Wordless Wednesday

(achoo!)

Campbell Turns Five

Campbell is five years old today. Five feels like one of those milestone birthdays. I remember thinking when he was born that five seemed so big and also so far away. Now here we are.

I could go on and on about all of the sweet characteristic traits this little boy possesses. I've shared this before but it's been a long time so I'll share again. When Campbell was about 18 months old, my mom told me that she prayed my entire pregnancy that Campbell would be a really sweet boy. The Lord heard and answered those prayers. Campbell has such a precious heart. He is a gentle soul, kind, and so very loving. He aims to please and do good. He never gives us trouble. He is sensitive (gets that from his momma) and very social. All of the teachers he's ever had have always made it a point to tell us how much Campbell's friends like Campbell. I love that he's so good to his friends.

Campbell isn't just sweet to his friends, he's sweet to his family too! He loves his people. Campbell is THE best big brother. He tells everyone you're his "best buddy" and whenever he gets himself a snack, he'll take it upon himself to grab one for you too.

Campbell currently loves dinosaurs. He also loves to perform his Power Ranger moves for you. Campbell loves to watch Ryans Toy Review on the iPad and his love for Paw Patrol is still pretty strong. He really enjoys playing with his Transformers, dinosaurs, and doing crafts. Campbell is a perfectionist and easily gets frustrated if he can't do something right. This will sometimes result in him just wanting to give up but with a lot of encouragement, we can usually talk him into giving it another try and when he gets it right, he's SO proud. His favorite snack is a fruit snack, his favorite candy is skittles, and he loves when we let him eat a Happy Meal (hamburger-plain with fries and apples). 

My how I love this boy. He is his fathers child and these last five years have been the best of my life. Campbell is easy to parent and easy to love. He is already a gentleman telling me I'm pretty and always opening the door for me. The lady who gets to marry him is a lucky one for sure.
Happy 5th Birthday Campbell!! You have no idea what a treasure you are. We love you more than you could possibly imagine!!!

Campbell's 5th Birthday Party

We celebrated our (almost) five year old on Saturday with family and friends and had a great time doing it! Campbell wanted to have a bowling party this year with a dinosaur cake. So that's what we did! Campbell is SUPER into dinosaurs right now and can tell you anything you need to know about them. And he's always had a fun time bowling so it all made sense that this is what he'd want to do.

Campbell has been looking forward to his birthday party for months. He's at that age where birthdays and birthday parties are very anticipated and a really big deal which makes it fun. We spent an hour bowling then after we bowled we had pizza and cake!

Campbell has been playing with all of his new birthday presents that his sweet friends got him, non stop since the party. I think my little buddy had a really great day and that makes me happy.
Officially five tomorrow! Can't believe it.

Wells | Two Months Old

Weight: He went to the doctor on Monday and weighed 8lbs, 9 oz

Height: About 21 inches

Sleep: We've made great strides in the sleep department this month. Wells is waking just once a night now. I put him down for bed at 8:00 and he *typically will sleep until about 3:00ish. He takes a quick feeding in less than 10 minutes then goes right back down and wakes up again around 6:30. I'm struggling because I can't get him to take a dreamfeed. I always do a dreamfeed with my babies but he is SO passed out I can't get him to wake up enough for one. I feel like because of this I'm going to be getting up in the middle of the night with him for several more weeks since we're going to have to have the goal of an 11 hour stretch of sleep right away.

Eat: Wells eats about 7 times a day now. He's getting a little more efficient and finishes a feeding in less than 7 minutes.

Clothes: Still in newborn clothes and Kickees. He can wear his preemie Kickee pajamas but his toes are at the very edge of them so it's probably time for me to put those away!

Diapers: Just finished up our last pack of Honest newborns and have moved on to size 1!

Likes: Being held, milk, snuggling with Momma in the morning, the paci, very warm baths.

Dislikes: Being naked, being cold, that time between getting out of the bath and getting fully dressed. I've never known a baby as cold natured as this one. His lip quivers all the time and he can't stand being cold.

Milestones: He definitely improved upon his sleep this month. As of this week he will finally take a bottle!

Month Two: Month two had a few challenges. Wells and I had thrush and he also caught Bennett's cough. So he hasn't been feeling 100% a lot of the month. Even still, he's been a trouper and has continued to have a sweet disposition even though I know he's felt bad.

All About Wells: Wells is a sweet boy. He still does a lot of sleeping during the day but when he's awake he's a pretty content little guy. His brothers are obsessed with him and I know it won't be too long before he shares the same sentiments. Time is going fast with this sweet boy.

Wordless Wednesday

Pantry Organization

If you follow me on Instagram you've probably seen me share my pantry a few times. Each time I do I always get so many messages asking where I got my organization bins so today I thought I'd do a post on it and share links where I got everything.
I love having an organized pantry and in each house I've lived in I've made sure to keep my pantry organized. It doesn't matter whether you have a large or small pantry--if you organize it you will maximize your space and be able to store so much more stuff in there.

We have these built-ins in our pantry and I love them. When we were designing our house I didn't have a whole lot of input on the majority of it because I trusted Scott to just take care of it all! However, when it came to my pantry I had big opinions. Haha! It seems silly but the pantry was one of the things I was excited the most about and I wanted to make the most of the space. I mostly wanted the built-ins for the boys. I loved the idea of them being able to access their stuff easily and felt if they had their own drawers where they could grab stuff themselves it would help me out a lot. And it does! Plus they love it.

The bottom drawer is where we store all of their plates, bowls and cups. We have a lot of straw cups and they can easily get messy so I keep them all sorted in a bin to help them stay organized.

This middle drawer is the snack drawer. I have a love hate relationship with it. Some days the boys don't mess with it much and some days they can't stay out of here! I try to keep healthy options, like fruit, in here along with some of their favorite treats. I also try to purchase snacks that they can't open themselves and need my help with so they aren't going crazy with the snacking and I can keep tabs on it. I have everything organized using my favorite bins (I'll link them in the bottom of the post).

The top drawer is my drawer. My "drink drawer," This drawer is too high for the boys to be able to see into so we also hide the candy in here!

I use a combination of different sized bins, lazy susans and canned good organizers. I love having lazy susans in my pantry. I use them for spices, oils, and baking goods. I also have them in my bathroom. It really helps to make the most out of your space.

On the left size of my pantry I have bins that I don't want to see through. I keep these to store mail, the kids crafts/art that they make at school, Tupperware, and other miscellaneous (aka messy) items. I also love having that big basket on the floor to store my reusable shopping bags.
So there we go. My pantry organization. The pics aren't great because I was just snapping with my phone but it gives you an idea of how I organize my items. I'll link all of the supplies I use to keep everything as orderly as possible below! All of my clear Bins are the iDesign brand at Bed Bath and Beyond and there are soooo many different sizes/types so I won't link them all but you'll see them when you search or if you go into the store.

Clear Bins | Clear Lazy Susan | Large Lazy Susan 15" | Fabric Bins |

Postpartum Items You Won't Realize You Need

I'm 7 weeks postpartum with my 3rd baby and I've definitely learned what to expect with the postpartum process by now. I had no idea what lied ahead of me the first time, the second time I was prepared, and the third time has been easy peasy. Even my husband commented last night about how much less stressful and chill it is the 3rd time around. You have such a clear timeline in your head of when this and that will happen so you are much less high strung....at least we are! However, doing all you can to prepare for a smooth postpartum process can help so much so here are a few items that have been a necessity for me during all three of my postpartum experiences.

1.) Depends. Just do it. They're so much more comfortable compared to a pad and makes the recovery process slightly more pleasant.

2.) A Yeti of ice water on your night stand. You will experience night sweats for a few weeks. They're miserable and this 3rd time around they were the worst they've ever been for me. Every time I nursed in the middle of the night I was sweating and I was so thankful to have ice cold water on hand to help cool me off.

3.) Another way a Yeti can be helpful? Bottles. If you're doing bottles in the middle of the night, fill your Yeti with warm water and put a prepared bottle in it. That way when your baby wakes up, their bottle is warm and ready to be served! Nothing is more stressful than when your baby wakes hungry and is screaming until that bottle is ready. A warm Yeti with a bottle floating in it cuts out the prep time and you can immediately feed your baby. This works not just for middle of the night feeds too, obviously.

4.) Speaking of middle of the night feedings, consider getting a nightlight to have by your bed. You obviously need to see a little bit but a lamp is too bright for me. A nightlight by my bed and another by my changing station is the perfect amount of brightness while still being dark and not disturbing those precious moments of sleep.

5.) Comfortable lounge clothes. This was something I was unprepared for with my first baby mostly because I didn't really own any lounge clothes. If that doesn't scream new mom I don't know what does. Now lounge clothes make up the majority of my daily wardrobe but before I had kids I had one pair of old sweatpants with holes in them (they were comfy!!) and that was it. I wanted to be comfortable but also presentable for when guests came by to visit and meet the baby. I actually ended up making a quick trip to the mall the week that my first baby was born to shop for cute, comfy lounge clothes since I didn't own any.

6.) Another thing I didn't own pre-kids was pajama bottoms. I usually slept in lounge shirts because I didn't like getting tangled in pants while I was trying to sleep. I quickly learned that, for me at least, pajama pants are a must. When you're going to the nursery to feed in the middle of the night, it can be cold sitting in that rocker without pants. I also realized, after my first baby was a few months old and we would play on the floor together before that first morning nap, that I would feel more comfortable wearing pants vs an oversized night shirt. I ended up finding some pajama bottoms from Gap that are banded at the ankles so they don't ride up and get twisted while I'm sleeping and I've never worn anything else since. I'm so much more comfortable (and warm!) in the morning making my kids breakfast and doing all the things with my pajama pants and cute top to match!

7.) Speaking of being cold during the middle of the night feedings (this is obviously after the night sweats have let up) if your baby is sleeping in their room, consider having a blanket next to their rocker for you to cover up with. I would get so cold while I was feeding my babies plus I just wanted to cozy up with a blanket. You never know how long you may be sitting there holding your baby and it's nice to be comfortable!

8.) Stock up on paper plates and cups so you don't have to worry about doing dishes those first few weeks. You'll be adjusting to your new normal so save yourself the time and hassle and just go paper for a little bit. I even bought disposable casserole dishes to make cooking/cleaning easier.

9.) I always like to stock up on my own personal care items before I have a baby. My husband typically takes care of the grocery shopping and errand running when we first have a baby. He's aware of what laundry detergent we use and the bread we like but he doesn't know what my favorite deodorant is or where the contact solution aisle is since he doesn't wear contacts! I try to make sure I'm good on makeup and toiletries before my babies arrive.

10.) A baby wearing carrier. I didn't baby wear with my first baby. I had several different carriers but didn't like any of them. I was determined to find one I loved with my second baby because I knew I would actually need it so I could still take care of my toddler. I ended up falling in love with my solly baby and wished I had discovered it when I had my first baby. I can get so. much. more. done. when I wear my babies. Plus babies love it since it mimics the womb. Did you know baby wearing reduces infant crying by 43%? It also improves sleep, prevents flat head, regulates your baby's body temperature, helps alleviate colic, calms gas and reflux, aids in digestion and my favorite--keeps those germs away. You hear a lot about "witching hour" but when I wear my babies the witching hour doesn't exist. I think the key is finding a way to baby wear that works for you whether it be a wrap or a sling, etc. But do you and your baby a favor and find something that you love because you will be so thankful for it!!

Wordless Wednesday

Unwind

What do you do to relax and unwind? I honestly feel like I don't take enough time to do that. I feel like I'm constantly working and it wears on me. Whether it be work at my computer or all of the duties of being a mom and keeping up my house....it just seems like I'm working from the time I wake up in the morning until the time I go to bed. So when I do get a chance to relax I truly enjoy it. And need it.

-Relaxing for me, in this stage of life I'm in now, is getting out of my house alone. I rarely get alone time so the time I do have is very cherished. It could be something as simple as going to the grocery store by myself or something as fun as getting a mani/pedi. A lot of times on the weekend Scott will stay home with the boys while I get out of the house for an hour or two. I don't typically have anything to do so a lot of the time I'll just go to Target or the mall. Just an opportunity to get away and have some me time is a great way for me to get refreshed.
-If I have time I do love to take a bath. I usually browse on Pinterest while I do. Sometimes it makes me feel like I'm wasting my time though so I really need nothing on my to-do list to enjoy a bath, otherwise I'm stressing about all I need to get done.
-Running used to be my favorite way to unwind and relax. I haven't had an opportunity to a.) run in a long time and b.) run alone in an even longer time. I miss it. Now I live in a neighborhood with a workout room in the clubhouse and I usually get my exercise in that way. The boys tag along except for the days they're in school. I feel good after getting in a cardio workout but it's definitely not my definition of unwinding with Paw Patrol going on the TV in the workout room.
-When the weather is nice I love to sit on my patio with Scott. We'll typically have some wine and listen to music and talk. It's so relaxing and a great way for the both of us to unwind. I'm looking forward to nice weather so we can make time for that.
-And finally, one of my favorite ways to relax and unwind is with a date night. I love date nights. A nice meal and good conversation with my best friend is always a delight. My favorite kind of date night is dinner then a movie. Sometimes that's a hard combo to work out because of movie times but occasionally it works and I love it.

So how do you like to unwind and de-stress? What are some of your favorite ways to relax? Leave it in the comments!!

Reset

Hey all! Happy Monday. I'm hoping this week will go better than last. It was rough all around so I'm looking forward to a new week and a new start. Wells and I got diagnosed with thrush last Monday and it was misery. Neither of us are 100% better yet but we still have a few days left to go on our meds. This is my first experience with thrush and I'm hoping it's my last. I feel silly because I let it go for probably a week before I took him in. He had been getting kind of fussy and wouldn't let us set him down. He also had a lot of tummy aches and was spitting up a lot. I took him in thinking it was reflux and we needed some medicine for it but turns out it was thrush. The ped asked me if I was hurting and I was like "you know now that you mention it....I am." I think that's a clear sign that life is so crazy I'm too busy to notice that I don't feel good.

We've avoided sickness all year but it finally caught up with this little guy. He is feeling so much better today but all weekend he had a high fever and a bad cough. I'm guessing just a common cold but he was pretty pitiful. Well, from what I hear. Wells and I stayed away in my bedroom while Scott managed Bennett. It's really, really scary when one of your kids is sick and you have a newborn in your house.

Campbell has two weeks left to be a four year old and I just can't believe it! I needed to go to Walmart yesterday and he wanted to go with me. Initially I thought I just wanted to be alone for once but I let him tag along and I'm so glad I did. I never get one on one time with my kids....and it's not just a new baby thing, it just seems like it's always that way.....and I love one on one time with my boys. He got to pick out some fun snacks and I just enjoyed our short little time together, even if it was just to the grocery store. When we were pulling back into our neighborhood I said "hey Campbell thanks for going to Walmart with me!" and he said "Yeah! That's what friends do." Hehe! I love him.

Wordless Wednesday

Wells' Nursery

I'm so excited to finally be able to share Wells' nursery! We had it all finished before he arrived except we were just able to hang his light last week. So I was waiting to photograph and share it until it was 100% complete.

I absolutely love how his nursery turned out. I really struggled on decorating this room in the beginning. Considering this is my third boy, it was hard doing something that had a different feeling from my other boys. We have always purchased our boys furniture from Restoration Hardware Baby and Child and it has grown really well with them....which was our intention. So I knew I needed to choose furniture that Wells would still love and would still be age approporiate 10+ years down the road. I have always wanted to do a cream nursery but didn't really want to do cream furniture for a boy. So I tried to think of how I could make this room have that light, soft feeling that I've always wanted to do, while still being boyish and something Wells would like several years from now.

I've always loved the Jameson collection from RH and heavily considered doing it when I was picking out Campbell's nursery so I knew this would be the collection I would probably end up doing for Wells. Scott really loved this color and I did too so we chose this first then I decided to brighten up the rest of the room with soft, creamy colors. I thought the map was really cool and something different than anything we had done before and when I saw the lion print I knew I had to have it! It's such a stunning piece of art and looks so gorgeous in person.

The rocker was previously in Bennett's nursery. We moved it out of his room shortly before Wells arrived and thankfully Bennett didn't mind at all. It was the perfect rocker for this room and we felt like it would be silly to purchase another. Full disclosure: this is the most uncomfortable rocker ever....but it's pretty so there's that.

Once the furniture arrived I needed a few more accessories to finish the room. So I called our decorator, Marla, at Bassett and asked her to help me. She finished off the rest of the space and I love everything she chose. It's not at all what I would have picked out myself but I loved her vision. I went to the store and she kept pulling this and that and told me where to put it and I knew it was going to all come together so well.

So there it is! This may be my favorite nursery I've done. I've loved all of my boys nursery's and I do feel like they've all looked different from one another and I'm glad. This room turned out a little masculine and I kind of love that. I love the dark furniture for a boy but everything else is soft which is perfect for a baby. Being in Wells' room is very calming and I still love sitting in his rocker and looking around at everything. His crib will convert into a toddler bed then full sized bed so this will be his room for a very long time and I think it will grow really well with him. I hope he will love it one day as much as I do!