Monday, January 8, 2024

Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Oh My!

The fall really got away from me! When I checked to see when I last posted and saw it was all the way in the middle of October I was fairly surprised. I knew it had been a while but that was a pretty long while. So I have a few things to get caught up on. And I better do it now before we add in another little cutie that will need her own updates as well! We are in the final weeks until baby girl arrives and I am both so excited for her to be here but also a little overwhelmed at the prospect of how everything is going to change. But it’ll be here before we know it and we can’t wait! 

So going way back to where we left off with all the pumpkins. We had the best time enjoying some Halloween festivities with our little guy. He’s really still too young to appreciate or understand trick or treating so we figured we wouldn’t be trick or treating in the neighborhood. That felt too much like hubby and I just asking our neighbors for candy. 


So instead we opted to take him to the Aquascarium event being put on by the aquarium. It was a few days before Halloween and he got to wear his costume and see all of the aquarium creatures while also picking up some candy along the way. He loves the aquarium so this seems like a great option for this in between year. 


JB made the cutest little monkey and while the trick or treating aspect was a bit confusing, he overall had a great time!

 

And on actual Halloween, even though we didn’t participate in the trick or treating- we did head up to the neighborhood costume contest/parade. This time our little monkey had his banana with him thanks for our pup Bo and we walked in the parade. I think we were robbed that he didn’t win but it was fun anyways. 

Right after Halloween we had some family photos done. We have used this photographer for JB’s newborn photos, a family shoot ahead of Christmas last year and again this year. 

And because I had a pretty solid bump at this point, these doubled as both family photos/Christmas card photos and maternity photos. I didn’t do maternity photos with JB so it’s nice to have some professional shots of the belly this go around. It was a bit of a hot mess, at least it seemed that way to hubby and I. 


Since the time of day we were doing the photos is not always ideal for him. He was a bit cranky and doesn’t really understand what posing for a photo means so was pretty resistant to any of the posed photos of the three of us. But somehow our photographer worked all her magic and captured some of the sweetest photos. I’m so happy to have these from this precious time. 

Thanksgiving rolled around shortly after, and we celebrated by having my grandmother over. She doesn’t live far so it has worked out each year we’ve lived here for me to go pick her up and bring her to our house for a few days around Thanksgiving. It’s great to have her here and so fun for her to get some time with JB too. My in-laws cam the day after Thanksgiving for the rest of the weekend which was also great! I managed to not take a photo on Thanksgiving but we did snag one the next day when we put up the tree!



 We ate plenty of food and all just followed JB around. Unfortunately at the end of the weekend he began not feeling well which then began about 2 weeks of illness in our home. JB had RSV and was truly just pitiful. And just a few days later I began coming down with it myself as well as the hubs about a day or two after that. And let me tell y’all this virus just lingered and lingered. 

But as we were finally feeling better we were able to sneak up to visit my sister’s family for a few days. We dropped off Christmas gifts, got to check out their new neighborhood, visit a local brewery and the cousins got to spend some time together which is always so fun!  


And I got to see one of my best and oldest friends. She was hosting a little Christmas favorite things party and so I timed them trip to be able to see my sister and go to the party too! It is always the best to see her and the weekend was great, even if it flew by.

By the time we were back from this trip it was pretty much time to start gearing up for Christmas! We visited Santa, which went slightly better than last year but he is still more of a fan of Santa from afar than up close.


We were going to be hosting my husband’s family (parents as well as his brother and sister in-law and their pup) for the actual holiday which meant a full house! This was so fun to have a household full of people to enjoy the Christmas magic with a little one. 

JB had the best time on Christmas, he was so excited about every single gift and it definitely took us a while to get through everything just because he had to stop and play with everything for a bit before looking at anything else but it was the best time watching him  be so excited. 


He doesn’t understand the concept of Santa yet but he definitely recognizes Santa and likes to point at him and say “ho” whenever he sees one. Next year I think he’ll be more aware of the magic of Santa which will add a whole new layer of fun. He also loved anything snowman related this year and loved painting out every single on in our neighbor’s yards during our daily walks. 




As the Christmas frenzy died down, we just spend the last days of the year getting the house back in order, doing a few little projects to get organized and start gearing up for baby, We are eagerly looking forward to all 2024 has in store for us. Hubby and I will be celebrating our 3rd anniversary in another week and then will be joined by our little girl not too long after that.We can’t wait to watch JB become a big brother and expand our hearts even more for this little one. 


Happy 2024 everyone!

Sunday, October 15, 2023

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere

It is full on fall over at our house and it has been such a fun start to the season. As I predicted, JB absolutely LOVES pumpkins. He thinks they are just the best. We hit up the pumpkin patch on the first of October which always feels like official fall to me. He was in heaven, looking at all the pumpkins. Just wandering from one to another, trying to pick them up, giving them hugs and pointing them all out to us. He couldn’t get enough. And frankly, neither could I of his sweet excitement. 




The pumpkin patch we visited has wagons for you to carry your pumpkins and that might have been the best part. He loved getting to ride in the wagon, pulled by his daddy and carry his little pumpkins. He held his little mini pumpkin the whole way home too.



And since getting the pumpkins set up on the porch, we take pretty regular trips out there to check on them. And by check on them I mean, pick them up, rearrange, try and stack them, and give hugs to the big ones.


And because one trip to the pumpkin patch just isn’t enough, this past week we headed back for round two. This time with a friend and her kiddos. It was just as fun second go round. He was still excited to check out all the different types of pumpkins and we came home with 3 more. And this time we also got to check out a few of the fun things in their kid zone. 



I also of course need to add in what you probably just noticed from this new picture… his haircut! Our sweet boy got his first big boy hair cut and looks all grown up now. I was quite emotional about it at first but he is just too cute and I love it. 



He got to experience his first bounce house! It was hilarious to watch him try to figure out how to maneuver but once he got oriented, he didn’t want to get out! There were also a few wagon rides. One in the kid zone that produced the world’s sweetest most joyful smile.


And of course a ride through the patch while we picked out the pumpkins. I love the way he holds on with both hands the whole time. Even when I handed him his mini pumpkin, he took one hand off to grab it, set it down and then immediately back to holding on. But he loves it! And getting out was his least favorite part of the day. 




Speaking of pumpkins, there is one more pumpkin in our home…oh wait that’s not a pumpkin just my belly! But some days it feels like a pumpkin! I’m over halfway through this pregnancy and overall it has been such smooth sailing. I’ve continued to have minimal symptoms which I’m so grateful for. Although, I’ve been feeling that acid reflux creep in and if you read along with JB’s pregnancy you know that was a huge pain for me last time. Hoping it doesn’t get as severe with this little gal. I’m back to seeing the chiropractor and that’s been great for any aches and pains so we are just trucking right along.


We’re starting to get JB’s big boy room organized. Slowly. Very Slowly. But we moved out a desk that was in there to give him a play nook and we added a bookcase for all of his great books! Now just to find some cute sheets, and get his toys organized, and get bed rails and move his clothes and so on and so forth. This doesn’t all have to be done right away as we’re not intending to move him until a few months after baby sister arrives but we want him to be able to hang in the finished room before the move some to be comfortable there. 

This pregnancy is flying by and I can’t believe in right around 4 months we’ll have a second little pumpkin to love! We are so lucky! 



Thursday, September 14, 2023

Catching Up

It sure has been a while since I’ve been on here. And believe me, it’s not for any lack of desire to write. I have plenty of want when it comes to my personal writing. What I seem to have been lacking in the last several weeks is the time, energy and brain space. I do write for the mom blog at Caden Lane and so lately if I happen to find the time and energy, it goes there. But here I am, with a few free minutes, a freshly brewed cup of (decaf) coffee and a napping toddler and a newfound burst of energy. So I’m writing. 

Before I go any further, my most important piece of information to catch you up on is that…I’m pregnant! Now most of you probably know this because you either follow me on social media or you read my momma’s blog and this information has been out there a few weeks. But alas, I still feel like I need to make an official announcement here. Even if I dawdled to do it until I was 18 weeks. WHAT? Almost halfway and I can’t even believe it! We cannot wait for our newest addition and to see JB as a big brother. 2 under 2 will be wild but oh so sweet!

When I tell you that we have been through the wringer in the last few weeks I am not kidding. JB and I both got Covid and let me tell you that taking care of a toddler while you’re ill and pregnant is a STRUGGLE. And then as soon as you just barely begin to round the corner they then get sick and become extra clingy and needy- well it makes for a long week. We then unfortunately lost my uncle the following week, and while it was wonderful to get to see family that we hadn’t seen in quite a while, the emotional toll was heavy. And then to top it all off, as we thought we were getting back to normal, our little guy ended up with hand, foot and mouth disease. This is the absolute worst. He has been so pitiful in his discomfort and there really isn’t much to be done but wait it out, give lots of snuggles, popsicles and all the new activities we can think of while cooped up in the house.
Even sick, he sure is the cutest/sweetest boy I know!

So aside from all of this craziness, what all has been going on? 

I’ve been growing, growing growing! This pregnancy has been pretty different it seems to me but largely I think that’s due to having a toddler to chase after. With JB’s pregnancy, we moved right at the beginning (around 8/9 weeks) and I wasn’t working so I had all kinds of time to just soak up and enjoy pregnancy. I read all the pregnancy books, took 3 different online pregnancy courses, practiced Hypnobirthing sessions, took all the naps etc. And it seemed to take FOREVER for the pregnancy to pass, in an enjoyable way but nevertheless I felt like I’d been pregnant forever by the time he arrived. This time around I am shocked every time I realize I’m a week closer. When I say out loud that I’m almost half way I just can’t believe it because it seems to be flying! 

Otherwise though, my pregnancy has gone very smoothly. I had minimal nausea at the beginning and my main symptom was just being absolutely exhausted. During most of my first trimester, I napped when JB napped just to be able to get to bedtime without falling asleep standing up. As I hit the second trimester I slowly began getting more energy back and feel like I’m finally in a good space- although I don’t turn down a nap if I can find the time! I haven’t had many other symptoms yet and for that I am so grateful. I did bust out the pregnancy pillow last night as I can start to feel myself getting a bit more uncomfortable and achy but otherwise feeling good! 

We found out we were expecting a girl a few weeks ago which was such exciting news! Hubby and I actually did an at home blood test when I was about 8 weeks along and it also said girl, but I wasn’t fully willing to believe it until I had it confirmed via ultrasound. JB may not know what’s coming, but we are very excited to be adding a little girl into the family. 

Don’t let his face fool you, JB loved it! It was just very sunny up there.

We had my parents in town not long ago as well and got to do some sightseeing in our own city. There have been several things in the area we’ve been wanting to do and my parents hadn’t had a chance to see much of our city either so it was the perfect opportunity. We decided to go checkout the incline railway. It is a super steep ride up Lookout Mountain and you are greeted with some beautiful views at the top! And of course a stop at Clumpies ice cream was a must! 

JB was a huge fan of ice cream and it kept him occupied while we waited for the train.

We took a day trip over to Knoxville recently and took JB to the zoo. We have family in the area and so we got to see my grandmother and aunt and uncle and then enjoy a day at the zoo seeing all the animals. JB LOVES animals so he really enjoyed it! 


And just before we got hit with HFMD we celebrated my 33rd birthday. We mostly took it easy, which was honestly exactly what I needed. I got to sleep in a bit thanks to hubby, read a whole book during JB’s two naps, do my nails and just relax. We also got to have a date night just mom and dad. It was our first time leaving our little one with a sitter and it went great! It was so nice to be able to go out and celebrate together and just enjoy some one-on-one time that can feel few and far between in this season. 

                       

So while a lot of days have been filled with exhaustion, crankiness, illness and cleaning/sanitizing, there are so many moments of joy, and excitement as we walk towards the next season of our family. I’m so grateful for the little life we’re building, even on the days that are hard. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to squeeze in several more posts between now and baby girl’s arrival to keep up with both the excitement and the day to day of life. 

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

One Year

I am obviously extremely behind in getting this one posted…seeing as baby boy is now almost closer to 14 months then 12. Whoops! It has been crazy around here and I keep trying to work on this draft and getting side tracked by other things. But let me just tell you that our first year with this little guy was nothing short of delightful. He is truly the sweetest, most precious little guy and we are just so lucky he’s ours. 

Stats:

Weight: 23.5 lbs putting him in the 70% for his weight. He is still delightfully round with the sweetest cheeks and solid thighs and I’ll be so sad to start seeing those little baby rolls fade away as he looks more and more like a little boy and less and less like a baby.

Height: 29.5 inches…he grew 10.5 inches this year :) But he is still hanging in the 30% for his height. 


Likes: Walking…he is on the move! And now that he’s figured it out, he is loving his new found freedom with this new mode of transportation. And we are busy as ever chasing him around. He also still loves to be outside- pulling/pushing his lawnmower, playing in the water table, digging in the dirt, swinging, going for a walk, he loves it all. He loves to run at me to give a hug and likes to climb all over everything. He loves to look at books, and play with his toy tool box. He loves to climb the stairs and play with Bo as much as Bo will allow. He likes to play peek-a-boo in his tunnel or with his hands (he puts them over his ears instead of his eyes and I can’t get enough). He loves to say Bo, ball and dada and loves to eat snack especially fruit of any and all kinds. He loves music and will bounce to the beat and as always still loves his nightly bath. 

Dislikes: I honestly can’t think of many because he is just the happiest little guy. I mean he still doesn’t love having his face wiped and every now and then diaper changes lead to a fit but mostly if he’s unhappy it’s because he’s tired, hungry or not feeling well. I have noticed a little bit of frustration as not getting what he wants start to come out so I’m sure we’re entering that phase now that he’s a little more aware of what’s going on around him but he is still usually soothed pretty quickly. 


Eating, Sleeping, Playing:

He is doing better with his early mornings and is usually pretty consistently sleeping till at least 6, often closer to 6:15/6:30 even depending on when he went to bed. That may not sound late but we’ve had a lot of mornings that started before 6 so as long as we make it to 6 I’m pretty happy. He usually goes to bed around 7:30, give or take a little on either side but that is his sweet spot. And he is still napping twice a day, usually around 9:30 and 3ish just depending on our schedule that day. He is a champion napper at this point, and we’re very lucky! I’m hoping he’ll want to move to one nap in the next few months but this is working for now so we’re not messing with it. He eats 3 meals a day plus snacks, has dropped all formula feeds and gets regular milk now. He loves most food and is overall a pretty good eater. He’s been going through some phases of less eating some weeks and more others, wanting to boycott meat for a while then right back to it but all in all he eats well and we’re hoping he keeps it up! Some of his favorites are bananas, clementines, berries, broccoli, sweet potatoes, peas, corn and carrots. Loves the produce! Some of his favorite things to play with right now are his little toy toolbox/shape sorter, his sports balls, stuffed animals like his monkey, reading lots and lots of books, his toy lawnmower and tractor outside and bubbles. 



Favorite Moment of the Month: 

His birthday party of course! I wrote all about his birthday party in a blog post I wrote for Caden Lane, so feel free to check that out here. But we had a farm themed party for him, complete with a petting zoo. He loves animals and was so excited to see all the animals in his yard. And definitely loved the cake. We loved getting to celebrate our guy with so many people that love him and us so well. 


I honestly can’t believe we’re here. We have a toddler! The year was simultaneously the longest, fastest year of my life. I loved every minute, even the ones I wished would hurry up. I feel so lucky to be his mom and while part of me mourns the infant stage that we’re leaving behind. I know I will find even more joy around the corner in this next season. 

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

11 Months

We are only ONE month away from a first birthday here! I cannot believe it and need time to slow down immediately. Except I also just love every new stage and this little guy is just my absolute favorite. The last month has been so fun! He is moving all over, babbling up a storm and so interested in everything. We get to do all kinds of fun things together and I feel like he is finally at an age where he really enjoys it because he’s so much more aware of what all is going on. 



Stats:
Weight:22 lbs 7 oz ish…

We haven’t been to the doctor since about 9.5 months when we went in for an ear check so this is based on my own measurements at home. He is in 12 or 18 month clothes just kind of depending on the outfit. The 12 month stuff is all pretty snug but we are still rocking it! He’s not super tall so pants/shorts are tricky because bigger sizes are too long but the smaller sizes can be a bit tight so we just roll with it and do a little of both. I have been so fortunate to have a bunch of hand me down items from my sister’s two boys and a sweet friend, and it’s so fun to see him in the same outfits that I loved on all of them! And it helps my pocketbook too :) 


Likes: 
I mean what doesn’t he like? He is such a happy little guy and always so excited about all the things! He loves playing with his toys, reading books together, playing in his water table, watching out the window, cruising around the house with his push wago, throwing balls (or anything really), swinging on the porch, the vacuum cleaner, watching daddy mow the gras, dogs and birds and any other animal he can spot, opening cabinets and drawers and climbing on anything he can manage to get to! 


Dislikes: 
Being away from mama, not being allowed to do something he wants (ex. Pulling the corner protectors off the furniture) and having his diaper changed. The list is short and overall he is just the happiest little man- if he does get upset he can usually be consoled pretty quick by being picked up, eating a cheerio or going outside. 


Eating, Sleeping and Playing: 

Our day most days starts somewhere around 6:30 with naps at 9:30 and 2:30/3. He’s being going to bed sometime between 7:30 and 8. For the most part he is sleeping through the night which has been great! Although things are still a bit inconsistent with some random 5:30am wake ups or a middle of the night snuggle sesh. He’s a champion napper for the most part, sleeping for  about 2.5-3 hours during the day (split over his two naps). 


He is still getting 4 bottles with formula but we’ll be making the switch to regular milk right around his first birthday and cutting back a bit on the bottles. He eats 3 meals a day although the amount he actually consumes still varies a lot. Some meals he eats most of what I give him and other meals, it’s a few bites in the mouth and the rest is just for playing. But he’s growing great so we’re happy! Some of his favorites recently were the pork chops we had for dinner the other night, tomatoes, all the fruit and green beans. And cheerios…he loves cheerios! 


In between the sleeping and eating we try to do as much playing as possible! Usually in the mornings, we play with toys, go out to swing on the porch and then we go play upstairs (well he plays and this is when I exercise), then we usually play with some toys in his room before going down for nap. After his nap we usually go out for whatever our outing is that day (errands, swim class, lunch, the park etc) and then when we come home we like to play outside if it’s nice just hanging out in the backyard, playing in the water table, more swinging etc. There’s usually some time for books and indoor toys before nap time too. 

After his afternoon nap we almost always go for a walk unless it’s raining. I love our daily walks together and sometimes daddy gets home early enough to join us! Then it’s playing by mama’s feet while I make dinner- usually in the cabinets with the Tupperware or rolling his ball around the kitchen. After dinner there is often a little more outside time or some books and playing with daddy inside before we head up for bath and bed. 


I try to keep our days “busy” and he likes to go out and about with me and also loves to “help” out around the house. So sometimes playing looks like him holding the swiffer while I sweep the kitchen or him helping me fold the laundry or chasing around the roomba. We spend a lot of time together, sometimes being busy and sometimes doing the same things we’ve done a million times- it’s so much fun and exhausting and wonderful and sometimes monotonous and yet always new at the same time. It’s the best/hardest job I’ve ever had! 

Best Moment of the Month:
We had a fun month! We went to the zoo for the first time, visited cousins and he’s been walking with his push wagon which has been so fun to watch! He also has started high diving which is adorable, makes the cutest face to sniff something, and has 6 teeth!! It’s hard to choose a favorite but all of those are up there (except the teeth-I’m glad they’re there but getting them is the worst)!  

Now the countdown is on to the big NUMBER ONE! I can’t believe it and part of me thinks I’ll want to be a weepy mess about my baby being so big but I just know I won’t have time to be even a little sad because we have the sweetest day planned for him and he’s just going to be having so much fun that I know all I’ll be able to do is smile right along with him!