8.31.2016

Weekend High's & Low's


High's:

+Getting to watch Camden as a ring bearer in my brother-in-law's wedding on Saturday. Oh my heart-you guys! I can't even tell you all how proud we are of him and how well he did. We were unsure how he would do walking down a long aisle with a hundred people staring at him (and holding someones hand he didn't know) but he completely 100% ROCKED it! He walked the slowest I think he's ever walked and had this look on his face like, "why is everyone looking at me?!" It was literally the cutest thing I've ever seen. You know, besides his cute wedding attire (that gold bow tie and those suspenders!) that had my heart practically bursting out of my chest.

+Grayson being an absolute angel and sleeping for the entire ceremony AND reception.

(this was taken in the 15 minutes that he was actually awake during the reception - with Billy's grandma!)

Man, little boys. They're just the best.

+Billy's brother is MARRIED! We couldn't be happier for him. The bride looked so gorgeous and we're excited to have her in the family now! Billy was the best man and got so many compliments on his best man speech - he had the whole room laughing.



+Having the help of my parents for the day of the wedding. Since Billy was in the wedding, my parents offered to help me out with the kids and let's just say thank the lord for them! My stepmom held Grayson in her arms while he slept for practically the entire reception, and I even got some dancing snuggles out of Camden. Definitely goes down in my memory as something I won't forget.

+Fitting into the dresses that I rented from Rent the Runway. That's always a plus, right?


+Cam's newest obsession is with basketball hoops. He points and yells at each one we pass when walking around the neighborhood. He was pretty excited when Daddy lifted him up to shoot some baskets...



Low's:

+Even with the help of grandparents, still being utterly exhausted by the time 7pm rolled around. It was seriously tough carting around 2 kids for a wedding all day / night long and being off normal routines, etc.

+Rent the Runway forgetting to send the undergarments for one of the dresses. You know, for the one that was practically see through and that you needed to wear a full length slip with otherwise you'd be giving everyone quite a show. FAIL. I had to scramble and go out and buy one that matched my dress at the last minute.

+That due to the business of the wedding, we forgot to get a group family picture with the four of us. How could I forget that?!

+Billy and Camden getting into a bike accident once we got home on Sunday. Ugh. I almost don't even want to talk about it because of how sad we are. I've showed pictures of it before but Billy has a bike trailer that he pulls behind his bike which Camden rides in, and he's taken it out a good 25-30 times with zero no issues, but on Sunday when he went to turn a corner the trailer somehow flipped. Luckily, Camden was strapped in and wearing a helmet so he was okay, but he has a bunch of bumps, cuts, and bruises and was really shaken up. Not to mention...Billy is extremely upset about it since it was under his watch and he feels to blame. It's been so sad seeing Cam with all these cuts on his arm (and one on if face) but I'm just really, really, really thankful that nothing worse happened. It's safe to say Camden won't be riding in the bike trailer for a VERY long time...

+That due to the above I haven't focused much on my blog. It's getting the backseat right now but I know it's only temporarily. I'm struggling to find a balance between being the best mom I can be and also get some good quality posts up! I hope you all are okay with just 2 or 3 posts a week until I get into a better routine (and am on more sleep) because I know it's coming.

What have been some of your high's and low's lately?! I miss you guys-share with me! 

PS: How do we feel about Nick being the next Bachelor? I am obviously bummed it's not Chase (my fav from JoJo's season) and I actually hated Nick during Andi's season, but I'm actually pretty excited to watch it and for him! Anyone else?




8.23.2016

Grayson's Newborn Pictures



Newborn pictures are one of my favorite things in the entire world. The wrinkles...the poses...the tiny features, le sigh! The cutest!

I have been so excited to share Grayson's pictures that we had done back when he was just 10 days old. Our photographer Patti (Patti Rose Photography for those of you local gals wondering!) did such an amazing job capturing all of his preciousness - I cannot wait to get some of these made into canvases to hang in his room!

We just could not be happier to have this little man in our lives! 


8.22.2016

Weekend Recap


If an anniversary celebration, a family trip the zoo, our youngest only waking up ONCE in the middle of the night, and 78 degree weather doesn't make for a good weekend then I don't know what does. 

That was our weekend in a nutshell. Good things ALL around!

On Friday my stepmom and I took the boys to the zoo, where Camden got to go on his first pony ride! I was a little nervous because they didn't have an option to really buckle him in or anything, but after explaining to him how to hold on tight with both hands (and I stood right next to him the whole time) he impressed me by holding on the entire time - he did so well and he had the most excited look on his face the whole ride! totally made my day.

Grayson must've not been too impressed by the animals because he snoozed the whole time. :)

soaking up some cuddles after the zoo (a little over 3 weeks old here!)

Like I mentioned on Friday, we went out to dinner to celebrate our SIX year wedding anniversary on Saturday and my parents babysat the kids. It felt good to get dressed up like a normal person and to forget about changing diapers for a few hours. Billy got me a David Yurman ring that I had been lusting after, and after chowing down on one of our favorite meals (filet for me, a half roasted chicken for him) we somehow ended up at Target buying diapers. Because clearly escaping diapers completely wasn't in the cards... ;) Hey, at least we could laugh about it!

 
And to top it off...Grayson decided to give us an awesome anniversary gift by only waking up once in the middle of the night (!!!)

Sunday was spent outdoors pretty much all day (went to a new park!) because we had the most beautiful weather ever. Not a cloud in the sky and not too hot! 

I know of a few boys that were loving it too...

Oh, and not pictured but equally as important and awesome...Billy watched the baby on Friday night (Cam was already in bed!) so I could meet up with a girlfriend for drinks. We sat outside and enjoyed a few glasses of wine, which made me realize I'm just not ready to see summer go. At all. Nope, not yet. Anyone else?

How was your weekend? 

8.18.2016

Loving Lately

Warning: this post is all over the place. Just kinda wanted to update you guys, share some things I'm loving, and ramble on and on just because well, this is my place to do just that, right? Right.

Happy almost Friday! I'm sorry I've still been a little MIA lately...things are still going well over here - Grayson is proving to be one of the sweetest, relaxed babies out there and he is the perfect addition to our family! We love him so much. It's been a huge relief to us that he doesn't have the same breathing issue or reflux that Camden had when he was a baby. He is, however, looking more and more like his big bro every single day, he's just a little chunkier!

Right now I'm just trying to find my new normal/routine with 2 kids (which I'm sure you can imagine is a little crazy in the beginning), but honestly I can't complain. The transition has been a lot smoother than I anticipated. The evenings are normally when I get some free time to myself and I keep saying I'm going to crank out a blog post, but then I look over at Grayson and his sweet little snuggles are just too good to pass up. He's already 3 weeks old - the time is just flying! I know I'll find a balance soon where my blog won't be neglected, so please don't leave me just yet. :)

So what else is going on? Well, Wednesday's and Thursday's seem to be the least chaotic days in my life right now because Camden is still going to his nanny's on these days, which gives me the one-on-one time with Grayson that I really crave and also gives me time to get things done! Yesterday I felt like a million bucks because I went shopping for 3 hours, paid bills, cleaned the house, took Rocky to get his haircut (I did forget about his appointment but when they called me I rushed him over, lol!), cooked dinner, and managed to relax a bit. Say whatttt?! I'm not sure how many times this will happen, so yes, totally documenting it.

On the days that I have both boys, my goal is simply to keep them both happy (ahem-minimal meltdowns I should say), alive, and make myself look semi-presentable by the time Billy gets home. And hey, we're doing pretty damn good I think! Getting out of the house at least once per day seems to be the key to keeping us all sane...especially Camden. Oh, and another key to my sanity has been to simply forget perfection. I tend to be really hard on myself and always want things to go smoothly, but the biggest lesson I've learned these past three weeks is to cut myself some slack and realize that our days WILL NOT be perfect right off the bat. Grayson might nap on the go a little more than I'd like (or even skip a nap)...Cam might watch one too many episodes of Mickey Mouse when I feed the baby...the dishes might pile up in the sink...and that's OK! This transition period won't last forever and we'll soon have our "groove" down.

Moving on...I wanted to keep it simple and share some favorites/things going on lately! 

+Our SIX year anniversary is next weekend, but we're actually celebrating this Saturday because Billy's brother is getting married next weekend! We will share an anniversary weekend :) My parents are babysitting our boys so that we can go out to dinner. We're going to Eddie Merlots which is also where we had our rehearsal dinner so it's a favorite of ours! I'm pretty stoked about it. Now what do I get Billy? #HELP!

+Essie's Gel Couture nail polish collection! The top coat and colors are legit people. You've got to try them (you can shop them here.) 

the middle red shade is my favorite (called "Rock the Runway"), that dark blue shade ("Caviar Bar") will be perfect for fall! 

+Speaking of Billy's brothers wedding...it's going to be insane. I'll have a 19 month old (who is the ring bearer!) and a 1 month old to take care of in a different city so I'm a little nervous how it'll all play out, but luckily my parents will be there to help me out since Billy is in the wedding. Thank heavens for grandparents! Also, since I will be just one month postpartum I decided to try rent the runway for the first time (since they will send you two different sizes) so I'm crossing my fingers the dresses I ordered will work. 

+Bachelor in Paradise. So bad you just can't look away!

+The fact that I can drink wine and Corona Light again. Amen. 

+Moments like this. Camden is constantly showing Grayson his toys and trying to share them with him. Melt my freaking heart, I'm so excited to watch them grow up together!


+I'm planning a trip to visit Steph in Texas. Finally! More details soon. :) 

Alright, that's enough from me today. I have a bunch of posts I'm currently working on (including a few giveaways) so be on the lookout! Also, would anyone be interested in a "day in the life of" post with the kids schedules and such? I know I like reading them from other bloggers, so maybe I'll do one? 

Have a good day, friends!

8.08.2016

CURRENTLY...


Confessing: that I keep thinking back to my maternity leave with Camden because I thought taking care of a newborn was difficult, and now I'm over here like it's a BREEZE compared to the toddler days! It's so funny how different it is this time around! 

Loving: (1) that precious picture above from Grayson's newborn session that our photographer sent me! My heart just bursts every time I look at it!! I can't wait to share all of the pictures soon (thank you Patti!) 

(2) These jeans that I bought from the Nordstrom Sale. I needed a new dark pair and they are super flattering!



(and if I had to link to a shirt I really want for the fall it would be this one...just saying) 

(3) Grayson's name blanket (from here) Cam also has this same blanket in another color...they are truly the best! They are so soft...I get compliments on it all the time.


Using: Our double stroller all. the. time. Many of you have asked about it or wondered if you would need one for kids this age gap apart and I would definitely say yes! We love it!

 
Enjoying: Maternity leave! Camden still goes to his nanny's 2 days per week so it gives me a chance to have one-on-one time with Grayson which is so nice. My girlfriend Angela is also on maternity leave (her son who is 5 weeks older than Grayson) so we grabbed breakfast yesterday with our boys...so fun! Oh, and having the Olympics be on during my leave doesn't hurt either...

Wearing: my favorite necklace that I couldn't show you when I was pregnant since it had Grayson's name on it! I don't take this off, I love it so much. Many of you have asked me where I got it from and it's from this adorable shop...


 Wondering: how I will go to the bathroom in peace, or get my makeup done (aka today is the first day I have BOTH kids on my own) Pray for me! :)

HAPPY FRIDAY! (and sorry for the excessive baby related things!)

Life With 2

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a good weekend...the weather has been beautiful here!

I wanted to do a little update now that we have 2 little kiddos running around. Aside from getting less sleep...our house looking like a tornado came through it 5 times per day...eating off of paper plates (husband loves this because this means no dishes ha), life with 2 kids has been an easier transition for us than going from 0 to 1. We've only been a part of the 2 under 2 club for 2 weeks, so I know there will be many many challenges and crazy times ahead but the first few weeks have been a lot easier this time around.

It's not as much as a lifestyle change because we're already doing the whole diaper thing (what's a few more in the bag?) and Grayson mainly just goes along with Camden's schedule for the day since he's sleeping so often. You just know what to expect and aren't questioning as much! Grayson has been good about sleeping on the go, so we're trying to get out when we can since it works right now. We've made it out to the park, splash pad, and to a mexican restaurant for lunch so far...with DRUMROLL...no tears or temper tantrums! Miracle? Maybe.


Grayson...Absolute sweetheart. He is doing really well-he was back up to his birth weight as of a few days ago. He is giving us some good stretches of sleep at night, but the past few nights he's been waking up really uncomfortable in the middle of the night with gas, and it makes me feel so badly for him! I'm trying to pinpoint if it's something in my diet, or what that is causing it. I've said since I became pregnant with Grayson that I will put my best effort into breastfeeding or pumping with him but I'm not going to stress myself out about it if it doesn't work. Camden still needs so much direction/supervision from me that it makes it really difficult to carve out 30-45 mins every 2-3 hours where he's pretty much unattended, so at this point I'm just taking it day by day. I have no problem switching to formula if I start to feel too stressed over it all (because fed is best, right?)


Camden...seems to be doing great with his new big brother role! When Grayson wakes up in the morning he always run right over to him to sit by him. He likes to give him his paci and rub his head...it melts my heart. He has been surprisingly gentle with him, too. If you know Cam, he is a little firecracker but when he gets close to Grayson he slows down and is really sweet with him. He's already trying to hand him his balls to play with him, which makes me so excited for the years to come to watch them play together!

Mommy...One thing no one warned me about was the guilt and sadness I would have about not being able to spend as much time with Camden and how hard it is on me that he's not "the baby" anymore. This has easily been the most difficult part for me (besides trying to breastfeed with a very active toddler running around!) because I'm used to being able to do everything for Cam, and now my time is divided between two kiddos who need me. Billy does most of his bedtime routine now and also hangs out with him when I feed Grayson, so sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of time with him and he's mad at me for it. I know that this will get better once Grayson is a little older, but it's still hard because when I give Grayson attention I feel like I'm hurting Camden's feelings, and when I give Camden attention I feel like I should be loving on Grayson. Ohhhhh, the emotions! ha!

Other than that, all is going great and I feel so thankful that everything is going smoothly so far. 

Here's some of my favorite things that have been essentials for us the past week and a half: Chicco Double Stroller // Chicco KeyFit Infant Car Seat (I like this one so much more than the Britax one we had for Cam) // Covered Goods Nursing Cover (I use this as a cover on the car seat too) // Boppy Newborn Lounger

8.05.2016

Grayson's Birth Story


In the week leading up to my due date my doctor talked to me about how I felt about inducing me at 40+1. She was concerned with my original request, which was to wait until 41 weeks to give Grayson time to come on his own, due to my platelets being low. After talking things over with Billy, I felt really torn because I really didn't want to be induced (and have to have pitocin), but at the same time I really wanted to be able to have an epidural. We both agreed that me being able to get the epidural was the most important (same rings true like it did with Camden's delivery-I'm not trying to be superwoman during labor but I have so much respect to those who go natural!), so we decided to go ahead with the induction for the day after my due date, the 27th. This also meant that both of my boys would be born a day after my due date...kinda cool that it worked out that way!

The days leading up to Wednesday the 27th were spent making sure our house was in order, packing last minute items, and spending as much one on one time with Camden. I remember Tuesday night rolling around and feeling relieved that I could put Camden to bed, take a long bath, do my hair, have arrangements for Camden all set up, etc. Not going to lie, it was pretty nice! The type A in me was happy that there was no rushing around, haha.

We both woke up so excited on Wednesday knowing that we would soon meet our baby! Everything went smoothly that morning and we got to the hospital on time ready to get the show on the road.

Once we got settled into our room and I got all hooked up, the nurses broke my water first around 1030am which was way more uncomfortable than I thought it would be. My water broke on it's own with Camden so having it be broken by the midwife felt really strange and frankly, hurt like hell because it took her awhile to get it done. At this point when they checked me, I was still 2cm dilated and 70% effaced. The midwife also mentioned that she was able to feel Grayson's fingers when she checked my cervix, but didn't really make it seem like a big deal at the time and not to worry about it, thinking that he would probably move it.

Soon after that I was started on a low dose of pitocin to get things going. I labored on an exercise ball most of the time and Billy tolerated episodes of Real Housewives of Orange Country for a few hours. Around 1:45pm, I was 4cm (progressing very slowly like how it went with Camden) but the contractions were about 3 minutes apart and I couldn't talk through a lot of them so I decided to get the epidural (I also didn't want to wait too long to ask for it because of my platelets potentially dropping more.)

The epidural went in fine and everything was going smoothly until they checked my cervix again and mentioned Grayson's hand being over his head still. I could tell they were getting more concerned by this, as they recommended getting on my hands and knees for 30 minutes to try to get him to move it. Because of the epidural and feeling numb, my legs felt incredibly heavy so holding myself in this position was not easy but I held myself like that for 45 minutes praying that it would work and his arm would be in a different position. The midwife even tried pinching his hand to see if he would retract it, but he still decided to show us that he was the one in control and that hand was staying put! 

Well, when they checked me again they found that this time his hand wasn't just resting on his head it now was straight out over his head and through my cervix. NOT the best of news. My nurse sat down on my bed and told me we needed to have a serious conversation and just from the look in her eyes I knew what she was going to tell me....that he couldn't be delivered vaginally, because it would be too dangerous, and that I would have to have a csection. She told me she's only seen this happen 2-3 times in the past 5 years and it's very rare! Just my luck, right? :)

I immediately started crying and shaking as this was the one thing I was scared of happening and wanted to avoid. I was terrified not only of the surgery, but because I really wanted to deliver him vaginally, knew the recovery would be longer, and that I wouldn't be able to pick up Camden for a while. I couldn't pull myself together, even with Billy and my nurse and my doctor being so supportive and holding my hand talking me through all of my fears. I was a mess.

Once I calmed down a bit and realized this was happening whether I liked it or not, Billy got into his scrubs, I got the spinal, and they wheeled me back for the surgery. I remember looking up and seeing all the lights in the OR and felt like I was on an episode of Grey's Anatomy...I hated it. Billy stayed so calm, not showing any stress at all, and held my hand/reassured me the entire time. My nurses/doctor were so caring talking me through the process as well...they really did everything they could to make me try to feel comfortable. The surgery itself went really quickly and wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. I felt a little bit of pressure and was freezing cold and shaking, but that only lasted for a little bit. And of course, once Grayson was born and my doctor leaned over to show him to me everything instantly seemed right again. Tears of happiness flowed this time and I was over the moon in love with this little boy. Even though it wasn't my ideal labor and delivery, I was so happy that we had a healthy, perfect baby boy and that I could relax because it was all over...

 


After Grayson was cleaned up and weighed (8 lbs, 1.8 oz - 20.5 inches long), they handed him to Billy to hold and my heart melted into a million pieces. It was honestly a sight I will never forget - Billy's huge smile, seeing my son in his fathers hands, and even though I couldn't be the one holding him first the moment was absolutely perfect. Billy brought him over to me and placed him close to my shoulder so I could love on him, give him a big kiss, and soak in all his cuteness!

He was perfect, healthy, and we were so happy to call him ours.

 
 

I was able to breastfeed him shortly after I was moved out of the OR and felt so relaxed afterwards. Like I said, it definitely wasn't how I pictured things to go, but I know that in the end it was for the best and for that I'm thankful!

 

Fast forward to 7 days post partum and I'm honestly really surprised with how well I feel. Sure, the first few days were uncomfortable with the burning on my incision (and I had an awful cough which gave me so much pain the first few days), but I made it a big goal to walk around a lot and by the time we left the hospital I felt really good. I actually feel better than I did after giving birth to Camden. My incision is so small and the recovery hasn't been nearly as bad as what I had imagined in my head, which has kept my spirits up for sure! Oh, and not to mention the perfect 8 lb. baby who we were lucky enough to bring home with us and call ours...


To our sweet Grayson-
You came into the world with shock and awe, that's for sure. This first week with you at home has been something I've pictured in my head for the past 9 months and to have you here with us now gives me so much happiness. We are absolutely crazy about your sweet demeanor, chubby cheeks, and beautiful skin and eyes. Your big brother has even tried sharing his sippy cups when you're hungry and tried feeding you his vitamins! You are SO loved by all of us and we cannot wait for all the memories in the future as a family of four. We love you!