South Haven, Michigan // take 2

So we found this gem of a city last year when looking for a quick, last minute getaway before baby #2 was to be born. It's less than 5 hours away, it's a small adorable lake town that has beaches with beautiful, fine sand and there are tons of cottages right near the beaches to rent. If I showed you this picture would you believe we weren't on an ocean coast?

So this year we decided to have my parents join us at the cottage and rent a slightly larger one. It ended up being a HUGE 3-bedroom that had a finished basement and could technically sleep 10 people. We had a GREAT time just relaxing on the beach for hours and hours with the weather being mostly beautiful. The first day there it was CRAZY misty, but warm and after that we only had a bit of rain. It was sunshine for the majority of the trip. It was super hard to narrow down pictures for this post so here are my faves with a bit of commentary where needed. 

We made a friend on the beach...

And spent every evening in the front rocking chairs...

I ADORE this picture of my dad and Ady having a 'conversation'...

Even Uncle Bean and his girlfriend Lauren made it over to the cottage from Detroit for a day...

We rented a kayak for a few hours and Drew got rides with Gramma, Poppa, Uncle Bean, Derek and myself...

This is beyond cheeseball but I couldn't help myself. The sunsets were AMAZING...

This one enjoyed a couple naps on Gramma beachside...

Ady // 11 Month Update

Oh little worm. Your personality is coming through more and more and that kinda scares me. The level of sass and drama is crazy compared to Drew when he was this age and goodLAWD can your attitude change in a millisecond. Your dad and I laugh a lot at how quickly you can throw yourself back when you don't get what you want. Overall you're still such a happy baby though who doesn't mind her carseat and still sleeps like a champ.

Weight: 22 lbs,9 oz
Height: 29 in

Sleep:  You still sleep about 11-12 hours at night. Naps are still more random than Drew's were at this age but you generally take a couple a day ranging from 20 minutes to 2 hours. 

Food: Momma just finished pumping. Yes. I still was. But these last couple of weeks my supply has tanked with all of the additional running and calorie counting and this chapter has come to an end. Your bottles this month started at about 40% breastmilk but the last couple of weeks were closer to 10-20%. I have a few sacks saved in which I'll add an ounce to bottles for flavor, but you'll be mostly formula next month. You tried a TONS of new foods this month and you can pretty much eat what we're eating as long as it's not too hard. Some of your faves include mac n cheese, grapes, pasta and puffs. 

Diapers: Still wearing FuzziBunz size medium. 

Clothes: You are mostly in 18 or 24 month clothes.  

Talk: You're still making dada, mama, papa, baba sounds all the time. 

Teeth: Still no new teeth. Just 2 on top and 2 on the bottom. Drew had a ton of teeth and even molars by 11months so this is super odd for us. 

Milestones: You pull up now and often are standing in your crib when you wake up and we come in. It's super cute. Also, trash cans have had to be all picked up. I don't know why they are fun for babies but you will get EVERYTHING out if it's left on the ground. Yuck. And you've started cruising along stuff and can use your walking dinosaur pretty well!

LOVED being on the beach with you last week my little ladybug. It was fun watching you play in the sand and I love how your skin has a bit of a tan. But let's not even discuss how close you are to turning 1. Momma will be shedding a lot of tears that her baby is already that old this month.

And a couple outtakes followed by THE most beautiful eyes ever.

Color Run 2015

So last year I was pregnant and couldn't attend. This year, I organized a group of 9 mommies, but 2 had to pull out last minute due to sick babies. We called ourselves the 'Motha Runnas'. The  7 of us had a blast with jello shots in hand and dancing shoes on! Here are a few before pics...

And some 'after' shots...

And then we tried to release packets ourselves but failed miserably at doing it all at the same time....

Whether you're 23 or 43, definitely participate in this fun run if it comes to your city!

Beach Baby

I love that we live 5 minutes from a beach. Sure, it's not Florida, but in the summer we can at least pretend it's located in a warmer state and that it leads to a beautiful ocean and not just Lake Erie. I do a ton of summer photography sessions at one particular section of the beach and figured I'd snap some of my little angel the next time we were there. I think it was her first time sitting in sand and I loved watching her explore it.

We haven't had a lot going on this week so I figured I'd post some of my favorite shots!

Love the small boardwalk that runs along the beach as well. 

And probably my favorite. Rolls filled with sand.

In case you were wondering, yes, my other kid was there too. 

T-Ball Snapshots

Tball year 2 is in the books. Although it was still pure chaos and more a teaching season as opposed to play real games, it was still fun for Drew. We've got plenty of time to get competitive and win actual games, so for now it's just for fun. For now, daddy can just laugh when the ball gets hit to Drew and he doesn't move. And for now, we can all think it's cute when the outfielders are picking flowers as opposed to pay attention.

For some reason, this stance and posture reminds me of a college baseball player. Total glimpse into the future!

Drew's favorite part? Not playing catch or running the bases or hitting the ball. It's the ice cream treats the coach brings on the last day.

Rides, Rides and more Rides

We have a little kiddie park here that has about 10 carnival-type rides for kids about 6 and under. There is a mini rollercoaster and other swirly rides that we love to visit a couple times a year. It's super cheap and Drew loves everything there. Last year I was 9 months pregnant so I could only go on the slow train with him, but this year I could do more. We went this past Saturday and despite the great weather, it wasn't that busy meaning we did everything within 30 minutes!

Ady enjoyed her snacks and did great in the stroller the entire time.

But this, THIS is why I love doing fun stuff. Although he's almost 4.5, I catch glimpses of my baby Drew when he naps, wherever that might be.