Ice cream date

Hands down, one of my favorite things about summer is hopping in the car and heading to our favorite ice cream stand.  This is even better now that we have kids to share the fun with.

This was Addie's first trip and while she obviously didn't have any ice cream, it was nice for her to get some fresh air for a while while the rest of us had ours.

The weather is finally not as bipolar as it has been the past few weeks, so I'm hoping a lot more outdoor time is in order.

I look forward to future family ice cream dates. Imaging the girls running around playing in the grass and laughing. Ice cream running down their chins and the biggest smiles on their faces. Because those smiles and laughs are one of the best parts about being a parent (besides the endless snuggles and the excuse to eat dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets and Monsters, Inc mac & cheese for lunch).

3 months

This post has been brought to you by the number '3' and the letters 'W', 'T' and 'F'. 

I've done this whole "first year" thing before. I knew how fast it went by.. but seriously, when you have your months-old baby as well as a 3 year old.. it goes really freaking fast. It seems like just yesterday we were buckling Addie in her carseat for the first time as we prepared to take her home from the hospital.

Addison is such an amazing baby. She is SO easy. The only "gripe" I have is that if she is in the mood for cuddles there is no putting her down. She doesn't give a crap if my laundry is sitting in the dryer getting wrinkles, or that I haven't showered yet and have to leave for work in an hour. And that's it. That's the only area she is "difficult" in.

This sock monkey lovey is her favorite. I found it while we were at Crackerbarrel having breakfast with one of my girlfriends from work and her son, who was born a month earlier than Addie. We have decided that they will get married someday :)

She sleeps on her belly, and it took me a long time to come to terms with this. When we would put her to sleep on her back, she would sleep for MAYBE an hour if we were lucky.. so we weren't getting any sleep and were very tired and cranky. We finally gave in and put her to sleep on her belly, but not before investing in an Angelcare monitor to make sure she doesn't stop breathing. Seriously the best investment we have made so far. We all sleep SO much better.. except for when one of us forgets to turn it off when we pick her up and it starts beeping and scares the bajeezus out of whoever is sleeping. 

She has been rolling from belly to back for a few weeks, now.. and once she's on her back she reminds me of a turtle because her arms and legs are flailing and she freaks out because she can't move until someone comes and either picks her up or flips her back over.

She has discovered her hands and apparently thinks they are the yummiest things in the world. She always has them in her mouth. 

She is all smiles and all laughs. All you have to do is say "hiiiiii!" and you would think you told her the funniest joke in the world. Her eyes light up like a Christmas tree when she sees Aubrey. 

As far as wardrobe goes, she started fitting into 3-6 month clothing a couple of weeks ago and since then has graduated to mainly that size, except for a few 0-3 pieces that run big. It is so much fun to find matching outfits for the girls. I fully plan on doing this until a) Aubrey decides she's too cool for it or b) They are no longer in the same clothing department. Aubrey is getting close to being in the "little girls" section instead of the toddler section.. so I'm sure my days are numbered. 

We recently pulled out the Bumbo and Addie is a huge fan. Of course, we use extreme caution when she is in it and we are always right there to make sure she can't escape. We particularly like to sit it on the table while we eat dinner so she can be a part of it. She likes it because it brings her *that* much closer to the ceiling fan, which is her latest obsession. What is it with babies and ceiling fans? Even if it isn't moving her eyes are fixated on it. I also like to use it when I'm prepping dinner and she won't let me out of her sight. And Aubrey likes to be silly and sit in it while she's playing with my Kindle.

Photo dump & life lately.

Now that we are officially 100% all moved in to our new home, I am so excited to get back into blogging. I have so many ideas for decorating and things I can't wait to buy for this place. We are so happy here and I can't wait to make memories in this new chapter of our lives.

In the next week or two I will be doing a lot of back-blogging to Easter, Addie's first couple of doctors appointments, and things like that. Mostly this is for my personal record because I can't wait to share this blog with the girls when they are older, but maybe some of my followers are interested to. Who knows ;)

In the last couple of months, so many things have happened. Keith's sister had a beautiful baby boy about a month after Addie was born. He has the most gorgeous, long blond hair. We are very jealous because at a day shy of 3 months old, Addie shows no hope of getting hair any time soon.

One major perk to our new place is being in walking distance of Barnes & Noble. We love coming here for story time!

Addie loves getting on the floor and playing. 

Candid photos are my favorite.

Grilling is my new favorite method of cooking. For an electric grill, I must say I'm impressed. I was a little bummed when hearing that the condo association doesn't allow anything else but this thing does a damn good job.

We clean up nicely.

We've watched Wreck-It Ralph about a zillion and seven times. Aubrey's favorite part of the movie is when they are having the 30th Anniversary party and dancing and everyone is singing "Fix it, Felix wooop wooop!" She busts out with the song and dance all the time. It's hilarious.

There's a sweet path right outside of our door perfect for riding trikes!

Dressing Addie in Aubrey's old clothes is fun.

{aubs on the left, addie on the right}

 

Long story short: our girls are awesome, our marriage rocks, and life is good.

<3

Mother's Day

I want to start this post by saying Happy Mother's Day to the woman who has been there for me since day 1. The woman who has never turned her back to me and was always there for a hug when I was upset over a skinned knee, a broken heart, or my favorite Backstreet Boy being sent to rehab for alcoholism (yeah, we won't go there). I knew she would be an amazing Nana to my children, because she was a phenomenal mother when I was growing up. 

{my mom & her 3 girls}

I would love to share some of my favorite photos from my journey so far as a mom.. so here goes!

The past 4 years as a mom has been an unforgettable journey. When I got my first positive pregnancy test, I was absolutely terrified. Not because I wasn't ready to be a mom, but because I was scared of what would happen to my body over the next 9 months, especially during labor. That's the only thing that scared me. Because ever since I was a little girl, I've dreamed about the day when I would become a mom.

When that day finally came and I was holding Aubrey in my arms after 40+ long weeks of her growing in my belly (and nearly 24 hours of labor.. yikes), I can't even describe the feelings that were rushing over me. All I wanted was to hold that precious girl and never let go (especially not to do my makeup or fix that rats nest living on my head, apparently.. All Aboard the Hot Mess Express)

Since day one, Aubrey & I have been joined at the hip. My little mini me loved having "girls day out" with her mama, and I love showing her our little corner of the world.

On December 26th, 2011, we found out that we were having another baby. This time, there was no panicking on my part. I kicked pregnancy's ass before and I could do it again. Until things started going wrong. That's when the panic showed it's ugly face. On March 6th, 2012, I gave birth to a tiny 2 oz baby boy. That day, I became an angel mom.

Although I can't hold him in my arms, he is held in my heart forever. He lives on in our memory, and through Team KRJ each year for the March for Babies walks.

On Fathers Day of 2012, 3 months after we lost KRJ and after 1 month of officially "trying", we got the big news! We were pregnant AGAIN! Of course the panic had come back full force because I was terrified of losing another baby. When I hit the second trimester, I started to let that wall down and allowed myself to start getting excited. When we announced our pregnancy, we were showered with so much love, excitement, and support from everybody around us. 

In September, we threw a Gender Reveal party and found out that Aubrey would be getting a little sister!

A little over 5 months later, we were holding this beautiful little Valentine baby in our arms. And on that day, I knew I was complete.

I could not have been more blessed with my family. Aubrey is head over heels in love with her little sister. I can just tell by the way she looks at her, the way she talks about her, the way she will cover her with a blanket and put her monkey lovey right next to her while she's sleeping, and give her the sweetest little kiss on the forehead. The way she says "I'm coming, Addie Dyace!! (Grace)" when Addie starts crying.. And Addie shows that same love right back at her sister. The smiles she gives when she looks at Aubrey is priceless. I can not wait to see their friendship grow as they get older.

I couldn't have asked for a better day. I got to sleep in, Keith made us a yummy breakfast, we visited my mom and his stepmother. We made these plaques with the girls' footprints. This one still needs some finishing touches, but I love how they came out. Addie was super squirmy and was NOT a fan of having cold paint on her feet, but the imperfections will remind me of the fun we had doing it :)

Keith & the girls got me a couple really sweet cards. There were definitely tears when I was reading them :)

I've been in LOVE with Origami Owl since I first laid eyes on a locket for the first time. I knew I wanted one this year, so Keith got me one :) I got a charm and a birthstone for each of my babies. The princess crown is for Aubrey because she loves princesses. The angel wing is for KRJ because he is my angel. The heart is for Addie because she's a Valentines baby. So far, only Addie's birthstone has come in. The other 2 are on back order. I can't wait to see how it looks all together :)

After our visits, we came home, grilled some steak tips, and relaxed for the rest of the night. It wasn't a very eventful day, but I couldn't have asked for a more perfect one <3