above 🤍
We’re full term today 🙌🏼 ⁣ ⁣ What a wi We’re full term today 🙌🏼 ⁣
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What a wild journey it’s been to carry this little life. We’re so close to meeting him or her and it’s both exciting and still totally surreal. I can’t picture what they’ll look like or fully anticipate how I’ll soon suddenly  become a mother. ⁣
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There’s a lot of “I don’t knows” but the greatest feeling of peace. I’ve prayed for peace every day of this pregnancy and will continue to do so. ⁣
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Feeling peace amidst huge change is unexplainably beautiful. It’s the greatest comfort and reassuring “yes I’m right here with you”. It releases every desire in me to need control or hold on unhealthy expectations. ⁣
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Baby is full breech so there’s still a few question marks in how this little one will arrive. But however so, I cannot wait to be changed by your arrival; to know a new kind of love and be stretched to give more of myself than ever before. ⁣
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We’re ready for you.
One year ago today 💍 ⁣ ⁣ The best “yes” One year ago today 💍 ⁣
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The best “yes” I’ve ever said.
2020. What a year to join this world. Every bub bo 2020. What a year to join this world. Every bub born during this crazy time will have to live with annoying “when you were born” stories 😆 ⁣
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Amidst grieving experiences that won’t happen like we wished and bouts of worry, this time is rich and brings out goodness. Pain and disappointment has a powerful way of doing that if we let it in. ⁣
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I’m sad my family and friends won’t meet our newborn baby and we have no idea when that’ll happen, but I’ve also never called home so frequently or been sent so many packages. ⁣
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I hate that we won’t get to go home for Christmas, but with travel off the cards, my usually-away husband is home with me way more than what was anticipated. ⁣
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Silver linings. They don’t change whats hard, but they have to be held onto because this time will pass and it will be one heck of a story we tell one day. We will be carried through it. ⁣
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2020 is full of abundance. ⁣
Do you like my stripes? ⁣ ⁣ They’re all arou Do you like my stripes? ⁣
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They’re all around my belly, they’re a part of me now, and they exist purely because of my growing baby. ⁣
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I think that’s pretty incredible. ⁣
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And though I have my days where I’m unkind to my body, where I catch glimpses of a body completely foreign to me; every day is a reason to acknowledge the magnificence of what women can do. ⁣
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How we grow, change and adapt.⁣
Persevere, sacrifice and nurture. ⁣
Protect, strengthen and give.⁣
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There is so much to us. These marks will forever be just one way how I choose to remember that.
My husband is a dreamboat. Just saying. ⁣ ⁣ Th My husband is a dreamboat. Just saying. ⁣
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The poor guy slept on the couch last night because my snoring was real bad 😔 Pregnancy is full of glowing perks. ⁣
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He’s been so so good to me during this time. Here’s to the beautiful men who do so much behind the scenes; who serve so patiently, lovingly and constantly. ⁣
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I know I’m so grateful.
(Just over) six months of calling this guy my husb (Just over) six months of calling this guy my husband. Married life is the best.
Many years ago I had a "pregnancy scare". At that Many years ago I had a "pregnancy scare". At that time, while living a life away from my faith, if I had seen a positive test result, I thought there was only one option - abortion. I never saw that positive reading, so thankfully I never went down that road. But I still vividly remember the all-consuming fear. ⁣
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It was only just over a year ago that I held a baby for the first time. I've never really been around babies or children. They were like little aliens to me - I had no idea how to interact with a small human. I would be my most awkward self around kids. But I was curious to understand better why people fussed over them so much. ⁣
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As the woman who still thought about that scare, and genuinely didn't know how to feel about children, I was searching for something that told me "yes, you could be a mother." ⁣
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While living here in Brisbane, I've been able to observe many beautiful families and my perspective has shifted. Their interactions have really changed what I once negatively assumed children to be (and only be) - needy, annoying, loud, dream-killing and like life is over once you have them. ⁣
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Okay, so needy, loud and annoying are accurate descriptions at times… but so much of my picture was incomplete. I'd never seen how much joy parents have - they exude a very real definition of love. I never saw how the smallest of interactions with children can make your heart melt or see the world in a new way because of their innocence. ⁣
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I've seen people’s dreams come to life with so much more meaning because they now have children that are a part of that picture. ⁣
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I know becoming a mother will be all kinds of challenging - I don't have blinkers on. But personally, I think the common narrative leaves out how incredible having children can be - that your life isn't over - you begin living for more. ⁣
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More than yourself. ⁣
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[𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴]⁣
To see myself as you do. ⁣ ⁣ This has been my To see myself as you do. ⁣
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This has been my simple prayer lately. I’ve been struggling to identify self-worth and the qualities that are admirable. ⁣
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Praying for this insight helps so much. I think it gets lost on us all at times. I know when I rely on my own strength to lift myself up, it’s also a little shakey. It takes me longer to focus on the truth and I’m also easily torn down again by my negative thinking. But grounding myself in asking for help - asking for the perspective of our God - that gets me far further and standing steady in a place where I won’t be so easily shaken. ⁣
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Happy Monday friends, I hope it’s a beautiful day for you. I hope you notice something incredible about yourself today.
Hello third trimester 👋🏼 ⁣ ⁣ You really Hello third trimester 👋🏼 ⁣
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You really snuck up on us! ⁣
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Bub’s kicks are getting so strong and it’s crazy watching my belly move from the outside. Much to his dismay, every time Sam puts his hand on my belly, baby stops kicking 🤷🏼‍♀️ ⁣
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I’m feeling more and more physically uncomfortable. It’s hard to believe I still have more growing to do, I already feel huge. Back pain is a bit of a struggle but thankfully that’s really the only thing that’s currently difficult 🙏🏼 Praise God for a straight forward pregnancy. ⁣
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Actually no, another thing that’s hard is choosing names! We still don’t have any names locked in that we both agree on and love - hopefully that actually happens because I’m starting to wonder if we’ll ever get there 😅 ⁣
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Home stretch baby brebs. Cannot believe you’ll be here with us in no time.
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