A Merry Merry Christmas!

Christmas has come and gone...with the exception of one more Christmas celebration to go through on my side of the family.  I always thought Christmas as a kid was the absolute best, but I was wrong.  Christmas as a parent is about a million times better.  We've had two Christmas' prior to celebrate as parents, but this was the first year that Liam really understood what was going on and was visibly excited about it.  The morning started out with him waking up and asking, "is Santa coming," and the night ended by him saying, "Mommy, I love Christmas."  Cue heart melting.  We did the Elf on the Shelf, the Santa Clause visits, and the Christmas light looking, but also tried to reinforce the real reason for the season with bible stories and reminding him who it is we were celebrating.  We went to a Christmas eve service and to Liam's delight, they had a live nativity scene, camel and all!  I just want to point out that I told Greg there would be a real live camel, to which he said: "No, it's probably two people dressed up in a camel suit."  Owned. 

As sad as it was to pack away the Christmas decorations, it is nice to get the house back in order.  I think at age 29, I can say I officially feel like an adult.  Greg and I bought ourselves a bedroom set and are extremely pumped about it (along with the garage storage we got for Christmas).  We have lived together (including before we were married) for almost ten years and our bedroom has always consisted of a bed frame.  Just a bed frame.  Nothing to add here.  No big deal that Eva and Liam's rooms are fully decked out while we have pretty much been sleeping on a 20 year old hand-me-down mattress on a questionably sturdy frame, while our socks and undergarments are shoved into make-shift containers.  Parenthood.  But, in about 6 short weeks, our furniture will be here and we will have officially made it as adults.  I decided owning bedroom furniture is a qualifying component to adulthood.

With Christmas almost behind us, I have already moved onto the next three holidays.  Before you think I'm crazy, I have two weeks off for winter break and then it's back to work, where my attention will be once again divided and things will slip through the cracks, so my solution is to take care of Liam's birthday, Valentine's Day, and Easter preparation all within the next week.  We already bought Liam's birthday gift (keeping it a secret for now, but he is going to FLIP!), so from here it's pretty much ordering Liam's classroom valentines, scheduling a date for Greg and I, and ordering Easter baskets.

If you're wondering if I'm prepping for New Year's, be curious no longer.  I'll be in bed by 9pm, so my prep is pajamas and, if I'm feeling really feisty, downing a glass of wine.

Eva's Gift to Us

Look at the face.  Instead of us getting a gift for Eva for her five month birthday, she decided to bestow upon us a gift of her own, the flu.

I got a call from daycare Friday around noon that Eva just didn't seem like herself, so I picked up the kids and headed home for the weekend.  She was not running a temperature, but slept almost all day.  The next morning she woke up happy, hungry, and ready to play, so I did not think much of it.  Flash forward to five o'clock that night, the nausea and hot flashes struck me like a ton of bricks, all while we were at a retirement party.  Without going into details, it was not pretty and my little adventure turned into an emergency room event by the time ten o'clock came.  I actually attributed it to food poisoning, until Liam and Greg got struck with the same thing, luckily not as severe, the next morning. 

I'll just tell you now that having a family of four experience the stomach flu in a span of forty-eight hours falls just slightly below sky diving without a parachute on list of things I love to do.   Needless to say, we had some sacrifices during this ordeal, including some pillows and Eva's play-mat.

However, keeping things in perspective, we're lucky it was just the flu, as I know people experience much worse and ongoing struggles in their lives.  And thank goodness we live just minutes from the hospital...

Shop Small Saturday

Can you spot the hidden potty?  Toilet training: It's a work in progress.

I completely skipped Black Friday and am going straight to Shop Small Saturday and Cyber Monday.  I almost have my Christmas shopping done and have done almost all of it online.  With a new baby and a preschooler who is starting to become a little more rambunctious when we're out and about, I decided not to tackle the crowds and just stick to shopping in my pajamas with a cup of  hot chocolate in my hands.

I love my Gap, Banana Republic, and Sephora, but there is something about shopping at smaller shops that is special, not to mention, presents from smaller shops always seem more meaningful to me.  Keep reading, and find out about some of my favorite small shops!

For anyone who is a "planner girl," my favorite spots to buy planner stickers are MilaPrintShop and FrankHeartsYou.  Side bar:  I discovered "pimping your planner" about a month ago and thought it was the lamest hobby I've ever seen.  Flash forward a month later and I'm knee deep into this.  It's good for someone like me, who can not sustain attention or skill on a long term project.  It's like scrap booking with training wheels.

I've also been eyeballing a couple goodies from TinyHouseBigFarm.  Who doesn't want soap that smells and looks like pumpkin cheesecake or a snowman bath bomb? 

We got our Christmas stockings (seen in the picture) from GoodWishesQuilts and are loving them.  They also have some really cute advent calendars if you're in the market.

This year, I got Liam and Eva a nativity scene from Peg and Plum and am absolutely loving it.  Liam is obsessed with setting it up just right.  Peg dolls make such great stocking stuffers as well!

Eva is subscribed to Little Poppy Co., where she gets three new bows every month.  The bows are extremely cute and what's even better is the bows they send go with the season.  They are the only bows she does not cry when I put them on or try to rip off.  Score.

EllandEmm has some awesome jewelry.  I have two bracelets from them, one with Liam's birthstone and one with Eva's.  I wear them almost every day.

Candelles makes candles that are pretty much tied for first place with my bath and body works candles.  I got the Pumpkin Walnut Biscotti candle in the fall and am tempted to buy some more holiday ones.

I don't even know what to say about Childhoods Clothing.  Babies in sweat pants and hoodie sweatshirts?  You can't really get much cuter than that.  Not to mention Liam lives in his "cozies" all fall and winter long.  And they came out with an adult line and I'm wearing my beach hoodie.  Right.  Now.

Turkey Day

I love me some holiday.  Thanksgiving is the day I consider to "kick off" the holiday season for me and my local radio station just started playing Christmas music 24/7, so I am roaring and ready to go!

While Friday is reserved for Christmas decorating, I am trying to spend the first part of the week focused on Thanksgiving.

I'm home this week from work to take my "fall break" and am soaking in every single cuddle, kiss, and runny nose.  I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to take the time to cook with my kids, prepare decent meals, and actually have some quality time with my family, without the hassle and worry (or rush) of work. 

Without rushing (too much) into Christmas, we are starting to prep for Thanksgiving.

Mama has taken a little time for herself and is prepping her skin with Eminence Yam and Pumpkin Enzyme Peel and Eminence Pumpkin Latte Hydration Masque.  Anytime I have "me" time I usually do one of two things, which are journaling/planning or skin care routines (paired with a bath of course).  So, while the kids are napping, I'm getting some skincare in and love that I can coordinate my skincare treatment with the holidays with these "festive" products (and oh-ma-ga, the smell...).

This year, we are jumping around a lot on Thanksgiving day.  We're starting out the day visiting my mom at the care center (she unfortunately broke her wrist and knee cap, so is in the care center to be able to receive daily physical therapy), then onto my Grandma Helen's, and last onto Greg's grandparents.  We may try to sneak in a visit to my other Grandma as well.  Since we are hopping around a lot, I am still debating what type of food to bring.  Knowing it will need to hold up without a freezer and not need to stay heated, I am leaning towards cookies and thought these sugar cookies looked super cute.  Given my patience with decorating, I may be leaning more towards a traditional pumpkin-chocolate chip cookie...or store bought fudge.

The rest of the week has been play dates in the playroom with Liam and sneaking tummy time in between naps with Eva.  Our family does not have a lot of Thanksgiving traditions, other than eating, so I am bursting to start our Christmas traditions with the kids. So, bring on Christmas...but first, Thanksgiving.




A Baptism and a Shit Show

We had Eva's baptism last Sunday.  It was a wonderful day and a shit show all rolled into one.

Greg and I tried to strategically plan when to feed and change Eva so she would be content when it was time for her to go up and get baptized in front of the congregation.  The minute we stepped up for her baptism, the shit show happened.  Literally, she started shitting right there.  And not quietly or dainty like.   I'm talking loud grunting paired with face scrunching.  And. It. Reeked.  Like, awful.  As in the pastor would not even hold her.

Then, onto the actual baptism, when she had the baptismal water poured over her head, she screamed bloody murder.  When the pastor marked the sign of the cross across her forehead, another high pitched screech filled the room.  The scene was nothing short of having her head spin around or having her jump out of my arms and start crawling on the ceiling (cue nightmares).

Did I mention Liam was laying on the steps during all of this?  This was after he was break dancing during the music portion of the service.

From the outside looking in, we looked like a hot mess.  It was not a day we had it all together.  But, truth be told, it made it all the more memorable and I love my little hot mess family.  I wouldn't change anything about my kids or my husband for the world.  Nothing makes me happier than being around those three, shit shows and all.

Eva is Four Months Old

I hope you enjoyed the creative title.  Straight and to the point, right?

How on earth is Eva four months old?  HOW?  Little lady is smiley, had her first giggle (although I cannot get her to giggle again for the life of me), loves watching her big brother, and is a tummy time master.  We love her wide grin, chubby cheeks, and wispy hair.  We've introduced rice cereal, but so far she will have none of it.  Liam never took to cereal and went straight to the pureed fruits and veggies, which appears to be the path Eva is on.  

She brings our family so much joy and I love having a child that I can call my daughter.  I think no matter the makeup of a family, you love the family you have, but I always envisioned my family with a son and a daughter and am so thankful that I have two children to love and care for.  Our lives feel so full and blessed, and although we do not intend to have anymore kids, you never know what the future holds.  For now, we are enjoying ourselves as a family of four.

On a side note, I think I finally am in the groove of my new position as an autism consultant at work.  I have a lot to learn, but am loving the team I'm on and the new responsibilities.  As always, the desire to be home with the kids is always lurking in the back of my mind, but I have a lot of blessing to count.  I'm happy I am in a profession that I love that allows me to help and serve others.  I'm also thankful that my job follows the school calendar, which allows me to be a "stay-at-home" mom during the summers and holidays.  

As far as an update on my attempt to simplify our life, I've been failing miserably.  While I've been good about not buying new clothes and makeup (and even got rid of a ton of makeup), I seem to have just replaced my makeup obsession with a new obsession: Erin Condren planners and pimping my planner.  Look it up.  It's a thing.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand We're Back to Work

Going back to work is no joke.  I love having my own thing going on, outside the home, but it's tough being on a schedule and missing out on my kids during the day.  Getting out the door by 7am with a two year old and an infant is an Olympic sport, or at least it should be.  So, for our first post maternity leave post, here are some quick updates:

1.  Eva is three months old.  When did that happen?

2.  I am tired.  All.  The.  Time.  But, we've managed to muster up the energy to do some fun fall activities, like hitting up the last family night at the orchard, going to pumpkinfest, and scavenging for pine cones and acorns, which are now scattered around the whole house.

3.  I followed the life changing magic of tidying up and went through my clothes.  I got rid of four huge garbage bags of clothes and my closet is looking a little bare.  I'm not going to lie, I had a mini heart attaching getting rid of those clothes, but in the end I feel more at peace looking at less clutter. Getting ready definitely takes a lot shorter since I'll wear everything in my closet now.  So far, so good.

4.  Liam is obsessed with Halloween and I love it.  Holidays really are better with kids.

5.  I'm in the process of redoing the playroom, Chalkboard wall is complete and IKEA furniture is in. Now I just need to assemble.

6.  I decided it's about time to reclaim my body after baby.  I bit the bullet and ended up going with beachbody on demand because I'm too lazy to insert a DVD and I don't have the motivation, or realistically the time, to go to the gym.  I am also learning to accept the fact that working out in college does not look the same as working out as an employed mother of two.  Someday I'll introduce you to my workout partner, Liam.  He'll be the two year old who is literally running circles around me while I'm working out and sporadically injecting himself under foot.

Somewhere Between Excess and Minimalist

I have a confession:  I am a consumer.  Not in the sense that I need the best of everything or the nicest brands, but I enjoy shopping.  I enjoy purchasing.  I enjoy "stuff."  The problem with being a consumer is that you are never satisfied.  You get in the cycle of thinking: "If I had this, then i'd be happier."  I never thought of this as a problem until I was home for the summer and maternity leave.  That totaled four whole months where I was not working and my mind and time (and money) was free to wonder.    I literally online shopped almost daily.  Daily.  I'd get new makeup in the mail, use it for a couple days, then tuck it away in a drawer and never look at it again.  All the makeup and cloths I bought brought temporary joy, but it didn't make me any happier, prettier, or healthier in the long run.

I want us to live simpler, to not consume so much. This may have hit me as I was (and still am) organizing the kid's playroom.  The amount of toys we have is absolutely ridiculous.  Liam maybe plays with a handful of things in that room and the rest is left untouched.  I'd rather have a select few quality toys for the kids, rather than piles upon piles of junk.  In the process of this "clean out" of the playroom, I started to look at myself a little closer.  Just like Liam and Eva's playroom was filled with junk, my own closet and makeup drawer was filled to the brink with crap.  Looking at my makeup collection alone puts my stomach in knots over how much money I've wasted over the years.  Instead of the joy, which I felt initially when I made these purchases, I was feeling guilty and even a little anxious. 

While I don't necessarily desire to live a complete minimalist life style, I am striving to simplify.  I want to spend less, declutter, and maybe in the process detach a little from life's distractions, like social media and television.  I decided it might be fun to document my attempt to simplify and declutter my family's life and share my experiences.

While I don't have a set plan right now, or really know where I am going with this, I did jump start the whole process by reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (I still have a few pages to go).  To forewarn, I am not a black and white or all or nothing person.  So, given that the book has very specific instructions on how to achieve this goal of decluttering and organization, there is a high chance that this lady will not being following these rules exactly as stated.

The Pumpkin Patch

Yay for more fall activities!  Last year we took Liam to the pumpkin patch late in the fall and it was freezing, so we decided to go early this year while it was still somewhat warm.  Since Liam is old enough now to really get into holidays and activities, we really had some fun this year.  In true Iowa fashion, he got to play in a box of corn kernels, go on a hay-rack ride through the corn field, and go down the plastic tube slides.  Eva slept through the whole two hours we were there, which made life a little easier (and a little snugglier for me).  

They have a huge corn maze, which we didn't want to tackle with a two and a half year old, but you can even go at night with flashlights.  I told Greg that would make such a fun date night, to which he said:  "Ya, teenagers would really have fun doing that."  Or for almost 30 year olds, but whatever, Greg.

Also, if you ever wake up on a Thursday morning and decide that it's a good idea to go get your bangs cut, just don't.

That One Night We All Slept

Let it be known that on September 16, 2015, both kids slept through the entire night and in their own beds.  I woke up at 6am realizing that I, myself, had slept through the entire night, which by the way hasn't happened in about three years, and thought the worst.  Did the kids run away?  Did I leave them outside yesterday and forget to bring them back in?  Kidnapped?  Alien abduction?  Nope, just slept, like normal human beings, through the night, in their own beds.  Bliss.

Eva Updates

Little miss Eva had her two month check up last week and she is still a peanut, weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs 14 oz, falling in the 10th percentile.  Liam always measured 80-90th percentile for weight and height, so Eva is a bit on the other end of the spectrum when it comes to her size.  She is barely fitting into her 0-3 month clothes, but is getting there.  A lot of the clothes I bought her for summer will probably go completely unworn because by the time she fits into them it won't be quite warm enough to justify wearing them.

She really makes you work for those smiles, but does smile a lot at the sound of Greg's voice.  I love hearing her giggle in her sleep, but she has yet to giggle when she's awake.  She's not an extremely high maintenance baby, but also not super easy going.  It depends on the day whether she prefers to be held all day or is fine to be left playing on the floor or swing.  Kind of like her personality, her sleeping is a bit sporadic.  Some days she literally sleeps all day and will also sleep fine at night, other days she sleeps for a total of two hours.  I've tried to get a consistent routine and schedule going, but it's difficult to keep a tired baby awake and have just allowed to sleep and play whenever her little heart desires.  On a typical  night she goes to bed between 8-9pm and will get up once to eat, usually around 4am, but she has slept through the night a couple times and has also had rougher nights here and there.  Again, very sporadic!  Just like her brother, she loves car rides and often falls asleep on the drive.  It's a pretty consistent occurrence to arrive home and have both kids snoozing.

We love her to pieces and love that she is getting to an age where she is a little more interactive.  

I am off now to go blow on Liam's soup since he apparently cannot fill up his lungs and blow air out his mouth.  Toddler meltdowns are real.  

First Fall Happenings

The weather the last two days has been incredible.  I'll repeat that so you fully understand how I feel about this weather...IN-CRED-IBLE.  I'd be happy to live somewhere that stayed in the 60's and 70's year round, but in Iowa we only really experience that kind of weather for two weeks between a humid summer and snow storms in the winter, so we have to take advantage of it while it lasts.  We are lucky enough to live in a community that's pretty family focused, so there are always lots of activities to do with the kids.  The local "historic village" (I will call it that because I really can't think of another name for it) holds hay-rack rides and bonfires every other Wednesday of the month, so we took the kids to the first one this week.  Liam is obsessed with anything on wheels, so was all for the tractor ride.  Eva and I stayed behind and took a little stroll through the community.  It was a bit of a bumpy ride with the brick sidewalks, but she didn't seem to mind.  I couldn't help but smile because her chubby little cheeks were bouncing with each bump as we walked.  After the hay-rack ride, we went over to the bonfire and made some s'mores...yum.  By the way, how clever is it to use fudge cookies to make the s'mores?  Genius.  It is really getting me tempted to buy my own portable fire pit so we can make bonfire style s'mores at home.  I don't think Greg would mind if I came home with one...

How Today's Going

At approximately 7am, Liam comes into the bathroom as I am washing my face to hand me an object that appears to be a button.  Once he places it in my hand, it uncoils and ends up being a gigantic centipede.  It's funeral was held at approximately 7:01am at our master bathroom toilet.

Fast forward to 10:00am, we are all still in our pajamas and I'm itching to get out of the house as Liam is running back and forth in the hallway singing.  I pile myself and the kids, all still in pajamas, into the car for a Starbucks run.  I have to convince Liam to get in the car by telling him there are bugs on the floor and I need to carry him.  It works.  I can't even wear sunglasses to disguise my dark circles and lack of makeup because it's cloudy out.  We are now officially the hot mess express.  

It's now 10:10am and I'm still not ready to go home, so I take a drive a little out of town to look at some house lots and daydream about building a new house.  I peek in the review mirror and Liam is sleeping and realize i'm screwed the rest of the day.  If Liam sleeps for even just 5 minutes in the car he is recharged for the whole day, but will still be cranky in the afternoon due to lack of sleep.  

At 12pm, we are all still in our pajamas and Liam has eaten a chocolate cake pop from Starbucks and is refusing to eat real food for lunch.  As a healthy example, I have consumed my salted caramel frappuccino as my lunch.

Just wanted to give you a glimpse of a morning in the life of the mother of the year.

Pajamas at 5pm

Happy Labor Day!  We are doing absolutely nothing, with is a-okay with me.  If the weather cooperates, we may grill out, but that's about the extent of our celebration.  Greg's grandma, Mary, sent us home with some apples from her apple tree yesterday, so Liam and I made apple crisp this morning to eat after dinner tonight and we are all trying to muster up some self control so we don't eat all the toppings and crust before it's time to dig in.

Liam is obsessed with his Halloween pajamas, so Friday evening, we put pajamas on early (as in 5pm early) and I snagged some pictures of them both in their Halloween gear.  I think freshly bathed kids in pajamas is one of my favorite things about being a mom.  I will be so sad when the kids get older and don't want to wear fun pajamas anymore.  On another note, I think Halloween will be a blast this year.   Liam is finally old enough to pick out his own costume and really enjoy trick-or-treating.  I am so tempted to coordinate Liam and Eva's costumes, but will most likely let Liam pick his own and settle with anything that will fit Eva.  She's still quite the peanut.

I will have to close here, as Liam is demanding I sit with him while he drinks his milk.  

Hope you enjoyed the long weekend!

Random Updates

It's been awhile since I've written on here, but I wanted to get back in the swing of things.

Here's what we have been up to the last several weeks:

Eva started to smile at 6 weeks and it is the goofiest smile ever, but also the cutest.

For a whole week in August in Iowa the weather was cool enough to go outside in long sleeves and hats and it was everything.

Liam is still obsessed with drinking milk.  Here is documentation of him loosing it because I wasn't able to get him milk right that second.

The apple orchard is open now and life is now complete.

I went for my first outside jog since having Eva and learned two things.  1.  I'm starting running from scratch.  2.  Liam has outgrown the jogger.

We went to brunch at a winery with both kids one Sunday and it wasn't a shit show.  Success.

I've become one of those moms who coordinate their kids' outfits.  This happened.

 Eva turned two months old.  She loves being talked to, looking in the mirror, and tummy time.  I've gotten in the habit of calling her "Eva Diva" which is exactly what I feared people would call her if I named her Eva.  Fail.

Sweet Sundays

This Sunday was exactly what I had envisioned family life being as a little girl.  We went to church in the morning, Newbo Market for lunch right after, and ended the outing with ice cream.  The block where the ice cream shop is located has a couple pianos outside, so of course Liam was drawn to them like a magnet and we were all entertained by the musical talents of a toddler.  A treat for the ears if I've ever heard one.  When we got home and laid both kids down for a nap, I realized that I am right where I am supposed to be.  Life is obviously not perfect and I'm not going to pretend like it is, but those couple hours when we were out as a family of four for the first time, it seemed pretty dang close to perfection. 

 

The First Born

Since everyone loves a fresh new baby, Eva has been getting most of the attention for the past month.  Guests go straight to Eva when they visit.  Liam has to wait for a drink of milk or cereal bar until after I change and feed Eva.  Evenings are spent trying to comfort Eva during her witching hour while Liam entertains himself.  My biggest worry when we had Eva was how Liam would adjust to the new family dynamic.  While I have heard and agree that when you have a second child, your love doubles, the attention aspect still remains divided.  So, Liam, here's to you!

You are my first born.  You are the one who made me a mama.  You are my only son.  As a two year old, you have boundless energy and your Great Grandpa Jerry's smile.  Everyday you make me laugh and everyday you surprise me with what you have learned.  You can count to ten, name colors, and know a handful of letters.  But, more important than that, you are sweet, humorous, and helpful.  My love for you continues to grow each day and I love seeing you in the big brother roll.

You will always be my baby boy, but something changed when we had your sister, Eva.  When we brought Eva home, I no longer saw you as a baby.  Granted, you were no longer a baby for quite a while, but I saw you in a new light.  You are a toddler on the brink of becoming a preschooler and it wasn't until we had Eva that I really accepted that.  You still need cuddles, to be tucked in at night, and your diaper changed, but you are also putting away your own dishes, cleaning up your own messes, and putting on your own shoes.  Although you will always be my baby boy, you are no longer the baby in the family.  Part of me felt heartbroken, but the other part of me beamed with pride.  You are such a good big brother and are becoming quite the little man.

Know that mama feels just as bad as you do when I can't tend to your needs right away because your little sister needs attention.  I realize that you are frustrated, but I also realize that it will teach you patience.  Know that just because I am paying attention to Eva doesn't mean I love you any less.  If anything I love you more now that Eva's here because I've gotten to see what a great big brother you are.  Know that I feel guilty about the times where the TV is on most the day and dinner is less than spectacular because we are in straight survival mode.  Someday you will become a parent and realize that not every single moment can be filled with magical childhood memories and that having children can be straight up exhausting.  Know that I look forward to our one on one dates more than ever now.  I so much appreciate the time we get to spend together, just us.  Know that however our family dynamic may change across time, you will always be loved and that love will continue to grow.

Love, 

Mama

Touch-a-Truck

Greg came home unexpectedly early on Friday, so we gathered up the kids and went to a local event called "Touch-a-Truck."  This is right up Liam's alley, or at least I thought.  He is currently obsessed with all vehicles, but would not sit in one single truck we saw on Friday.  When we would ask him if he wanted to sit in any of the trucks, his response was similar to that of us asking him to jump in a pit of fire.  Needless to say, we didn't push the issue too much and let him admire the trucks from afar.

The rest of the weekend was spent with family, which most weekends are.  We are so lucky to live close to both sets of parents so that Liam and Eva can grow up being close to his grandparents.

As far as some of my favorites for the week go, Liam and I made this cookies and cream ice cream recipe we found on Pinterest.  Seriously so delicious and so rich.  It was probably more rich than the original recipe would have been, but we added about 5-10 (closer to 10) more cookies than the recipe called for.

I've also been loving the Burberry Eye Colour Creams for those quick days where I need to get ready, but don't have a lot of time.  One sweep on the lid with your finger tips and you're good to go!  These are as close as I'll ever get to owning anything Burberry, but they are well worth the money and I can see them lasting a long time.  I have several colors, but have been enjoying the Gold Copper the most.  Such a good color for summer!

I ordered these muslin quilts from Little Unicorn in summer poppy and navy stripe on a whim and ended up loving them!  We use Eva's for a blanket to lay on in the living room and Liam uses his to cuddle up on the couch or even take naps with.  Liam is not a kid to get attached to a blanket or stuffed animal, and has had many blankets and stuffed animals in the past, but he will ask for this one when he naps.  They're well worth the money since I can see both kids using them for several years, as long as they hold up.  I also love how they're meant for kids, but the patterns are sophisticated enough that they're not eye sores when left around the house, if anything they bring a nice little pop of color to the room!

Adjusting to Two

The weeks are seriously flying by and it's a bit bittersweet.  It's a toss up between being ecstatic about having another adult to help me with the childcare responsibilities and to interact with during the weekends and realizing that it's one more week closer to going back to work.  Each week it gets a little easier to handle two kids and I've been in awe of watching Liam fall more into the big brother role.  He helps throw away her dirty diapers, is always handy with the pacifier when she needs it, and is ready to block the sun from her face when we go on our walks.  Don't get me wrong, he still has his moments and seems to always want something the minute I sit down to feed Eva.  Whining has also become somewhat of a new habit since we brought Eva home, but overall the adjustment has gone smoother than expected.  I even got the balls to take both kids to the grocery store this week, which was my first outing solo with both kids.  A small success, but it seriously made me feel like super mom...whose super power is running errands with two kids.  

Now that Eva's a month old I feel a little more comfortable having others babysit her.  My mom offered to watch Eva so I could take Liam to his last kindermusic class, so I took the opportunity to spend some quality, uninterrupted, time with Liam.  I could tell he was enjoying the one on one attention.  Usually if I ask him for a hug or kiss, he's too busy playing and will flat out say no, which, by the way, makes me want to crawl in a hole when he does that in public, but he was all about the hugs, kisses, and mommy's lap during his class. We celebrated his last class with Orange Leaf and he got his chocolate fix with chocolate frozen yogurt and about a million chocolate flavored toppings.

On a total random note, my kids dress way nicer than me.  I realized that as I was snapping the above picture of Eva.  Since having Liam, my fashion game has seriously suffered, even to the point where I've worn jeans to work for the past two years.  Once I loose the baby weight I plan to do some revamping in that department, especially since my new job role requires a lot of teaching and in services.  I'm sure staff would respect me more if I wasn't teaching in distressed jeans...

A One Month Old and the Weekend



Well, our little lady is one month old already!  Little Miss Eva loves to be held and really lets her temper shine through when she's not in the comfort of someone's arms.  Greg calls her our little elephant because she is so noisy and sounds like a little elephant when she is grunting in her sleep.  I don't remember Liam being this noisy as a baby, but maybe I'm just forgetting.  It is so fun to hear Eva vocalize, grunt, and squeal (not so much at midnight, though)!

We are still in survival mode and adjusting to having two kids to look after, which means a lot of subway and cereal for dinner, but we're getting the hang of it and are just now starting to get into somewhat of a routine.  Saturday night I went out with my mom to see Jim Gaffigan and left the kiddos in Greg's hands.  Luckily the troops (a.k.a Papa Randy, Grandma Joni, and Uncle Logan) came in for support.  It ended up being a late night for all of us, so Sunday was a pretty sleepy day.  Not that I don't love playing with the kiddos when they're awake, but there is something magical about the whole family taking a nap at the same time.  Sunday afternoon I looked over to see Greg and Liam cuddling and sleeping and my heart about burst.  Most the summer has been us camping out at home during the weekends, so now that Eva is a month old I am hoping I'll be brave enough to take the kids out more.