My World

This picture. It's my world. 

And the fact that we are outside, with no snow and no heavy winter jackets is just icing on the cake.

That hot man in the back is my rock. Period. I need no other adult by my side as long as I have him around. He's my best friend and my soulmate. 

That 4 year old who is growing up before my eyes... he's the best son I could ever ask for. His brains and maturity amaze me daily and I live for sweet moments with him.

And that little one bundled in the stroller is my angel. I couldn't ask for a better baby girl and am so thankful she was added to our family.

Lastly, that 4-legged brown thing is my shadow. She follows me around daily and is our happy pup. She is Drew's best buddy and Ady's someday too.

My world.

Ady // 8 Month Update

Weight: 21 lbs-ish

Sleep:  This last week has been AH-MAZING. You were at like 9 nights in a row now of sleeping 11 hours straight and not waking once. That is, until last night when you woke at 4am. I'm pretty sure we are coming up on another ear infection. Naps are still random but you're getting closer to needing just 2 a day. 

Food: All breastmilk for the liquid again this month! That being said, the stomach bug wiped me near dry for a good week and the freezer supply is down to almost nothing. I'm doing everything to get it back up, but we will probably have to supplement this coming month. You tried some new foods like mango, green beans, potatoes and rice. You were NOT a fan of the green beans or rice. 

Diapers: Still wearing FuzziBunz size medium. 

Clothes: You are mostly in 12 or 18 month clothes except for a few 9month pieces that still fit. 

Talk: You still talk a LOT. Or pant like a puppy. Or growl like a bear. 

Teeth: 2 on the bottom with still no signs of any more.

Milestones: Is pivoting in a circle while on your stomach a milestone? Full on stranger danger is here as well and you can clap when we ask you to now. We're working on waving and you can kinda do this, but not all the time yet.

You also had your 3rd round of an ear infection and potentially a 4th now. UGH!

Oh, and we found out that you aren't a fan of us wearing hats (like baseball hats). The first couple of times I wore one you stared and stared at me and then got upset when I tried to kiss you. Still happy as a clam and a pretty mellow baby. Nicknames this month have been Chunk, Adalina and Chubbs.

And a few that didn't make the cut...

Stranger Danger

The pediatrician has always asked if Ady had stranger danger yet since she was about 4 months old. I would always reply with no, letting her know that she actual welcomes strangers and smiles big at anyone and everyone.

Well... that has changed. 

Drastically.

I noticed about a week ago that she wasn't a fan of being held by someone she had met before but thought nothing of it. And then on Sunday, I realized it was full blown stranger danger. I handed Ady off to my friend Jessica and within 10 seconds the lip came out and "get me outta here" crying began. And then on Monday their daycare had pictures and she was NOT having it. She got super upset when the photographers assistant got in her face. Thankfully I had to drop Drew off after an ENT appointment and was able to quickly turn her back to happy for some good pictures. We barely survived the Easter bunny by setting her down and keeping her facing forward so she wouldn't see him!

And here's my confession: I secretly love it.

I think it's adorable that she only wants her momma. Or daddy. Or anyone in her inner circle that makes up her weekly routine. We went through a phase when she was a few weeks old where she would only let me put her down to sleep. And that phase was ONLY me. At least now her teachers and Drew and Derek are included in her circle of trust, but it's still adorable. There's nothing sweeter than your child reaching for you when they are upset. 

I don't remember how long this phase lasts, but I'm a-ok with it lasting for a couple of months. Someday she'll be a threenager and not want a single thing to do with me. For now, I'll soak in my little mommy's girl. (Although my family does arrive next week and I sincerely hope she warms up again quickly to them!)

Who else secretly loved the stranger danger phase?

Pancakes with the Easter Bunny

This was our 3rd year attending this event and we love it! The slow-pace of watching the bunny while you eat and going up to him whenever you want is the best. Not to mention it's a better looking bunny than the mall bunny we have here and you get to chow down on pancakes. Oh, and bonus, you get to take pictures with your own camera instead of paying $15 for each 5x7. We met some friends there that have a little guy almost the same age as Ady and all the kids did great!

Ady wasn't too nervous and even smiled a bit. And look at my big boy letting the bunny put her arm around him even!

Weird coloring in the pics, I know. I didn't take a good camera which now I wish I would have. Oh well. Lesson learned.

Happy "Easter Bunny Pics on Every Blog Post" week! :)

Chubbs

It's amazing how much kids lose their chunk as they start getting mobile and I know that's only a few months away for us. I never want to forget the chubb on the littlest so today's post is centered around her rolls. I'm mighty proud of her girth and can't contain myself when I see her exposed skin. Seriously, it's like catnip to a cat. I can't keep my hands off her and I secretly wish I could put some sprinkles on her thighs and then eat them. They are too pinchable and kissable.

Not sure what I'm going to do when she starts losing the rolls.

Hump Day Happiness

I'm not big on overly dressing Ady up. In fact, you can find her at daycare often sporting some PJ's or sweat pants.

BUT.... when I was sent this ADORABLE baby infinity scarf, I about died. I love supporting small businesses considering I have one of my own so today I'd love for you to stop on over to Ashley's etsy shop here. She makes bow ties, headbands, scarves and so much more! She just opened her shop last year and the scarf Ady is wearing is listed as only $12. Spring is coming and that means no more jackets, making room for more accessories! Make sure the little girl in your life (she has baby, toddler and child sizes) has an infinity scarf to dress up her outfits!

And on another note, I have to leave a shout out for the Zipadee-Zip. Our little munchkin prefers to pull her pacifier out and play with it instead of falling asleep and the fact that her hands are covered in this thing help with that! I like that it's safe to roll around in and it's another lightweight layer to keep her a bit warmer. We've used this product for a few months now and I'm not sure I'm ready to give it up. They are known for being a 'swaddle transition' and it's not tight on their bodies at all.

If you're looking to give up the swaddle but would still like to keep their hands covered in something safe, I'd check this product out!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

From my little leprechauns to yours,

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Pretty sure this might sum up their relationship in pictures for the next few years. Ady trying to get the spotlight and an annoyed Drew getting pushed to the background. She's not even 8 months old and already a diva.

Great Wolf Lodge

A few weeks ago we booked an overnight stay at the Great Wolf Lodge for some fun in the water (and temperatures that weren't burn-your-face-freezing). It worked out perfectly as we were taken down (like the rest of America) with the stomach bug the week prior. We weren't back to 100% healthy, however, as Ady is going through another ear infection but I was able to get her on meds the morning we left and we made sure no water got in her ear. I decided to even leave the cameras at home and just snap pictures with my iphones. It was a nice, unplugged 36 hours.

Drew's personality isn't one to just jump right in to the unknown so we splashed around a bit in the shallow depths. Ady didn't mind having her legs in but was not a fan of sitting in water up to her shoulders.

After a couple hours of playing, Drew got upset and we knew we needed to head to the room. He hadn't napped that day and we could tell he was getting extremely over-tired. 

After some towel drying, we grabbed dinner at the restaurant, but ate at super speeds as Drew was beyond consoling and needed to get to bed. I was SUPER nervous that the bug was coming back as he was a bit lethargic so we shoveled our dinners down and got him back to the room. He was in bed by 7:07 and asleep by 7:09. Obviously the kid was over tired and needed to get some sleep.

The next morning started off much better with 2 happy kids and off to the fun we went. Ady enjoyed her first mum-mum, thanks to Traci for reminding me we should try them! And we, of course, indulged in some fruity drinks.

I almost got a super fun photo of the boys under the waterfall, but this kid ran in front and ruined my shot. So you'll just have to use your imagination with this one. Thanks kid.

The littlest angel slept like a champ by the water both days in my arms and I feel so blessed to have such a good napper. Oh, and could she hold her hands together any more sweetly?

We ended our stay at the arcade like usual where Drew earned enough tickets for a new whoopee cushion and some tootsie rolls.

You can barely see Ady in the mirror below, but she's there. And she's snoozing away just as deep as Drew.

While I don't recommend Great Wolf if you have just a baby, I'd highly recommend a trip if you have at least one kid who is 3+ years old. Who doesn't love some place that's 84 degrees inside and no snow in sight?!

Always the Organizer

I know I'm an organizer. I love lists like you wouldn't believe and pretty much have an excel spreadsheet for everything in my life. But as I sit here organizing the Color Run for a big group of friends, I realized something that bothered me and I'm not sure what to make of it. I'll admit, I do have an issue with over-analyzing everything but maybe some of you have felt this same way as well?

In general, except for a dinner date with a new girlfriend last weekend, it occurred to me that I had not been invited to anything except for the usual kids birthday parties in a very long time. Now, before you think this is a pity party, it's not, I just don't get it. I have a good amount of friends up here, and some of them I'm super close with, and we are often getting together. Whether it's playdates or moms night outs or dinner dates or shopping trips, I feel like we're constantly seeing friends and doing things with them and/or their kids. But 96% of the time I'm the organizer.  The last few nights out with friends (either couples or just the ladies) were organized by me. Most playdates were organized by me. The breakfast with Santa and pancakes with the Easter Bunny type events with friends as well as other outings with Drew/Ady's friends were all organized by me.

But here's where I get all deep and confused. Does that mean all of these people really aren't true "friends"? If I didn't plan another thing, would I get invited to anything? Deep, I told you, but it bugs me. I'm just keeping it real, but it bugs me seeing playdates that I wasn't invited to, or friends grab drinks and I wasn't invited. It more than bugs me, it hurts. I'm pretty sure none of my friends up here read this blog and I'm glad because I wouldn't want this to come off needy, and someday I'll laugh at this post, but if this blog is a journal, then this is my entry for today. I'm just in this weird limbo where I don't understand why people don't think of me when they plan get-togethers, Maybe that's just my role? They all know I'll organize something and they wait for that. And if that's the case, that's fine, but it would be nice to not always be in that role.

So, who wants to invite me over for a drink?

We all know I can't write a post without including a picture of the smallest family member....

Big Momma Has Arrived

One thing photographers joke about suffering from is GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) and now I get it. From cute buckets for those newborns, to adorable backgrounds for studio portraits to the endless amount of lenses out there, it's a real thing people. 

Last year I began itching for a new camera body but held out. It was going to be quite an investment and I wasn't fully convinced I'd rather have a new body over a new lens or 2. I held out for months while I researched my options, consulted with my photography mentors, posted questions on FB groups and more. I've always been a Canon girl but was even open to switching to Nikon if I felt that option was better. 

Another issue in my search was that I dread spending such a chunk of my profits (post taxes and other expenses) on a new camera and pocketing less mula. I realize the first couple years of any business are more about 'portfolio building' and less about making real money, but who doesn't love extra income? I'm also not the type of person to splurge on things for myself often. If it doesn't benefit my family or is a 'needed' item, I get major buyers remorse. Shoot, the last 'big' gift for myself was a Louis Vuitton that I purchase in Maui back in 2005 that I saved near 2 years for! When you're married to a Perpetually-Saving-Financial-Expert you don't tend to spend money on frivolous purchases. 

That's where my Discover cashback bonus came into play! I've had my Discover credit card for over 13 years and therefore had a hefty cashback reward balance of over $900. It pained me to have saved something for that long and wipe it clean but I had always wanted to make a big purchase for myself with it and the Canon 6d was the perfect item. So that plus the $300 rebate Canon was offering made the camera more reasonable and I knew it was the right time for me to make this leap. My t2i was great for a couple of years and then my t3i just as good for a couple more, but purchasing a full frame was going to put me into a whole new category of camera awesomeness. 

And Big Momma arrived this week.

There isn't one particular reason that I went with Canon again other than it's been a good brand to me for so many years that I just stuck with it. I still have lots to learn with the new system but so far I'm absolutely in love with the low-light resolution, sharper images and faster auto focus not to mention the fact that it's full frame. Also it has wifi which I've heard is a big bonus so there's that. Oh, and bonus, the shutter noise is slightly softer meaning it will hopefully wake less sleeping newborns! 

Happy New Camera Week to me! 

Lazy Days

Caught this moment the other morning while we were all lounging in PJ's being lazy. Man he loves her so. And I love them so. Despite the nipple biting by nugget and the tantrums by the turkey, I still love them so. 

And no, I don't let my 6 month old watch TV. She was on the couch a total of 2 minutes while I went to the bathroom.

I adore this phase where I can lay her down and she won't move far. It's great to be able to get some house cleaning done while the kids are playing and not worry about her getting into anything! Plus, she loves watching her big brother play and I think it's adorable how he 'checks' on her from time to time. 

Is it conceited to say that we make cute kids? I don't care. We do.

And apparently little nugget also learned how to pant like an excited dog and does this ALL the time now...