f r i d a y

I shared this photo on Instagram yesterday but I just had to put it on here too because I love it so much. Campbell turned 10 months old on Monday and he suddenly turned into a different baby. He's doing so many big boy things now. All kinds of new stuff is starting to happen and it's so fun! If you aren't following me on Insta (@kara2lou) then I think you should!!

Woo Hoo to Friday y'all. I think we have a pretty fun weekend to look forward to. Tonight we're going to a gender reveal party. So fun. I love gender reveal parties. Later in the evening I think we're having some friends over to our house to hang. Tomorrow morning is my day to sleep in (holla!!) then tomorrow night Scott and I are going to see American Sniper. We don't have any super bowl plans but who knows, something could come up last minute. I'm not really into NFL football so I'm not too concerned. I like the commercials and the halftime show and I enjoy watching the game too but I don't get excited about it like I do college football.

Jaclyn and I had lunch today at Flying Burrito and we took the babes with us. After they ate I put Mickey on to entertain them and this picture cracks me up so much. Look how into it they both are! Silly kiddos.

Visitors

We had a sweet little visitor this week! My niece, Avery, came up for a few days. She's so precious! Kyle and Jenn went to the Razorback game on Tuesday night and Scott and I watched Avery while they got away for a little bit. She was a perfect little angel. She made the tiniest little cry when she was hungry so Scott gave her a bottle while I got Campbell ready for bed. Once Campbell was asleep I put Avery in her pajamas then I swaddled her and swayed her back and forth and she went to sleep and slept until her parents got home around 10:30. Ummm....what? It took an act of congress to get Campbell to fall asleep when he was her age. Not fair. She's the definition of the easiest baby ever. Must be nice!

Yesterday was my bible study. Once the study was over and I went to pick Campbell up from the nursery, the ladies warmed my heart by telling me that Campbell was just perfect! They know how much I worry about Campbell but they said it could not have gone any better. I felt tears in my eyes when they said that. It just made me so happy to know that he was happy and okay. I'm so glad my little peanut is getting so much better about being left with other people.

We spent the rest of our day enjoying the gorgeous weather outside! We went to our neighborhood park and played on the swings for a long time and Campbell absolutely loved it. When he took a nap the girls got to play outside in the backyard. It was a great day for everyone!

Having two days of amazing, warm weather was a welcomed treat. I've learned that it's much easier to entertain a baby when you can go outside and play! However, I'm a little sad that we've yet to have any snow this year. I'm hoping for a little snow at least once before the warm weather returns for good.

Wordless Wednesday

SIX years {Big Cedar Getaway}

Saturday marked 6 years of being married to my sweet husband! We decided to go on a little 24 hour getaway to celebrate and spend some quality time together. We chose Big Cedar Lodge because 1.) we've never been and have always wanted to go and 2.) it's less than a 2 hour drive from home. We left Campbell with my Mom and Grammy and headed out around 11:00 on Saturday morning. It was my first time to ever be away from Campbell. I don't think I've ever even been gone from him for more than 3 or 4 hours before this. I knew he was in extra safe and snuggly hands so I wasn't worried one little bit about him. I was so excited for a getaway and a chance to completely relax. But not for too long! Scott asked me if I wanted to do two nights and I wasn't so sure about being gone from him for that long so we just went for one.

We arrived and were able to check into our private cabin right away. We decided to walk around the grounds for a little bit and explore. We stopped at a little cafe and had an afternoon glass of wine because we could. Ha! 

After that we went to Top of the Rock to explore the nature trail. You can rent a golf cart and drive yourself around the Lost Canyon Cave Trail. Yall. It was so much fun. We spent about 2 hours driving around and taking pictures. The scenery was beautiful and it was so neat driving over bridges, through caves and under waterfalls. We would drive for a little bit, hop out of the golf cart and take pics, then drive around some more. It doesn't sound like much but we seriously had a blast. 

After our little golf cart excursion, we came back to our cabin and got ready for dinner. We dined at Osage restaurant and had a delicious meal. After that we came back to our cabin, got in our pajamas, lit a real fire, curled up on the sofa with a blanket and watched Gone Girl. We slept in late the next morning, ordered breakfast room service then anxiously headed back home to our sweet baby boy. 

It was such a nice little getaway. My first Big Cedar experience did not disappoint and I hope to go back many more times in the future. I'd say our 6th year of marriage is off to a good start!

Campbell | Ten Months

Weight: Two weeks ago he weighed 16 pounds, 6 ounces. I doubt he's up to 17 pounds yet but I bet he's getting close. He has a pretty big belly these days!!

Height: 28 inches tall!

Sleep: Nothing has changed with Campbell's sleep schedule for many months now. He still sleeps 7:30-7:00. Some days he wakes up a little earlier and some days he sleeps later but most days he's up right around 7:00. Campbell takes 2 naps a day. The first one is always at 9:00 and the second one is sometime between 2:00-3:00. I used to nurse him to sleep but my New Years resolution was to stop doing that. I thought it would be hard but he easily managed the change. Now we cuddle like we're watching TV together and I rock him for a little bit while he sucks on his fingers. I lay him down awake, he turns on his left side and goes right to sleep.

Eat: Campbell is still a great eater. It's getting easier for me to tell what foods are his favorites and which ones he tolerates. There isn't much that he turns down! He loves pancakes, cheese, bread and puffs. He loves all fruit and he loves water. I have no plans to ever give him juice since he loves water so much. He doesn't care for avocado. He'll eat a few bites but then he starts fussing because he wants something else. I've recently started giving Campbell a snack. He's really hungry when he wakes up from his afternoon nap and I guess milk isn't enough anymore. I'm nursing Campbell 3 times a day now.

Clothes: Campbell is finally in all 6-12 month clothes. Exactly a week ago I was getting him dressed in one of his 3-6 month outfits and it was way too small. I swear it just happened over night.

Diapers: Campbell has moved up to the size 3 Pampers Swaddlers! I've recently had to start using Pampers Overnights at night because he was leaking through his regular diapers. Diaper changes are much harder now. He will not lay still for me and has learned how to undo the tabs.

Likes: Baths, eating and Mickey Mouse are his top 3 favorites. He loves to stand and tap on things. He's started dropping and throwing objects. He likes to shut doors. He loves playing with his toys. He got those little blocks that go into a container for Christmas and they're his favorite. He loves pulling them out and putting them back in the bucket. He also loves his Fisher Price car and roller blocks play wall. I'm so impressed that he understands the concept of setting the roller blocks on the slide. He loves pulling his books off of his bookshelf.

Dislikes: He still doesn't like to be left in the church nursery but he's getting much better about it. He cries at first but always calms down fairly quickly. I don't have as much anxiety leaving him there as I used to.

Milestones: Campbell has 2 teeth now! He's got a pretty crazy army crawl. It's very entertaining to watch. He's gotten great at pinching his food when he picks it up instead of grabbing a fist full. He puts objects into containers and stands really well. He barely has to hold on to something while he's standing. He'll take 2 steps when we hold his hands and get him him to walk to us. He loves to hand me items now. I always say "thank you!!" when he does and he gets the biggest grin on his face. He's so proud of himself.

Month Ten: Campbell has gotten so smart. His brain is really growing!! I'm amazed at some of the things he does now. It's so neat to watch him learn and grow. Sometimes he does things and I wonder how he even learned how to do it. This month was hard since Campbell was teething. He fussed a lot. Now that they've both broken through he's much happier.

All About Campbell: Oh how I love this little boy! He is so, so precious. I cannot believe that Campbell is 10 months old now. He is such a sweet little snuggler and gives great, big open mouth kisses! He loves his sisters and plays tug-of-war with their toys a lot. The game doesn't last long but he still loves playing with them! Campbell's love of Mickey Mouse has quadrupled this month. He would watch it all day if I let him. His absolute favorite book is Doggies. He gets distracted while I'm reading other books to him but when I read Doggies he sits so still. He loves pulling toys out of his toy basket and he always goes after my cell phone. Whenever we're out shopping he likes to wave at people. It's so cute to me! He gets really frustrated when he can't do something. He squeals and says "ah" all the time. He's getting really loud when he "talks." Campbell is just my absolute favorite. I love being his Mommy!

A Day In The Life

I've done 'a day in the life' posts in the past but it's been a while since I last did one and I've never done once since I've become a Mom. I thought I'd share what a day in my life looks like these days with you all. Take a look at my day yesterday! It's a very typical day in my life.

7:15----I hear Campbell stirring in his crib which wakes me up. He's my alarm! I lay in bed for 5 minutes before I muster up the energy to get the day started. I walk upstairs to Campbells room and his ear to ear grin starts off my day. I scoop him up, walk downstairs and get back in my bed to nurse. Once Campbell is finished I change his diaper then feed him breakfast. Today he had a banana, a Gerber pear peach oatmeal pouch and some apple cinnamon puffs.  Once Campbell is finished with breakfast we retreat to the living room. Campbell sits on the floor and plays with his toys while I sit on the sofa, drink my cappuccino and watch Good Morning America.

9:00----Campbell is ready for his nap. I rock him for a minute then lay him in his crib. I immediately hop in the shower, get dressed and make up my bed while I listen to Kelly and Michael in the background. I just love those two. Once I'm finished I sit down at my computer and write a blog post.

11:00----Campbell is still sleeping so I decide it would probably be a good time for me to eat lunch. I make a ham and cheese sandwich with a side of bbq chips and a diet coke. I watch The Meredith Viera show while I eat.

11:10----He's finally awake! This was a long nap. He usually takes a long morning nap like this about once a week. I go upstairs to get my little peanut and am, again, greeted by a huge smile. We play in his room for a little bit before going downstairs and eating lunch. Campbells lunch today is tomatoes, cheese, half a slice of bread and a kiwi. While he's eating I call the pediatrician and get a refill on Campbell's prescription gas drops. I don't know if he needs them but I like to have them on hand at all times and he's about to run out.

12:00----Scott calls to tell me our new dresser for our bedroom is getting delivered. Yay! What a fun surprise. I turn on Mickey for Campbell, stick him on my bed, then unload my current dresser and get ready for my new one.

1:15----My dresser has arrived but I've hardly even gotten a chance to look at it because I have a lot to do. Campbell and I hop in the car to run some errands. First I stop by my MIL's house to let her dog out to potty. Then I go to HomeGoods to return a vase and decide to browse the aisles while I'm there. After that I go to the Bentonville Butcher Deli to grab tonights dinner. I just don't have the energy to spend a lot of time cooking. I pick up their meatloaf. I've never had it before. All I have to do is bake it in the oven for 45 minutes. Sounds pretty good to me! I want to run to Walmart so I can grab some other groceries but Campbell is fussy and ready for his nap so I head home instead.

3:15----Campbell is down for his nap and Scott is working from home so I hop back in the car and run to Walmart to quickly grab some groceries. I'm glad I finally remembered to get lightbulbs!!

4:00----Campbell is up from his nap. It was a short one. Not surprising since his morning nap was so long. I sit in his glider to nurse him. Once he's finished I set him down, we practice standing and I take this picture of him. My happy little boy!!

4:30----I go to the kitchen to unload the groceries and get the rest of tonights dinner prepped. I decide to steam some fresh carrots, squash and zucchini. While I'm doing that, I stick Campbell on the floor in the pantry and give him a snack. Puffs, fruit and veggie melts and applesauce.

5:00----Exhaustion has hit me. I've been going non stop all day. I decide (without guilt) to stick Campbell in his car and turn on Mickey. It entertains him long enough for me to sit down and catch a break for a few minutes.

5:30---We're all sitting down for dinner. The meatloaf is delicious! This will be a new thing in the Johnson house for sure. We didn't think it was possible but Campbell actually found a food he doesn't like. He did not care, at all, for my steamed squash, zucchini and carrots. He would stick it in his mouth, get a funny look on his face and spit it out. Then he would look at me and wimper like "mom, it's gross please help me." I got so cracked up. Finally! I was wondering if he even had taste buds because the kid loves everything!! Scott took the vegetables off his tray and gave him blueberries. He was happy after that.

6:00---After I've cleaned up the kitchen Campbell, the girls and I head up to his room to play. He loves playing in his room and today has been so busy that we haven't had a ton of quality time together. He's so cute playing with his toys and grinning so big at me. I just want to eat his face and squeeze him all over.

7:10----Bath time!

7:30----I'm shutting the room to Campbell's door. My little peanut is o-u-t. My "work day" feels done now that the boss is asleep but I still have a lot to do. We moved our old dresser into my "mom's" room so I needed to re-decorate the space a bit. I've also had some pictures that I've wanted to get hung for a few days now and Scott finally breaks down and does it for me. While he's doing that I get two loads of laundry done--bibs + kitchen towels and Campbell's clothes.

9:00----I sit down at the computer and type out Campbell's schedule, menu for a day and any other important info regarding my little man. Mom and Grammy are coming up to keep Campbell for a little over 24 hours while Scott and I escape to Big Cedar for a little getaway to celebrate our 6 year wedding anniversary tomorrow!

10:00----I'm finally done for the day. Time for a bath then I get to crawl in bed and snuggle with my girls. Looking forward to snoozing and starting all over again tomorrow!

Fellowship

Today has been a great week so far. Last week was so terribly stressful and this week has been lovely. I've welcomed it with open arms. Yesterday in particular was really wonderful. I decided to participate in the spring women's bible study at my church. I've always wanted to do one and I finally dove in and decided to get involved. I had no idea what to expect but I was excited about participating. It was a bit of a crazy morning trying to get Campbell fed, dressed, get myself dressed, and make it out of the door in time. I dropped Campbell off at the church nursery and was a lot nervous because it was time for his nap. I didn't know if he would fall asleep for them or just be fussy. I gave them some tips/instructions then went off on my way. When I got to the building where the study was I saw one of my neighbors and she told me she put me in her small group. I was so excited that I would actually know someone. Another one of my neighbors is in my small group as well. The rest of the time was spent watching a short video (we're doing Stuck by Jennie Allen) then we divided up into our small groups and got to know one another. It was so great! All of the women in my group are so sweet and I'm excited about getting to know them. I told Scott when I left that I'm so excited about this study and I feel like I'll participate in all of them for years to come.

My sweet boy was snoozing hard when I went to retrieve him. They said he did just fine which made me so happy. I'm glad for another opportunity for Campbell to be around other babies and away from me. It's good for him. We loaded up, drove through Slims to pick up some lunch then came home and hung out for the rest of the day.

These little nuggets went to the beauty shop yesterday and they look and smell so pretty now!! Bless their hearts, going to the groomer just wears them out. You should have seen me carrying Campbell, Ivy, Madison and Grace out to the car once I picked them up. Talk about having your hands full.

Later that evening, while I was cooking dinner, I stuck Campbell in the pantry with some puffs which attracted quite a few visitors. Campbell would get a puff then hold his hand out to the girls, just long enough for them to get a good sniff, then he'd pull back and put it in his mouth. He has no idea that, that is absolute torture for those three. It gave me a good giggle.

Pinspiration {For The Home}

I've been having a major love affair with Pinterest. I mean, I've always loved Pinterest but ever since Campbell has been born, I've gotten on the site much more than I used to. This may sound crazy but I feel like it's almost a little bit therapeutic for me. Whenever I've had a stressful day, I'll just lay down on my bed, get on Pinterest and look at pretty photos. It instantly makes me feel better and is the best way for me to de-stress.
I've been doing some new decorating with my house lately. I'll definitely share photos when it's all said and done. In the meantime, here's some pinspiration photos I really love for the home.

I love, love this table. I'm currently on the hunt for one that looks very similar for my entry. I need it to be a little longer and more narrow but this is exactly what I've always wanted to find for my entry piece. Fingers crossed I stumble across one.

I think a three tier'd round table is so fun. I recently got one myself and have enjoyed looking at all of the different elements I've decorated it with.

Everything about this house is perfect. Love all of the trim and the wall of french doors. Swoon.

I would love to have a built in desk in my home some day.

I also think it would be super fun to have a guest room that looked just like this!! I have no idea why. The guests probably wouldn't find it to be an ideal situation because they wouldn't have much privacy but I just think this is the coolest space. I love seeing what people do with small spaces. This is so neat to me.

Simple curtains with a greek key trim. Yes.

Growing

We had a lazy, non eventful weekend. It was awesome. I was actually bored. I can't remember the last time that happened. I don't usually have time to be bored these days but on Sunday night I had nothing to do and ended up taking 2 baths within 4 hours just to pass the time. The rest of my weekend consisted of church, shopping, a lot of eating out and a little bit of home decorating.

This little guy is doing better now and seems to be in a much better mood. One of my best and longest friends, Ashley, is a pediatric dentist. She lives in my neighborhood now (who of my friends don't?) and she popped by on Friday to take a look at Campbell's mouth. She said he has a second tooth that will probably break through this week. Maybe that's the reason for the non stop crying all last week? Who knows. Two teeth within two weeks has about done me in. Ashley said I'll probably get a break for a month before the top ones start to come in. That is if Campbell's teeth play by the rules and do what's "normal." You always hear that teething is a nightmare and that is no joke. Good grief.
Okay, onto happier things....

Doesn't Campbell look like such a big boy in this picture?!? I was going through all of the photos and videos on my phone from the beginning of his life to now and I just couldn't believe how big he's gotten in just a few months. Babies grow and change SO much during their first year. It's quite amazing. Less than 10 months ago he wasn't even born and now he looks like this! Crazy.

I Will Survive.....Maybe

Well.....this has been one of those weeks where I felt like I was barley holding my head above water. I don't know what was wrong but Campbell was so extremely irritable and screamed his little head off all day long. For days and days and days. I will remember this week forever. And of course my Mom was in Vegas this week so she couldn't drive up to save me. Actually, she still managed to save me all the way from Vegas. On Wednesday I was at my breaking point. I guess my sweet Mom felt pretty sorry for me. So, unbeknownist to me, she called Jaclyn to see if she could help and Jaclyn immediately called me and told me to take Campbell to her house so her nanny could keep him for a little bit. I normally wouldn't want to impose but I couldn't take it anymore and was at her house .05 seconds later. Driving around listening to the radio and a yummy tea from McAlisters was all I needed to pull myself back together. God bless those three women.
Yesterday, Campbell was an angel. A perfect angel. I didn't even want to put him down for bed because he was such a joy and it made me sad to say goodnight.
Campbell has always been a hard baby and I really thought that by now, almost 10 months later, he would be easier. We'll have some weeks here and there that are a total breeze. It's what I'm assuming life with normal/easy babies must be like and I'm so jealous of the Mom's out there who have "easy" babies. That must be nice. For whatever reason, God gave me a hard one. My pediatrician always says to me "you usually only have one hard one" and I'm on my knees praying that he is right. I cannot imagine going through this all over again. Yikes.
I will forever remind Campbell that he was rough on me from day one. He made me sick nearly every single day while he was in my tummy and he gave me a whole new sense of the word "survival" during the first 10 months (and counting!!) of his life. He better take really, really good care of me when I'm old and senile.

Campbell's Closet

I went for a little run this morning and it felt so nice! It's rare when I can get some exercise in these days. Before I had a baby, working out almost felt like a chore. I enjoyed it and made myself do it and if I missed a day I felt so guilty. Now, working out is a luxury! It feels so good to do something for myself. We have a spin bike at home and I love getting on it---when I can. Getting outdoors and going for a run around my cute little neighborhood makes me happy.

They're currently building a house across the street from me. It usually takes about 5 months for a home to get built which means 5 months of my girls looking out of the window and barking at the contractors non stop. Neat.

Is it weird that I have a strong love obsession for Campbell's closet? It's just a closet but I totally love it. It's all organized (you know how much I love organization) and the things that are in it are all so cute. Campbell loves hanging out in his closet to read and play which was my goal when I was umm....decorating? it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if I could be a professional organizer I totally would. Is there anything more fun than organizing?!?! Ha. :)

Play

My parents came up on Friday night for a quick 24 hour visit and to drop off Gracie while they go on a little trip. It was fun getting to spend time with them even if it was short lived. We all went out to eat on Friday night and got tickled when we noticed my Dad and Campbell were twinkies in their puffer vests!

Saturday night we had some friends/neighbors over to our house. I feel like I haven't seen my friends since the holidays so our get together was much needed! On Sunday we went to church and I'm thrilled to report that Campbell didn't cry! I think we're slowly getting there with him. Also, the sermon on Sunday was soooo good. We're studying Exodus right now and the preacher discussed baby Moses. Growing up in the church, I've heard the story countless times. However, I learned some things that I never knew before. I was pretty captivated the entire time. I think the story was a lot more relatable to me now that I have a baby boy.

It is so cold here in NWA. Campbell and I really don't get out much. We spend most of his waking hours playing in his room. Now that he's moving around all the time, his room feels safer to play in than our living room. My coffee table scares me. I really enjoy playing in Campbell's room with him. It's my favorite room in the house! If you haven't ever seen his room before, you can check it out here.
I've got to get Campbell's dinner ready. I have a hungry boy on my hands.

9 (and a half) month checkup

Happy Monday folks! I hope your week is off to a great start. We kicked off our week by taking Campbell to the doctor for his 9 month checkup. Campbell weighs 16 pounds, 6 ounces (4%) and is 28 inches tall (24%). He had a great checkup and seems to be right on track! We'll just overlook the fact that he isn't crawling yet. It's possible that I have slight anxiety that he has failed to reach that little milestone but Dr. Harvey doesn't think Campbell will ever crawl. He thinks I should give up on the crawling and work on walking instead. M'kay then. I guess I'm over it. The little peanut prefers to roll all over the place to get where he wants to be. And he loves to stand. Standing is his favorite. I guess he's just not going to crawl. Insert sad face. Not many things are cuter than a crawling baby. Sigh....

Now that we're back from our checkup, we're going to spend the rest of the day lounging in our comfy clothes and staying warm inside. It's frigid out there today!
Last night I made a little baby comparison collage. Who do we think Campbell looks like?

Wordless Wednesday