5 on Friday

One. I know I'm biased but am I aloud to think I have the cutest baby in the world?! Uhh.. my heart... I could just eat her up! This little nugget is 9 weeks old and has the happiest personality. I am in shock at how fast time has gone by and how much she has changed! This little watermelon bubble is Crown and Ivy. They have some of the cutest baby clothes! 

Two. I just finished reading We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. It touches on teenage pregnancy and illegal immigration which normally would not be my cup of tea in a summer reading book but this one is excellent. I recommend it! Up next on my list is The Last Mrs Parish which I have heard is also excellent. 

Three. I am not a big lip stick/lip gloss person.. in fact 99% of the time you will find me rocking chapstick. I am super picky because I like a very natural look and everything I have ever tried is always too red or too pink. Well I finally found a lip product that I love! It is Laura Geller Nude Kisses Lip Hugging Lip Gloss in the color Skinny Dip. 

Four. I have had a time trying to find an affordable one piece swimsuit that is flattering for my postpartum body this summer. I have no joke bought and returned 5 bathing suits and tried on numerous others in stores. Every bathing suit I have tried is always way too small in the rear. After searching high and low I finally found a bathing suit from J. Crew that fits perfect! I also scored it on sale which was an added bonus. Now that I know I the fit is perfect for my body type I want to order another one in a different style.

this is the one I bought but I am eyeing the striped one shoulder one next! 

Five. I've shared some of my favorite Aldi finds here before but today I'm adding a new one to the list. These eggplant Cutlets are excellent and make such a quick meal. This week I used my spiralizer to make noodles and baked these eggplant cutlets with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese for a quick and easy eggplant Parmesan dish. You could also use noodles instead of zucchini noodles if you don't have a spiralizer. So yummy! 

Five + 1. I can add one more thought right? sure.. let's go. This is an important one. If you are looking for a podcast episode to listen to I would suggest you listen to this one. It's a sermon by The Porch Channel and it's SO good and SO eye opening. Save it for when you have an hour to listen. You won't regret it (: 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/watermark-audio-the-porch-channel/id325418914?mt=2&i=1000408182006 

or search The Porch Channel podcast Episode Eternal FOMO

Thoughts for Thursday

If we were sitting down together for a cup of coffee... or better yet a glass of wine these are the thoughts I would ramble on about... Also, mommy brain is a thing so most likely these thoughts would all come out in one long jumbled sentence because my mind is always running a million miles a minute. Moving on.. 

1. I'm really trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I only have 5 pounds to go but I have a feeling it's going to be the hardest 5 pounds. The rest seemed to come off pretty easy without much effort but now I have hit a wall. I eat fairly healthy but I have no desire to break a sweat. On a whim I purchased Beach Body on Demand last night so that I can do some workout videos at home while Anna Claire is napping. I'm hoping spending money on the program will encourage me and not having to leave the house to go to the gym with a newborn will eliminate the excuses. 

2. The witching hour is a real thing. I thought we were one of the lucky ones that had the perfect baby that hardly ever cried but the last two days 5:30-7:00  pm Justin and I have stared at each other in amazement while our normally perfect little baby looses her mind. It's a season.... I also learned that this will not be the hour I workout. Last night I made it 10 minutes into my first workout when I had to abandon it for a screaming newborn. Haha, I will try again today at a different time.

Daddy to the rescue 

3. Two book recommendations for you- For the Love by Jen Hatmaker and We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Both are excellent reads! I laughed out loud while reading For the Love the other night when I got to this part: 

"Thank you 4:00pm., for being the time of day that thoroughly confuses me; post homework and pre dinner. I am already exhausted and fairly irritable. The children are losing their ever-loving minds, and husband is still tucked away in his sane office with all mental faculties intact and won't answer my SOS text to hurry and come home or their blood is on your hands. Do I make coffee? Or pour a glass of wine? Yours, witching hour survivor."

-replace homework with taking care of a newborn and that pretty much sums up my evenings this week. I feel ya Jen! HA

4. Do you watch Southern Charm? I'm obsessed. If you don't, you should... It's based in Charleston and comes on Bravo on Thursday nights. So tonight.... you're welcome! They make me feel normal and it never fails I laugh out loud at least three times while watching. 

5. Anna Claire got her 2 month shots yesterday and it was heartbreaking! She actually did pretty well and only screamed at the top of her lungs for about two minutes. It was so hard to watch though! I'm so glad we don't have to go back for two more months! As much as I dreaded taking her I'm so thankful to live in a place where we have such wonderful medical care to keep our babies healthy! 

A Day in the Life- Maternity Leave

My favorite post to read are day in the life post so I thought it would be fun to document what a typical day looks like in this season of life. I also think it will be fun to look back on as I know this precious time is fleeting. We are following Moms on Call and it's working great for us. 

6am- Anna Claire starts stirring but I give her a paci and try to make it to 7am before we wake up. 

7am- Justin's alarm goes off and we all wake up. Anna Claire is full of smiles when she wakes up and is absolutely adorable to talk to. This is my favorite part of the day! I nurse her then get up to make some coffee and breakfast. 

7:30am- We spend close to an hour playing. Play time right now involves swinging in her swing, talking to her and making sounds/faces, tummy time and looking at things on her play mat. She is generally really happy during this time but towards the end I can tell she is getting tired. 

8:30am- Swaddle, paci, white noise and rock n play for a nap. She normally falls asleep within minutes during this time and will sleep anywhere from one to two hours. This is when I will do my devotional, sip on my second cup of coffee and catch up on blogs. If we have plans that day I'll also squeeze in a shower while she's asleep. 

10am- Wake her up if she is still sleeping and nurse her before we start play time again. We spend the next hour repeating the same play time routine. If I have errands to run we may run those now also. Yesterday we ran to the library and to meet Justin for lunch.

11:30 am Nap time again. She falls asleep easy if we are at home. What I should do is workout during this time but I normally spend this time picking up in the house. 

1pm- Wake her up if she is still sleeping to nurse and play. I'll take a million pictures of her and just hang out.  If I didn't run any errands earlier we may do that now just to get out of the house for a bit. 

2:30- Down for another nap and I may hop back on the computer to check emails and read more blogs. 

4:00- She is up ready to nurse and play for another hour. She is normally more fussy during this time so it's a good time to pull out the Solly Wrap or go for a walk if it isn't too hot.

5:30- Anna Claire takes a short nap and Justin gets home. We start dinner and get as much done as we can before she wakes up. 

6:30- Anna Claire is awake and normally fussy so it's the perfect time for a bath! She loves the bath but hates drying off and putting on her pajamas 

7:00- I nurse her and put her down for a nap. This should be her bedtime but she will normally nap on and off for the next two hours and not really ever fall asleep. We all hang out and watch TV/ eat dinner and relax as a family. 

10pm- We are all exhausted so we head to bed. I nurse Anna Claire one more time, kind of a dream feed and this time she normally will fall asleep for the night. On a good night we will make it to 3AM before she is ready to eat and then at 7 am we start the whole day over. 

Add in lots of diapers changes and that's pretty much our typical day! Of course some days we have plans so things play out differently but we try to stick to this schedule as much as possible. The days can be somewhat monotonous but I wouldn't trade them for anything. I absolutely love staying home with Anna Claire and watching her grow and change each day. I am SO fortunate in the timing of my maternity leave- I am a teacher so I took six weeks of maternity leave and then school let out for the summer so I am able to stay home with her until August when she will be 15 weeks. These days are precious to me and I hope I never take them for granted!  

Anna Claire l 2 Months

Today Anna Claire turns two months old! In some ways it feels like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital and in other ways it seems like she has been a part of our lives forever. It has been such a fun month watching her change and start to develop her personality! 

Weight 

Anna Claire is 12.7 lbs and 23 inches which puts her in the 85th percentile. She still fits in her 0-3 month outfits but I can tell they are getting snug and a few of them I am already putting away. We will be moving up to the next size very soon! 

Sleep

She is a great sleeper and has really always been. On a typical day (especially if we are at home and can stay in our routine) she naps 4 times a day for one-two hours. At night she sleeps from about 9pm-7am waking up one to two times for a feeding but always goes right back to sleep after she eats which is so nice. We are following Moms on Call and it's working pretty well for us both. This week I am supposed to change her bedtime to 7:30 instead of 9 but we haven't really transitioned to that yet. 

Eating 

I am still exclusively breastfeeding and it's going great! She nurses every three hours during the day and every 4 or maybe one 5 hour stretch during the night. She has always been a pretty quick eater so it doesn't take up too much time. I think I really got lucky with her! There is no telling what I will get with baby #2 haha. 

..this has been the month of smiles! 

Milestones 

This month Anna Claire made her second road trip to my hometown and attended her first family reunion where she was the star of the show.  She celebrated her first Fathers Day and  started staying awake for more time during the day. She flashes the biggest smile when you talk to her. It is absolutely adorable! This month Anna Claire really started to enjoy bath time. Her eyes get SO big every time you pour water on her... she however does not like to dry off or change into her pajamas. 

Likes/Dislikes 

Anna Claire loves swinging, taking naps, being worn in the solly wrap, being talked to, her pacifier and bath time.  

She does not like diaper and outfit changes or missing a nap time. 

I love you so much Anna Claire! My prayer for you this month is that you will know how much you are loved and supported as you continue to grow and change. I pray that you will have the confidence to try new things and will know that you have a Heavenly Father and two parents that love you more than you could ever imagine and are here to support you as you grow. Amen

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. -Isaiah 41:10

Weekending

I can't believe it is already Monday. Each week I am amazed at how fast time goes by! We had a fun and very busy weekend. On Friday I spent the whole day playing with Anna Claire eagerly awaiting date night! Justin surprised me with a cute little rhyme earlier in the week that said we would be going on a date night Friday night. This was our first date night without baby in tow. We are so lucky to have our parents close by to watch Anna Claire from time to time!! We had dinner and drinks at a local waterfront restaurant. It was so nice to enjoy dinner just us two. By the end of dinner I couldn't wait to get back to our baby girl! 

On Saturday Justin offered to watch Anna Claire during her nap time so I could slip off to our neighborhood pool and catch up on some reading. That night we had some friends over for dinner and then dropped the babies off with their grandparents and the adults headed to an escape room. If you haven't ever done one I highly suggest it. It was SO much fun to try to solve the puzzle. You get an hour but it took us 61 minutes so we technically were a minute over. This was the second one we have done and it was definitely the hardest. None the less it was such a good time. Afterward, we stopped by a little beach bar to grab a drink and the guys played a game of pool before heading back home to scoop up Anna Claire. 

y'all.. please look at our friends little girl holding Anna Claire. Adorable! 

On Sunday I got AC all dressed up and ready for church in a beautiful handmade smocked blue dress... and then I nursed her.... and looked down, and had leaked milk all over her dress. Y'all, #breastfeedingprobs .. So we changed into another equally beautiful smocked pink dress. haha. Justin is not a fan of babies in bonnets which I find hilarious so of course I dressed her up in one to see what he said. Please look at our little real life doll baby. I could just eat her up! The rest of Sunday was spent watching Netflix, taking a nap and going to bed early. The perfect end to a busy weekend! 

Have a great Monday friends! 

Meal Plan

I am constantly on the hunt for new meal ideas that are easy, healthy and don't consist of a million ingredients I don't have on hand. I'm really bad about finding a food I like and eating it ALL the time until I get burnt out. I ate two scrambled eggs with a slice of whole wheat toast covered in strawberry jelly and a cup of coffee for breakfast for three years. Y'all... I need to switch it up, haha. Here are some of our go to meals that are not fancy at all and so easy to whip up in case you are in need of some new ideas! 

Breakfast

Omelet made with ham, cheese and cherry tomatoes. 

Oatmeal 

Lunch 

Salad topped with leftover grilled chicken, strawberries, feta cheese and sunflower seeds. I love to use sweet vidalia onion dressing with that combination! If I don't have any chicken on hand I'll use deli turkey and a hard boiled egg as my protein.

Grilled chicken wrap with spinach, tomato, cheese and avocado. 

Zone Perfect bar and an apple with peanut butter 

Dinner 

Grilled BBQ chicken with grilled pineapple paired with roasted squash/ zucchini and grilled corn on the cob.  (summer time favorite!) 

Baked Tilapia OR Salmon paired with roasted broccoli and brussels sprouts and a sweet potato 

Black Bean Quesadillas 

Like I said, nothing fancy AT ALL. These are our go to meals that we eat pretty much every week. I am always on the hunt for new ideas to add to the list so PLEASE let me know your favorite! 

Newborn Favorites 0-2 Months

I can.not.believe my baby is almost two months old!!!! Time has just flown by. I always love seeing what other peoples favorite baby items are so I thought I would share some of the things that have made life so much easier for us the past two months with a newborn. All of the items on this list we use daily. 

Rock N' Play

We have this exact rock n' play and it is worth every penny! We have used this every single day, multiple times a day. Anna Claire sleeps in her bassinet beside our bed but she naps in this throughout the day. We keep it in the living room and it's great to have a place to lay her down. For naps if I swaddle her, give her a paci, turn on some white noise and put her in this she falls asleep within 5 minutes. It is also great for traveling since it folds up flat.

Swing 

I was so confused on what gear we really needed between a rock n' play, swing and bouncer. I was hesitant to purchase a swing so when my friend offered to let me borrow hers I jumped on it. Now after using it I realize how essential it has been for us. We will be purchasing another one for baby number two! Anna Claire started using this daily when she was about three weeks old. We put her in it as part of "play time" and she LOVES it. We crank the swing up to its highest setting and it will keep her occupied for a solid 20 minutes which is great if you are cooking dinner, doing laundry, etc. She also found the star mobile and it is the CUTEST thing I have ever seen. She gazes and just smiles away at the stars the whole time.  Just that look alone is worth the money! I often see these at second hand baby consignment stores so be sure to look there because they can be pricey.

Swaddle Me Swaddles 

While we LOVE our Aden and Anais swaddle blankets (another must have) they are not as secure at swaddling as these velcro Swaddle Me swaddles. Without a swaddle on, Anna Claire will only nap for about 20 minutes before she wakes herself up with the typical newborn startle reflex. These prevent that and help her get nice long stretches of sleep. We tried other brands such as Woombie and Halo (a close runner-up) but these have been our favorite! They are also so much easier to use than a traditional blanket like they use in the hospital.

Chico Key Fit 30

I don't mind admitting I'm obsessed with our infant carseat! When you are a first time mom registering for baby gear can be confusing. One of the questions I had was if I should get an infant car seat and then later on purchase a convertible car seat or if I should skip the infant seat and go straight to the convertible seat. I learned that it is worth every penny to get the infant seat!! After tons of research we chose the Chico Key Fit 30 and I LOVE it! If you follow along you may remember that Anna Claire and I were rear ended by another car when she was just a month old. She was buckled in this car seat and it kept her safe and injury free which is by far the most important thing. Another thing I love about this car seat is how EASY it is to take it in and out of your car. It literally clicks in, clicks out... It's so easy. There have been several times when she is sleeping and instead of waking her up to get her out of her car seat we just remove the car seat and snap it into our stroller (Baby Jogger- City Select, which I also love) and go about our business. I love it and would purchase it again in a heartbeat! 

Solly Wrap

When nothing else will calm our little one being worn in the Solly Wrap will. She LOVES to be worn and I love it also! It is also so convenient if you need your hands free. You can often find Anna Claire hanging out in the Solly while I make breakfast or walking out to the pool/beach when my hands are full carrying a million other things.   

Angle Care Bath Tub 

I purchased a Puj tub for the sink and this Angel Care one and the Angel Care is by far my favorite. The Puj always came unsnapped mid bath causing Anna Claire to start falling over. We love the Angle Care and she LOVES bath time! 

Baby Dome

snoozing away in her baby dome! 

This is the only product on the list that we don't actually use daily but it has gotten tons of use and has come in so handy. This baby dome blocks the sun and keeps Anna Claire nice and cool when we are outside at the beach, pool, beach music concerts, etc. I place my battery operated stroller fan in their and she naps away and stays nice and cool. It also folds up and is SO easy to carry. If she had been born in the winter this item probably would not be worth it but for a spring/summer baby it's great! 

++++++++++

Other honorable mentions that we love and can be found all around our house, in the stroller, in the diaper bag and pretty much everywhere we go: pacifiers, Aden and Anais swaddle blankets, diapers and wipes (duh) but we have been most impressed with Pampers and lansinoh disposable nursing pads if you are breast feeding (especially until your milk regulates these are a must). 

For fun I asked Justin his top 5 baby products to get a dads point of view and he was pretty much spot on with my favorites- swaddles, pacifiers, rock n play, swing and burp cloths. (: 

Weekending- Fathers Day

A day late but that's okay! I can't miss recapping our first Fathers day weekend as a family of 3! We had the best weekend split between guys time for Justin and girls time for me and family time the rest  of the weekend. On Thursday one of my life long best friends and her mom (my "second" mom) came to town for a girls weekend. We took it easy on Thursday and spent Friday walking, catching up, grabbing some seafood and attending happy hour. They got lots of baby cuddles which is everybodies favorite these days. On Saturday mom offered to watch Anna Claire so I could lay out on the beach for two hours which was so nice! We have these girls weekends occasionally and they are always so good for the soul. Justin was busy that whole time working, grilling out with his friends and golfing which worked out perfectly. 

On Saturday night I said my goodbyes and headed home to start Fathers Day celebrations. We went to dinner with Justin's parents at a new restaurant called Oyster Rock. On Sunday I made Justin breakfast and Anna Claire and Henson gave him his first Fathers Day gift. It has always been a special holiday but it is just that much more special (and fun) now that Justin is a daddy! We went to church for the first time since Anna Claire was born. She was an angel and slept the entire service. We stopped by a new brewery on our way home to play some Uno and have a drink then headed home to watch golf the rest of the day. We ended the weekend with a walk around the neighborhood and an early bedtime. It was perfect! 

Happy Fathers Day Justin! We love you! 

Anna Claire- Newborn Photos

Oh my goodness... I can't believe I forgot to share Anna Claire's newborn photos on here!! I debated long and hard if I wanted to hire a photographer and ultimately decided to wait until she is just a little older and have professional pictures taken then. For these my sweet sister took them using my Cannon EOS Rebel camera and they turned out great! I could just eat up every squishy newborn roll on her!!! 

her hair!!