Baby J's Nursery Sneak Peak

Well first and foremost, our baby boy #2 finally has a name!! 

It took us awhile to decide on a boys name, we had a couple that we kept going back and forth between.

Then we finally had the right combination of first & middle name- and it was like BAM- that's his name! So we knew! 

We've decided to keep it a secret until he's born, which is what we did with Gavin also.

BUT, it does start with "J" ;) So from here on out I'll most likely be referring to him as 

Baby J.

:)

I really just started to get to work on his nursery this weekend. Aaron and Gavin went out of town for the weekend, which meant this mama FINALLY got to do some projects around the house that desperately needed to be done! 

With the help of my mom, we started, and pretty much finished painting his nursery.

We also took a glorious trip to hobby lobby...which is always WAY too much fun for me...

So I got almost all of the decor I need for Baby J's room, as well as this super cute decor I just added to my living room...

Hobby Lobby is SO AWESOME!!!

Back to nursery fun though-

I'm going for a rustic, woodland, adventurer feel.

I can't use the word theme, because I never have one "theme"...

I painted the walls a light gray, called Gray Matters from Sherwin Williams, I LOVE IT.

So, here's a little sneak peak into little Baby J's nursery

I can't wait to continue working on his little room!

Working on a baby's room is one of my absolute favorite things to do!

I can't wait to start bringing in furniture, bedding, ...etc.!

So much to look forward to!

goodbye old - hello new

Well to be honest I expected the process of selling our first house to be a bittersweet one - and wow, was I right.

This was the home Aaron and I first bought, only one month after being married. So it was our beginning to everything- homeownership (and everything that comes along with that), marriage, living together, and bringing home our first baby!

It was a spaciously cozy (if that makes any sense) 3 bedroom, 3 bath house that when we first bought it, needed some serious updating and TLC. Which was perfect for me! I spent hours days months years slowly updating, and bringing back to life each room of that house. From new paint, to new floor, to painting the trim white, painting the kitchen cabinets white, updating fixtures, landscaping... making it... well, home. And wow, what a home it was!!!!

That house has become such a part of me... I can literally say I have blood, sweat and tears put into that sweet home (blood part comes from ripping up carpet and taking a tack strip under the fingernail...ow)!! But as much as we've done to this house, TOTALLY changing the entire look and even feel of the home, it's the memories that are the hardest to let go of.

Maybe let go isn't the right word, because I'm not losing the memories like I am the house, but it's these specific memories that get me all teary eyed without fail every time I replay them in my mind:

Moving into a brand new house as a newlywed couple

Pushing our couches together in that living room for an all-nighter-movie-night! (this was clearly before children became a part of our lives....)

Working until the wee hours of the morning on my sweet baby's nursery

Bringing my first born son home to that cozy little living room full of baby swings, blankets, and diapers

Gavin crawling for the first time in that basement playroom

Gavin taking his first steps in that living room

(I shouldn't be writing this post while being hormonal and pregnant, cue the tears)

Gavin's nightly baths from a newborn to a nearly 2 year old, in that tiny, cramped, upstairs bathroom

Playing "chase" with Gavin down that hallway

Watching Gavin run, play, and dig up all kinds of dirt in that backyard

Getting my second positive pregnancy test for baby boy #2... and celebrating in that tiny, cramped, upstairs bathroom!

And I could literally go on forever... with sweet moments of time that are perfectly frozen, right there within those walls. 

I've had to take numerous trips back to that house to finish packing things up, cleaning, etc. and I always find myself getting overwhelmed with memories and emotions, and of course that always ends in a few (maybe a few hundred) shed tears. 

I remind myself we have this new, beautiful home, that we plan to grow into, to fill up with wild and crazy boys...maybe a girl someday if I'm lucky, and make new memories in. 

Our old home is being passed onto a super great family and I just pray the house brings them as much love, laughter, and joy as it did my sweet family. 

that living room

that tiny, cramped, upstairs bath

that downstairs playroom

and this sweet baby's room, the little room I'll miss the most

I will always love, cherish, and miss our sweet first home. 

Life!

Wow.

Spring has officially gotten away from me this year...which has caused me to totally neglect my blog.

:(

First things first, we have been LOVING spring so far! Finally being able to get outside after the long Wisconsin winter has been heavenly, and literally, such a breath of fresh air for us AND Gavin!!

Gavin has become SUPER OBSESSED with dirt...Which means
he easily goes through 3 outfits a day...

Harley loves being able to get his tan on again!

NOW, here's the crazy going on in our lives right now:

We are 90% sure we are going to be building our dream home late this summer! Which is SO exciting, but we've been SO busy getting our house ready to put on the market! We're also doing "For sale by OWNER"... which means we've been doing a lot of research into that too.

So here's just a taste of our last 2 months:

The numerous things that go along with building a house (finalizing house plans, revising bid prices, multiple meetings with the builder, setting up financing...)

Then all of the things we've had to tackle on our house, to get it in prime listing shape!...

Touching up paint

Finishing painting some trim white

DEEP CLEANING everywhere...

Touching up baseboards

Replacing old, abused door handles

Power washing our front porch concrete (literally looks brand new! Such an easy way to freshen up a porch!!!)

Cleaning all of our exterior window trim & fascia

Decluttering

Beautifying our yard (we seed it every spring so we have a nice, luscious yard! We love to go barefoot around here!)

Cleaning out landscaping 

And the list goes on.... it was seriously one heck of a To-Do list, but we are FINALLY done with it and as soon as we get our final price back from our builder... which hopefully will be within the next week... as long as it's still a go, we'll be ready to list our house ASAP!

I had to finally sit down, and take the time to blog and update as to why I have been MIA lately!

We have a super exciting next week ahead of us!

Can't wait to share all of our exciting news!!!! Plus, within these last couple months I've whipped up and perfected some of my own, new recipes! YAY! I'll be sure to share them with you soon! So stay tuned!

Here's hoping yall are having a relaxing, but productive Spring also!

18 "Mom Things"...

In honor of my sweet "baby" boy being 18 months old, I decided to share with you 18 "Mom Things".

Things No One Tells You About Being Mom

1. You will cry. A lot. Before having Gavin I was NOT a crier. Not at sappy movies...not at weddings... I just didn't cry. Good lord, after having Gavin if I had a dime for every time I teared up or cried over something, I swear I'd be approaching billionaire status. I'm such a sap now. 

2. You will constantly question where time goes. "How has it already been a year", "It feels like it was just yesterday", "I can't believe he's so big". Another, "if I had a dime for every time" I say those things... But it's truly insane. TIME ABSOLUTELY FLIES by. I can remember every detail of the night I went into labor with Gavin... like it happened last night, and here we are with an 18 month old toddler running around like a crazy man crawling on anything within sight. It freaks me out if I think about it too much, and I definitely can't think about it too much or else I cry (see #1).

3. Sweats become heaven on earth. I'm not sure that this one counts, because sweatpants were my little piece of heaven on earth since long before Gavin... but now even more so. Especially being a stay at home Mom. Sweats are awesome.

4. Kiss your sleep goodbye. But for real, just say so long to your uninterrupted nights, or your special weekend sleep-in sessions. They're gone. For a really, really long time. As soon as you think you're back to uninterrupted nights of sleep... you're right back to waking up at all hours of the night, for reasons you sometimes don't even know. Teething? Hungry? Bad dream? Just not sleepy? You don't know, and you usually don't care...all you're aware of is the fact that it's 1am, your kid is wide awake, and you are now forced to drag your lifeless body out of bed. 

5. Coffee is your absolute best friend every morning, and sometimes in the afternoon too. Refer to #4.

6. Say adios to YOUR schedule. Yup, buh-bye. It's now baby's schedule. When BABY's hungry... when BABY needs to sleep... when BABY's wide awake. This can make the simplest of tasks, like eating your own lunch, or "quick running to Target", seem like mission impossible. 

7. Date Nights become far and few between (unless you become super intentional about it, like we have the past few months, thank the lord) but when you do get around to being kid-free for an evening... you don't even know what to do. "Ummmm...dinner and then a movie? Or shopping...but what do we really need to shop for? Maybe just go through Target, see if there's anything we need? Or Menards? I don't know...?" Then you realize it doesn't really matter where you go, or what you do,  you are finally kidless and FREE again for a few hours! That's all that matters. Dinner and bedtime is finally someone else's responsibility (air high-five!)

8. Nap time kind of becomes..... well, sacred. You make sure your phone's on vibrate, you make sure no one stops over during nap time, you keep the dog close by so he can't bark at the squirrel outside the window and wake the baby up. You basically nap-proof the home and all those in it for those few, sacred hours of peace and quiet. 

9. You become immune to almost everything that used to gross you out about babies or small children, once you have your own. Buggers, pee, poop, drool, spit-up... huh, people without kids are grossed out by all that? I've forgotten those pre-kid days, when wiping a toddlers nose with my sweatshirt sleeve would have made me throw up my lunch. And pee, if you have a boy, you are far too used to sopping up pee puddles either on your floor or couch. Sh*t happens... literally.

10. You will amaze yourself at your willingness to do anything to make your baby happy. This means dancing in the kitchen to keep him entertained until dinner is ready, making "funny" (scary to most other people) faces to try and get some smiles, and the constant running back and forth playing "chase" because it's the only thing keeping him happy that afternoon. Whatever the scenario, your "never give up" spirit will shine quite bright when you're doing something for your kiddo.

Things That Make You The Happiest Mom on The Planet

11. When my sweet boy actually cuddles with me on the couch. Gavin is one heck of a busy boy...he doesn't ever want to sit still. But on the rare occasion, if you sit with him on the couch to watch either Paw Patrol or Sesame Street... you may actually have a limited time frame to super sweet cuddles. :) I take those every chance I get!!

12. Hearing your sweet baby's laugh! Is there a better sound than that? The only one that comes close in comparison is when you heard their little heartbeat for the first time... but man, when I hear Gavin chuckle, giggle, or full out belly laugh... I swear my heart smiles and there is nothing else going on at that point in time besides once again, falling absolutely head over heels in love with my baby boy.

Things Where all you can do is Shake Your Head

...or laugh...or maybe cry...or maybe poor a glass of wine... Probably all 3.

13. When you're unaware that your toddler has pooped in his diaper, and he proceeds to scoot on his butt down the stairs, pushing the poo out the top of his diaper, leaving poop skids down the first 3 steps. But that's not the kicker, the kicker is when your husband sees it as he's walking down the steps a minute later, and says "There's chocolate on our steps"...then pretty much immediately realizes,
no, it's not chocolate.

14. When you're standing in line at the movie rental store with your 1 year old standing next to you and he lets out a fart loud enough it can be heard by all those around you, and probably those outside of the store (this happened to Aaron when, unfortunately, I was not around to witness it... the story alone and the embarrassment in Aaron's voice while telling it, was enough to make me laugh hysterically).

15. Poop in the tub. Why do babies and toddlers do it?! And as soon as you think they outgrew it... you know, like when they're ONE... they do it again! What is it with pooping in the tub!?! 

16. When you leave your child alone for literally 20 seconds... and you come back to a complete disaster. 

17. When simple tasks like cleaning the toilet, the tub, or even vacuuming takes you 4 times longer, because someone HAS to "help"...

The Best THING About Being Mom

18. The absolute unconditional love you have for that child from the moment you first lay eyes on them. The smiles and laughter that they bring into your life on a daily basis. The hugs and the kisses that melt your sappy-Mom-heart every time you get one. The stupid-over-nothing-tears you cry (way too often), just because you have THAT much love for one, tiny, little human. The lessons you're taught on a daily basis, from said tiny human. The things you change about yourself, because you want better for your child. And last but not least, the honest realization that you would do absolutely anything for your sweet baby. 

Being MOM is the best!

Old Windows!!!

So these babies have some crazy sentimental value...

they are my great-great-great-great-grandparent's windows, from their original homestead from back in the early 1800's. 

How awesome is that?!

The best part is that I found them this past summer... in the original homestead (which is still standing, and is on my parent's land...it now serves as storage for all of our fun outdoor activities we do at my parent's...snowmobiling, swimming...etc.) tucked in a corner in the "attic" behind a bunch of other stuff. The most exciting part about it all, was that about a week before I found these windows, I almost bought an old window for 20 bucks from a local store. 

Then I find these windows, which are pretty much priceless in my book!

SO glad I didn't spend the money on the window from the store!

They kind of got neglected in my own garage since summer, and today I finally got around to cleaning them up, and bringing them in!! I plan to hang some seasonal little wreaths on the one window, but seeing as how I don't have any yet... the dried flowers will have to do for now. ;)

(trip to Hobby Lobby anyone??)

As soon as we made our floating shelf, I knew that's right where the windows would go.

I get kind of sappy (something that happened to me after becoming a Mom...) and I imagine my (4x)great-grandparent's looking out these windows, enjoying sunsets, watching the seasons change, watching their kids playing outside...and I just find it SO awesome that now here they sit, the main attraction in their great-great-great-great-granddaughter's living room.

*sigh*

---------------------

In other exciting news...

Saturday, I'm having a girls morning with my sisters and my mom, and we're going to make our own bath salts!!!

I'm pathetically excited for this! 

Coffee, cinnamon rolls, girl talk, and DIY craftiness!!! ...what's better than that?!

Here's a sneak peak...

A homemade bath salts post to come....!!!

Ok, enough rambling... 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I can't wait to share another fun DIY craft with you after this weekend!

xoxo

2016!!

The new year is always so exciting!

I get to see how many times I have to do this: 2015 2016...

(I hope I'm not alone in doing that until about March)

...and I also get to choose a few things I want to try and do differently this year!

So here are my simple & attainable 2016 "resolutions":

1. Eat fish dinners 2-3 times per week.

Aaron recently read in one of his nutrition books, to aim for a fish dinner 2-3 nights out of your week.

Um... ya, we were NOT doing that. Oops. 

We tend to eat chicken and beef A LOT... but forget about making fish a regular staple in our diet.

SO... we plan to up our fish intake!

...which means more of my FAVORITE homemade fish fry recipe, as well as attempting our hand at some new recipes we haven't tried yet! We actually made a blackened walleye recipe last night that was delicious!

Of course, as we go about this journey and find some new favorite fish recipes, I will share them with you here! :)

2. Make Healthy Sweets.

I have one heck of a sweet tooth. It's truly a nasty little bugger. When I crave something sweet, I NEED something sweet. I tend to forget we have literally hundreds of recipes for sweet treats, that are AMAZING, and really pretty simple to make! For example, my chocolate oatmeal cookie balls, that are NO BAKE, and I can make a batch in about 20 minutes, start to finish. Some of these recipes are SO simple, and it's so rewarding to fulfill my sweet tooth, with a HEALTHY sweet! Way better than ending up making a late night run to the Dairy Queen drive through... yes, guilty of that.

There you have it! I am not big into "resolutions"... as you can probably tell.

The resolutions I have every year are simple, attainable, and easy to stick with longer than the first few months of every year. ;)

HAPPY 2016!!!!!!

November '15

Nope.

I can't even.

There's no possible way, it is already NOVEMBER of 2015.

I'm still confused as to where 2014 went!!!! 

Now we're almost to 2016?

I'm convinced time flies by a million times faster when you have a baby... who I guess is now already considered a "toddler". CASE IN POINT. Time is obviously flying by far too fast for my liking.

November for this family means...

 1. A cozy night in, with some crockpot stroganoff. 

2. Pumpkins on the front porch for as long as possible!!! LONG LIVE OUR BEAUTIFUL PUMPKINS!

3. THE VOICE. We aren't big tv show people... I used to be, but my days of mindless television for hours on end seemed to come to a screeching halt once I had a baby that stole all my time! :) 

He's worth it.  ;)

4. ALMOST a new season of Fixer Upper!!!!! Hallelujah, because I can't continue watching the same repeats of this show a hundred times... yet I find myself doing just that. 

5. Sweaters and boots!! YES!! My favorite... although I think when summer rolls around I probably claim "maxi dresses and sandals are my favorite!!"...eh, whatev... that's what happens when you live in Wisconsin.

6. HOLIDAYS! Thanksgiving is the beginning of the holiday season in our family. Once Thanksgiving's over, it's all about Christmas in this house baby! That means Christmas decor, some Frank Sinatra Christmas Collection music on repeat, and all things peppermint, hot chocolate, and balsam candles!

I need to slow myself down... and remind myself it's only November 3rd.

I get a little antsy for Christmas... if you can't tell.

7. DATE NIGHTS! Yup that's right. Not that date night's aren't important during any other month, but just recently my sister-in-law and I have decided to "swap" babysitting each month. Meaning, instead of paying a babysitter for each of us to get out for a date night with our hubby's once a month, we decided to watch each other's kids instead.. fo' free! (sorry, had to use the fo' free phrase there...couldn't resist). 

I highly recommend this!! We both love being able to spend the time with each other's kids, and it somehow holds us accountable to each other to make sure we are getting out, and spending time with our husbands! 

I feel like in the hustle and bustle of every day life, a date night gets pushed aside. But, it really is important to still take some time to yourself, get out and be KID-FREE for a few hours! 

8. Football. Go Pack Go! It's not fall without football... and in our house football means good food, a cold beer, and a comfy couch!

Hope your November is as cozy and warm as ours will be! 

:)

October Living

Fall.

A breath of cool, fresh air.

Beautiful bright red trees.

All things pumpkin and apple crisp.

Coffee and blankets.

SIGH.

Now that I have you fooled into thinking my fall is relaxing, beautiful and calm... let me dive into our present day life!

It consists of this:

A 1 year old who never, ever, ever sits still (unless Sesame St. is on), a husband who is always eager to get out in the woods and go hunting... and me, the mom who is not only chasing around the 1 year old, but tackling what seems like a million unfinished projects around the house. 

I have learned that a project that would have normally taken me a day to start and finish... now takes me about a month, due to the fact that I have a child who steals all of my time and energy. Working during nap time is a lot different than having an entire day to work with.

(and I'm not going to lie- some days instead of working during that 2-3 hour nap time... I kick my feet up and relax)

I'm still working on finishing up painting all of our upstairs doors and trim white, as well as updating all of the ugly old brass hardware that came with it... that is about 99% done.

See sneak-peak pics below :)

Before...

...After!

At the same time, I'm working on finishing up our playroom remodel- this is stealing the majority of my time and energy (it consisted of painting the walls, painting the trim, painting the doors, replacing carpet, new decor, and a DIY storage/entertainment center).

When I'm not working on one of those two things- I'm working on a DIY scrabble wall tile project for the playroom. 

As eager as I am to finish these projects- I most definitely make time to soak up the beautiful fall weather that has been gracing us lately here in Wisconsin! 

I think Gavin and I are outside almost every minute possible- because before you know it we are stuck in knee-deep snow, and below freezing temperatures (wait...why do I live here?!).

We're enjoying touring around all of the local farms and orchards...

I'm enjoying my beautiful front porch mums...

We're looking forward to Gavin's second Halloween- this year he has a costume ;)
As well as carving some pumpkins for the front porch!

I'm also going to be enjoying my 24th birthday here in a couple weeks! Another reason October is my favorite month :)

Here's hoping all of you are enjoying your October!

P.S... can't wait to share all of the FINISHED house projects with you!
...hopefully within the next few weeks!

September Updates!

How did this happen??

Where did Summer go?!

I swear, every Summer goes by faster than the one before. 

August was by far the fastest and busiest month. We stayed busy enjoying as much time in the pool as possible, soaking up every ray of sunshine we could, and I of course was busy with all kinds of house projects!
It was also my sweet baby boy's 1st birthday!! (holding back the tears...) 

Life with a 1 Year Old

It's so much fun having a 1 year old!

He's at that fun age where you can totally start to see his little personality. As in...they know how to start pushing the limits, being silly, making you laugh...etc. 

He's been walking since he was 11 months old- so now he's pretty much a pro. ;)

He loves to just walk around and explore the house- which means of course I spent numerous days baby-proofing every room. UGH. 

He's always been a bit more of a Mommy's boy...but lately he loves to cling on to my leg...and not let go. Aaron could be standing right next to me doing nothing, but of course Gavin needs to be attached to my leg as I try to bounce around back and forth in the kitchen and make dinner. 

Gavin's down to 1 nap- which is honestly something I was dreading.

Yes, I am admitting that, NO SHAME.

I LOVED that morning nap time because it was my peaceful, quiet, enjoy my coffee on the couch time. RIP peaceful coffee time. Now I get to enjoy my coffee during Sesame Street while Gavin crawls all over me and snuggles in my armpit. 

We realized Gavin needed to go down to 1 nap when we started having bad HORRIBLE, "WE ARE DONE HAVING KIDS" nights. Ya, those kinds of nights.

Gavin would wake up at 1-2am and not want to go back to sleep for 2-3 hours. Thank the Lord for coffee.

Once we went down to only 1 nap (which is currently around 1pm...and lasts 2+ hours) he went back to sleeping through the night. Hallelujah.

When's the Next One???

Speaking of "WE ARE DONE HAVING KIDS"... it reminded me of the fact that it seems like the 1 year mark is this magic mark where people feel like it's appropriate to start asking you when you're having the next one.

EXCUSE ME, WHAT?! 

Those couple weeks post-birth are still WAY TOO VIVID in my mind to want to go through all that again... and after a lot of the sleepless nights we were having with Gavin lately.... ya, the next kid can wait!!! We definitely have a time frame in mind, but I like to tell people- within the next 5 years....maybe. :)

But if you ask me after one of "those" nights, my answer is "Gavin is going to be an only child".

MomLife Updates

I'm almost done breastfeeding! Which is funny, because I now realize I can start wearing regular bras again- not just nursing bras! I also realize how much more freedom I have- and it's awesome. Not gonna lie.

All that needs to go is the last feeding right before bed.

I also find myself in that weird place where I look back at old pictures of Gavin when he was a little baby, and I think "awww, I miss that!!!" and at the same time, I LOVE the age he is now. He's so much more independent (in a sense) and honestly, every day with him is fun! I'm really, really loving the age he's at now. :) 

Other Randomness Updates

The kitchen/living/dining room update is 98% done! We have a hole in the ceiling (from the fireplace we ripped out) that needs to be patched, and 1 piece of trim left to be put on! That's that! It feels SO good to be done with it all, and we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our "new" living room!

I also am about 90% done with painting all of our upstairs trim and doors white!! The difference it makes is INSANE. We love it!

Another SUPER exciting change- we are updating our downstairs "bonus" room into a playroom. New paint, new carpet, and of course- white trim & doors! 

...and super cute decor once I finally find the time to take a trip to Hobby Lobby!!!!

I painted the entire room in 2 days. I just have 1 more coat of white to paint on the trim... then we just need to get our new carpet in!!! 

The most exciting part about this project- is all of the toys that accumulate (and don't get put away) in the living room- will be GONE!!!! I can't wait to have a room specifically for all of the toys!! I'll get my living room back!
Here's a sneak peak...

Before new paint...

...After new paint!!

Here's a non-house-project update: we took our yearly trip to the lake this year! It marked the third year we've gone to this lake with my side of the family! The first year we went Aaron and I had only been married a couple weeks! The second year we went (last year) Gavin was about 10 days old. This year, we had a 1 year old cruising all around the house... our little explorer. It was awesome to get away with the family. Even though vacations with Gavin right now aren't exactly "relaxing" like they used to be, they somehow still recharge you. 

Randoms from the Past Month

1. Gavin is one busy boy.

He's into everything.

Everything being the dog food bowl, the kitchen drawers, the toilet, the dog kennel, Mom's bathroom drawers (of course not Dad's drawers because tampons and breast pads are way more fun to play with and throw around than anything in Dad's drawer...) and pretty much anything else within his reach.

He loves to walk behind his little walker toy, but he has yet to master the art of "turning around", which means every 10 seconds he's hit a new obstacle and needs Mom to turn him around.

Need I say anymore?

This kid keeps me busy, all day, every day.

2. Fourth of July was AWESOME!

Again, the day did not go as Mom & Dad had planned- Gavin put his own little spin on our plans.

Long story short- Gavin would not go to sleep for his afternoon nap at my parents house, so we drove all the way home for Gavin to sleep. Being the little stinker that he is, as soon as we got home and he was in his crib he slept for over 2 hours.

Once he woke up, we went out to my Aunt & Uncle's for some yummy 4th of July food, then headed over to my parents for some swimming and a bonfire with just our immediate family (my parents, siblings and nieces & nephews)! 

I had about 4 s'mores and probably 4 burnt marshmallows (there's nothing better than a black, burnt to a crisp marshmallow if you ask me...) maybe more, I honestly didn't keep track, but it was the first time that I felt sick from eating so many marshmallows... Maybe it's just 'cause I'm getting old...?

We kept Gavin up about 2 hours past his bedtime, but he was happy as can be! He loved the sparklers and the fireworks! It was a super fun night :) 

Much different than past 4th of July's...but that's to be expected with a baby.

3. We're Making Friends that are at the Same Stage in Life as We Are.

This is probably lame to some people who just happened to go through the new life stages (marriage, kids...etc.) at the same time as all of their friends.

But for Aaron and I, it's a big friggin' deal.

Aaron is roughly 10 years older than me...so for him, a lot of his friends have been married and already have older children.

For me, I was the first one in my group of friends to get married and have a baby.

We literally had zero of the same friends that were at the same point in life as we are.

FINALLY, we've had some other friends that have gotten married, and have recently had little munchkins of their own.

It's great having those few people to confide in, and realize, "ok, so we're not the only ones whose lives have drastically changed because of a baby". 

(no, everyone's lives drastically change once they have a baby...some are just better at hiding it than others)

4. DON'T CREATE A NIGHT FEEDING HABIT!!!

If there is one piece of advice I would give to someone regarding older babies and sleeping... 

it would be this:

DO NOT CREATE A NIGHT WAKING HABIT!! 

What do I mean by that? 

Well, we had a baby that was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. He was a great sleeper- until he hit about 6-7 months old. Whether it was teething or a growth spurt- he just hasn't been as good of a sleeper. About a month ago (so Gavin was about 9-10 months old) when he would wake up in the middle of the night- we started just feeding him. Aaron would bring him into bed with us, I would breastfeed him for no more than 15 minutes, and we would have a precious sleeping baby again. Aaron would go lay him back down in his crib- and voila. A super easy way to get our baby back to sleep.

NO!!! NO!!!! NO!!!!!! 

Don't do it, unless you're fine with waking up numerous times every night for who knows how long, weeks...months....who knows!

We finally realized once he was waking up a couple times every night, that this had to end.

We realized WE created a nasty habit.

Instead of being able to soothe himself back to sleep- Gavin was used to snuggling up next to Mom in bed and getting a nice full tummy.  

It was a couple nights of hell, trying to get him back to sleep without feeding him. LOTS of crying, and very little sleep for Aaron and I... no wonder we went through so much coffee lately...

We just started this process 4 nights ago. The first two nights were the rough ones. The past two nights he's slept through the night without making a peep... so I guess we're crossing our fingers that this nasty night waking phase is over!

Gavin recreating what I must have looked like
those couple days- FACE IN THE COFFEE CUP!!

5. Planning a 1 Year Old's Birthday!!

This one comes with mixed emotions!

I'm so excited for Gavin's birthday, because I love planning, and decorating for parties!

I've got all sorts of fun ideas, and honestly have been thinking about this day since Gavin was about 6 months old!

At the same time, my heart hurts a little because I'm realizing how fast my baby is growing up.

I honestly can't believe it's been almost 1 year since he was born.

WHAT the WHAT?! How is that possible!?

I can remember every part of that night spent in labor, and that morning when he was born like it happened yesterday! 

Wow, cue the emotional mommy sappiness, right?!

(see the benefit of having other "mom" friends is when we start talking like this, and I realize I'm not the only mom who thinks this way!...much to my husband's surprise!)

6. Hope You Are Enjoying Your Summer!!!

Bonfires, fishing trips, ice cream, s'mores, sunshine, beaches, lakes, suntans, country music...

I hope you're enjoying it all like we are!

10 Months as Mom

Alright, 

I finally feel like I've had this "mom" thing down for awhile now.

I'm used to protecting Harley the dog from a wild-child 10 month old who wants to pull on his ears and chew on his tail.

I'm used to having to speed vacuum because I have a baby chasing and climbing on the vacuum (he loves when I vacuum- super easy entertainment).

There's no more online shopping if Gavin's awake- because the computer is way too cool and Gavin can't resist pulling, pounding, and chewing on it.

I'm used to plans changing because of a teething, sassy baby.

I'm used to leaving birthday parties early for bath & bed time 

(for Gavin...not me.......).

I'm used catching only about half of the conversations I'm apart of because I'm too busy chasing down my 10 month old child who's about to eat the dead bug off the floor over there.

I'm also VERY used to no longer sitting still, because Gavin is way to busy exploring everything, everywhere.

I'm used to being tired every night by 9pm 8 pm 6pm.

Nap time is still like a sacred time to me. Peace. Quiet. Relaxation. I love it, and kind of dread when he goes down to 1 nap a day...(selfish, I know).

I've become a pro at pumping on the go. As in, in the back of my sister's minivan driving down the interstate on our girls trip to Stillwater, MN. Yup, that's right.

I recently realized I needed to stop pumping, because I have over 3,500 oz of breast milk stored in our deep freeze. . . and I'm still nursing Gavin & plan to until he's 1. 

(I feel like I represent the great state of Wisconsin well...me & the cows, we're milk producing freaks over here)

Spit up, dirty diapers, baby boogers, drool, being peed on- eh, what's the big deal? It's all in a days work now.

I still am slightly amazed that I can feel like I had a crazy busy day- but never even left the house. 

I guess multiple loads of laundry and a 10 month old baby can do that to you.

It's so much fun being Mom.

It's hard work and it's tiring most days, 

but there's nothing better than spending that time with your baby 

and catching all of those smiles & giggles.

I know I say this in probably every post regarding Gavin...

but the TIME FLIES!!

And maybe I'm just a huge sap compared to a lot of other moms-

but I find myself constantly thinking about how fast Gavin is growing up!

When I see older boys I picture that being Gavin some day- and oh my gosh, it kind of tears at my heart! (pathetically sappy, or normal mom brain??)

Anyway-

I love being a stay at home Mom, even if it means spending a lot of my days in sweats, no make up, hair on the top of my head, and chasing around a 10 month old child all day.

Not even going to lie-

I wouldn't change a thing.

Summer 2015 Bucket List!

2015 Summertime Bucket List

1. Lots and lots of swimming (this has already been accomplished thanks to my parent's pool).

2. Backyard bonfires with one too many s'mores.

3. Lots of iced coffees & teas.

4. Take a mini fishing trip out on the lake (a getaway for Mom & Dad).

5. Date nights with my hubby.

6. Outdoor country music festivals!!

7. Take early morning walks (easy to accomplish because I have a child who enjoys waking up at the crack of dawn...)

8. Enjoy our yearly Labor Day weekend trip.
(Last year Gavin was only 1 week old when we went, and it just wasn't nearly as enjoyable as I anticipated. I blame lack of sleep, hormones, and still getting accustomed to this tiny human who was pretty much attached at my hip boob.)

9. Try not to be a sappy, emotional wreck as I approach my baby's first birthday in August.

It's Not Goodbye, It's See You Later Facebook...

It's not goodbye, it's see you later.

That's how I currently feel about Facebook.

Why do I feel this way?

Here's why:

As soon as I'm not doing anything, or anything of real importance, I take the time to mindlessly scroll through Facebook.

When Gavin's napping, I'll scroll through Facebook.

When I'm relaxing, it usually involves scrolling through Facebook.

When I'm bored somewhere, I'm scrolling through Facebook.

When Aaron's driving, and I'm riding along, I'll quick scroll through Facebook.

When I do something fun, I post a picture to Facebook.

When I see something I think is cute, I post it to Facebook.

Facebook.
Facebook.
FACEBOOK!

Every. Day.
I don't even know how many times a day.
Now, I definitely don't spend long scrolling through Facebook, I'm usually busy chasing around a 9 month old baby, but if I totaled up the amount of time I spend just "quick looking through Facebook" or posting something, I'm sure I'd be quite surprised.
As would most people, if I had to guess.

Yes, it's fun to stay in touch and up to date with friends and family who you don't see often.

It's fun to see when your family & friends are getting engaged, married, having babies...etc.

But I know I'm guilty of having way too many "friends" that honestly, sometimes I wonder-
"wait, who are you and why am I friends with you??"
 

And let's be real for a minute -
Do you really even care that much about what the majority of people you're "friends" with,
 are doing throughout their day...???
Out to eat, going to a movie, going for a walk, cleaning their house...and the list goes on forever. 
We're all guilty of posting things to Facebook, that a lot of people probably could care less about.

But we still feel the need to post it.
Why??

I'm also SO unbelievably sick of seeing Facebook arguments.
Everyone somehow becomes a highly educated Doctor when it comes to someone's kid being sick- but the advice one Facebook Dr. person gives, the next person attacks!
Or political viewpoints- we all know how those go.
Aren't we all aware that everyone is entitled to their own opinions?
Why waste your time arguing back and forth with someone you probably don't even know... you're most likely not going to change their mind (and isn't that usually clear after the first few initial exchanges- why drag it on for 47 comments??).
Let them post the article that reflects their beliefs, and if you don't agree with it,
KEEP SCROLLING.

It's petty things like this that just continued to get under my skin with Facebook.

But it got me to thinking-
for some reason I feel the need to check Facebook.
I feel the need to stay up to date with what's going on in the Facebook world.
I feel the need to update Facebook with photos and statuses of what I'm doing or cute things Gavin did.

Why??

Why do I feel like I NEED Facebook?
 

I've come to realize that Facebook is a huge time-stealer.

So, I decided to change that.

I'm not deleting my Facebook.

Let's be real- when you're sitting at the DMV waiting for an hour, Facebook seems to save your life.

But the numerous times I find myself on Facebook throughout the day- instead of getting something done around the house, or finishing that book I started reading 2 months ago...
ya, that's what I want to change.

No more starting my day by scrolling through Facebook if I wake up before Gavin does.

No more mindlessly scrolling through Facebook numerous times a day,
 "just because".

Facebook is still a great way to stay in touch with people,

so I've just decided to drastically cut down my "Facebook time".

As in, I try not to go onto Facebook at all.
If I do, it's only once, and it's right before I go to bed.
In fact, for the first time, in a long time,
I've gone full days (and nights) without getting on Facebook at all.
And guess what- it was awesome, and I didn't miss anything important!
Shocking right?!
I also managed to get more done around the house than I typically would in a day.

Everyone seems to live on their phones now.
We miss so much in life, because our faces are glued to our phone screens.
I'm sick of that.
I'm sick of feeling dependent on my phone, and of all things, Facebook.
I'm tired of the automatic "Gavin's doing something cute, post it to Facebook", "I'm doing something fun, post it to Facebook".

Over it.
Done with it.
Sick of the edited lives that fill my news feed.
(the "I'm so happy", "my life is perfect"... those lives... or should I say lies)

So here's to actually living in
& enjoying the real world,
not the Facebook world!

9 Most Surprising Things About Being Mom

So in honor of Gavin being 9 months old- I decided to come up with 9 things that surprised me about Motherhood.
It wasn't hard, because I've learned a lot- so these are what surprised me the most.

1. IT'S HARD.
Being Mom is not easy. Whether you're a full-time working mom, or a stay-at-home mom like myself, it's not easy. Being Mom is a job. It's physically and mentally exhausting some days.
I didn't expect having a baby to be a walk in the park, but I truly didn't expect it to be as much work as it is!

2. IT'S THE HARDEST, MOST REWARDING JOB YOU'LL EVER HAVE.
As I said before, being Mom is hard work, but there is not a more rewarding job in this world.
Watching your baby grow right before your eyes is so rewarding in itself, that to me, nothing can top that. I get to spend every day with my baby, watching him develop a personality, learning about this big crazy world around him. It's so much fun, and so rewarding to be Mom.

3. I'VE LOST INTEREST IN SHOPPING FOR MYSELF.
Shocking and sad, but true.
I have tried to go shopping for clothes for myself, and it's just not fun anymore. This was something I could have done all day, every day before Gavin... I LOVED to shop!! Somewhere along the line, I totally lost interest in shopping for myself.  Now, walk me over to the baby department, and my cart will be overflowing with baby clothes and toys before you know it.
I don't understand how this happened, but it did.

4. NAPS ARE EVEN MORE HEAVENLY NOW.
I was a napping queen before I had Gavin. I could take gloriously long, 2+ hour naps. Those naps where you lay down, close your eyes, and the next thing you know, you've more or less been dead to the world for the last 3 hours. Now, I rarely have the opportunity to even take a nap. Half the time, when I try to nap, I CAN'T!!! Is that just a part of being Mom??? How have I totally lost the ability to nap?!?! How does that happen?? Anyway, on the rare occasion that I do actually get a nap, it feels like heaven. They're probably extra awesome because they're so few and far between...but wow, naps are amazing now.

5. BED TIME IS ALSO EVEN MORE HEAVENLY NOW.
I've always been a person that enjoys going to bed. I love crawling into bed after a long day, relaxing, and just going to sleep (...can you tell I really like..and need..my sleep...). Now that every day seems to be busy with a baby, bed time is even more exciting! I'm not only excited for Gavin's bedtime (because Aaron and I finally have a full hour or two, to ourselves), but I'm excited to go to bed myself! Usually by the time I lay Gavin down for bed (8:00pm)- I'm ready to clock out. I usually do my best to stay up and spend that time with Aaron...but not gonna lie, there have been plenty of nights that I lay Gavin down in bed, then sneak right off to bed myself.
Yes, that's right, going to bed at 8pm is now awesome some nights.

6. MY LIVING ROOM LOOKS LIKE A SMALL DAY CARE.
I always said (in my pre-mom days), "I don't want a bunch of baby toys covering my living room when I have kids"...ya, who was I kidding. Gavin has a lot of toys- and they're all kept in the living room.
I do have to say though, every night we put away all of his toys- and it's like a breath of fresh air. My living room is back to looking like a real living room. This probably doesn't bother a lot of other people, but to me I love having a clean, put together, adult-like living room. I prefer my living room to look more like a living room than a day care- but that's pretty unrealistic when you have a baby.
As I speak (or type?) my couch is currently covered in burp rags, a pack of baby wipes, a baby blanket, a pair of baby pajamas, and a boppy pillow.
It is what it is.

7. BREASTFEEDING IS BOMB.
If you've followed me on this blog, then you're familiar with my breastfeeding story. If not, here's a super shortened version of it: I used to hate breastfeeding, now I love it. (I did say super short...if you care to read more, or need some breastfeeding motivation yourself, check out this Motivation for Breastfeeding Mamas post). But in all honesty, for the first couple months of Gavin's life, I truly had a love-hate relationship with it.
Somewhere around the 2 month mark it clicked for me, and ever since, I've loved breastfeeding! It honestly could not be easier (or cheaper). Plus, for me- it's been a HUGE part in losing my baby weight! I'm smaller now 9 months post-baby, than I was pre-pregnancy even! Not to mention, as everyone knows, it's the healthiest and best option for baby ("breast is best"...a saying that gets really old during pregnancy and right after birth). You definitely sacrifice some things when it comes to breastfeeding, (pumping, wearing a bra all the time..ugh..) but let's be real- it's worth it.

8. A CONTROL FREAK CAN LEARN TO GO WITH THE FLOW.
This is a pretty shocking one for me. I'm a super laid back, easy going person...but at the same time, I can be a mega control freak. I really like having a schedule, and sticking to it. I like planning things out, and knowing what to expect (I know all other Mom's are laughing at me at this point). 
Ya...once a baby comes along, that all changes.
I'm no longer in control- this tiny, little human being is quite bossy for not even being able to speak.
They get their point across pretty quick- and it's that THEY'RE in charge now (for the most part).
;)
I learned to just ease up on my control-freak tendencies, and life has been a much easier, and far less stressful ride since then!

9. I'M A HUGE SAP NOW.
The tiniest things make me cry. Like watching Jill Duggar give birth and hold her baby for the first time- yup, tears. Seeing a pregnant woman walking down the street, I catch myself thinking, "awwww, that was me at this time last year". Seeing little toddlers, I tell myself, "that will be my baby in a couple years....".
Ya, sappy stuff like that.
I constantly find myself going through old pictures, from when I was pregnant, and when Gavin was just a tiny (well, he was never "tiny") little newborn. When I think about Gavin turning 1, it makes me sad...but excited at the same time. It's sad thinking of my baby...not really being a baby anymore. See....sappy stuff like this! And I'm just going to stop, because I could go on forever, and you get the picture.

It's pretty amazing.