Days with Ellie

I guess I would be considered a "part time stay at home mom" to some, which drives me a little crazy because being a mom, no matter how much you do or do not work, is a full time job all by itself.  Times a million.  Regardless, I am home two extra days a week now where it's just me + my little girlfriend.  I love these days with Ellie, but they are by no means glamorous - there are days when I literally get nothing done because she won't sleep or will cry anytime I put her down, and there are definitely some days I totally want to cry with her.  While some days are long (to say the least), when I think about my day as I'm going to sleep each night, it's the good times that stand out the most.  And, at the end of the day, if we're both still alive and well, I think I've accomplished the biggest thing on my to-do list - taking care of this tiny little human.  I feel very lucky to get to spend those extra two days a week at home, and always look forward to our next day together.  

"You will never have this day again with your children.  Tomorrow they'll be a little older than they were today.  This day is a gift.  Just breathe, notice, study their faces and little feet.  Pay attention.  Relish the charms of the present.  Enjoy today, it will be over before you know it."

I don't want it to seem like I'm tearing my hair out every single day I'm at home, because that is definitely not the case - there are SO many good times mixed in with the slightly frustrating times.  I think we all just need a little reminder sometimes that we're doing the best we can do and should be enjoying this crazy ride called motherhood.  I love this girl to pieces and feel so blessed to be her mom - even on the craziest of days. ;)

Our Weekend

This weekend was definitely a lot of fun!  Obviously Tyler's sisters getting married was the highlight.  It was a gorgeous day - the weather was beautiful and the wedding was, too.  The brides looked seriously so happy, it was almost too cute for my sappy little heart to handle.  Ellie was so well-behaved the whole day.  She loves being outside, people watching, and being the center of attention, so she was definitely in her element!  It was nice to see everyone, including some of Tyler's fam that we don't get to see too often.  One of Ellie's new uncles is the brother of one of my middle school best friends, so it was great to see her there and totally proves the point that it really is such a small world. 

Tyler is one of five children, and now there are three Noel kids with spouses, plus Ellie (and more grandbabies to come, I'm sure - no pressure guys ;) ).  It's a lot of fun being part of a big family and definitely no such thing as a dull moment with them.  We are so happy for all four of the newly weds and can't wait to see what's to come in the future! :)

On Sunday, we just hung out - watched football, hammocked, did a little laundry, the usual.  I had to snap this picture early Sunday morning.  THIS is how our bed looks most of the time.  Where am I supposed to sleep?  I'm not really sure. But I love each and every one of these creatures, so we make it work. ;)

I can't believe October starts this week!  This month totally flew by, but I'm excited for some Halloween festivities coming up in the next month. :)

Hope you had a good weekend!

Five Months of Ellia

Age: Five months tomorrow, holy cow! 

Height: I haven't tried measuring, but we'll find out next month. It wouldn't surprise me if she grew another inch since last month!

Weight: 13.8 lbs according to our scale 

Clothing size: She's primarily wearing 3-6 month clothes for everything.  She does still fit into a lot of her 0-3 month onesies, but we've moved on to make sure she gets good use out of her bigger clothes. :)  

Diaper size: 2

Eating: Formula while I'm at work, and about a 50-50 split of nursing and formula when we're together.  This whole transitioning to formula thing is taking way longer than I anticipated.  At this rate, she'll be completely weaned when she's 25. ;) Ellie is loving solid foods!  We started her on solids a couple days after she turned four months.  We've been trying a new fruit or veggie every three days, and prunes seem to be her favorite so far.  She's also been eating oatmeal, but I think she likes it better mixed with fruit than alone.  She usually eats solids 3 times a day, with bottles/nursing in between.

Sleeping: Still nice and cozy in our bed.  She's been going to sleep between 9:00 and 10:00 every night (thank the Lord).  She'll usually get up two times to eat, but typically goes right back down, and will get up sometime between 6:00-8:00 for the day.  Napping is still crazy - usually lots of little catnaps, but she's taken some longer ones for me lately (which is basically the best thing ever).

Favorite toys: Adding to her  three + four month favorites, she loves her exersaucer!  I love that I can put her in it and run into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee without having to juggle it with a squirming baby in the other arm.  It's a win-win for everyone.
Loves: Moving. Girlfriend has to be moving all the time.  Even while nursing - she's getting way too big for these shenanigans.  I'm also surprised the UPS man hasn't gotten an eyeful yet. Ellie loves cuddles and being thrown around like a wild child.  She loves being the center of attention, and isn't the best at entertaining herself with her toys; she always wants someone to play with her - coincidentally, I would like to give her someone to play with. ;)  She loves to eat and makes all kinds of "mmm" noises when she does. Ellie also loves the kitties, being outside - walking or in her stroller (as long as it's moving), standing up and "practicing" walking.

She strongly dislikes the car seat, or any contraption that restricts her - you could say she's pretty laid back. ;)  She's still trying to crawl and gets SO frustrated that she can't.  She can wiggle her way around quite a bit, so I'd be surprised if it doesn't happen soon. Ellie can do a "tripod" but isn't too steady sitting up by herself just yet.  She is the rolling queen, which makes diaper changes quite interesting these days.  Everything she touches immediately goes directly into her mouth.  She is sweeter than ever, and has the best deep belly laugh I've ever heard.

Happy FIVE months, Ellie girl! We love you xo

And because I'm feeling all kinds of nostalgic after looking through all of Ellie's pictures last night, I have to include a newborn pic of this sweet little thing.  I think her head is growing at a much faster rate than her hair these days.

Sometimes I want to stuff her back in my belly and relive her birth day all over again.  As horrendously painful as it was. ;)

Have a great weekend, guys! :)

Five Little Things

Yesterday morning, I went into our bedroom to kiss Ellie before I left for work and she was laying there, staring at the ceiling.  She gave me the biggest smile when she saw me, and when I picked her up, she would not stop giggling.  Such a simple thing completely made my day (it also totally made it even harder than usual to leave her).  Sometimes they're so easy to forget or not even realize at all, but I always say it's the little things that make life that much better.  Here are five totally random little things that I'm loving right now:

1.  A short commute.  After commutes in the hour+ range the past few weeks, a 30-35 minute commute feels like a breeze.  Plus, I get home to my tiny baber's face that much sooner.

2.  Sweater weather.  Or should I say sweatshirt weather, because let's be real, I'm all about the comfort.  Throwing on a sweatshirt and leggings when I get home from work feels amazing in the cooler weather.  Bonus points  if you add on some of your husband's ridiculously warm socks over your leggings. ;) 

3.  A hot cup of coffee.  Another cool weather favorite!  I'm not a fan of iced coffee, so I drink it hot even when it's 95 degrees out.  Sipping on a hot cup on a cool morning makes it taste even better, if you ask me!  If only apple cider had caffeine.  Then I would really be in heaven.

4.  Baby food pouches.  This one sounds kind of silly, but I kind of want to be friends with the person who thought of these.  Who knew squeezing a pouch onto a spoon would be so easy and make for a significantly less messy mealtime?  I bought these because a.) I liked the different flavors they came in, and b.) I liked the packaging (huge sucker for marketing over here).  Turns out Ellie loves them and so does mama. Win-win.

5.  Our babysitters.  For a million reasons, including the fact that they are obviously taking awesome care of Ellie (which is a not so little thing), but they also do things like fold laundry and unload the dishwasher.  Little things that would otherwise need to get done when we get home from work (or before work when I decide it's more important to spend that extra fifteen minutes crawling back in bed to cuddle with Ellie).  Now, I just hope they don't read this and think they have to do these things all the time because I'm expecting it - I'm not. It's just an added bonus. ;)

Little moments like this are some of my favorites.

What are some of your favorite little things right now?  If you're a fellow blogger, feel free to link up to this post and share some of the little things that you're loving right now! :)

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Bloglovin'

I feel like I've probably been living under a rock, but I just joined Bloglovin' yesterday!  First off, thank you to the kind soul who had already added my blog on there - totally made my day knowing that I already had a couple followers (not joking in the slightest).  If you're not already on there, you should try it out! It's so easy to see all of your favorite blogs in one place.  Plus, they offer suggestions based on the blogs you do follow, so you can find new ones to check out.  Obviously if you do get on Bloglovin', or already are on, be sure to follow Life as a Noel! 

You should see a Bloglovin' button to the right of this page, just above my Instagram photos, so you can easily follow along.

As always, thanks for reading guys! :)

Tuesday Tales

First off, I'm so excited to share my next Rad Haus post with all of you.  I've put together a baby shower gift guide for "off the registry" items - things that are a little different, special and way too cute!  There's a little bit of stuff for everyone included, not just baby girls.  I spent quite a bit of time picking everything out.  If we don't have them already, they're definitely things we would buy ourselves!  Please head on over and let me know what you think. :) Hope you love it!

 I posted this on IG yesterday + just wanted to quickly share that I finished putting together Ellie's Halloween basket! 

 I was psyched to find that cute bin in the dollar section at Target.  Also, straw-drinking is a bit of a ways away, but for $1 I couldn't resist the kitty cup. :)  I grabbed a baby's first Halloween card to put in there for something to keep with her baby book.  I know I am totally digging myself into a large, endless hole with this whole Halloween gift thing because I'm going to feel like I have to fill this thing every year and get one for every kid, but I did have fun putting it together!  I think jammies + a book will be a staple for the next few years at least, and I could change things up a bit as she grows - stuff like a festive coloring book, stickers (that will get stuck on everything but paper, I'm sure), supplies for a pumpkin painting party and other crafts to do throughout the month of October, just to name a few ideas!  Did anyone else put together any gifts for their littles or am I the only crazy one? ;)

I just can't get enough of Ellie in this hat.  Or the jeans she wore yesterday.  Or the fact that I DID end up getting a picture of all four of my babes together - first one ever!  Ellie thought it was the funniest thing when she woke up from her nap surrounded by her feline friends. 




    I see other girls wearing Hunter boots and making them look cute, but I feel like I should be clomping around through the mud when I wear them.  Just can't quite make it work.  Says the girl who is clearly wearing leggings as pants in this picture. ;)  Styling suggestions are welcome.

On a not so great note, I completely shattered my beloved phone screen in a stroller catastrophe yesterday.  Okay, I had my phone in my shirt since I was pocket-less and it fell out onto the driveway when I bent down to pick up Ellie's stuffed kitty that fell out of the stroller.  Needless to say, I'll be looking for a good case after I get my screen fixed.  Also, if Ellie's teeth don't come through soon, she won't be the only one crying in this house.  Poor girlfriend.  Here's to hoping this teething business passes quickly!  And I don't slice my finger open typing on my shattered screen. ;)

Have a good day, everyone!

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Our Weekend

This weekend seemed to fly by faster than usual.  We didn't really do a whole lot on Saturday (shocking) - just hung out most of the day and then went to Target and grabbed some Chinese takeout on the way home.  We came out of Target with about half of the things that we said we needed, and about two dozen things we really didn't need at all.  Happens every time and I'm sure we're not alone!  Ellie has been the BEST lately in the store.  I think we're going to have to go out shopping more often. ;) 

 

 

On Sunday, Ellie woke up at the crack of dawn for a few hours but then went back to bed with her daddy.  I couldn't sleep so I got up and finished the chalkboard schedule for my sisters'-in-law wedding extravaganza next weekend.  A whole lot of paw print smudges + a little bit of spit up later, the chalkboard is finished!  

A little crooked, but it was made with love (+ lots of help). ;)  I feel like we've been talking about this wedding for the longest time and it's finally almost here!  I'm excited to see the Noel fam grow by two on Saturday. :)  

We spent the afternoon at my parents' house for the Pats game.  You know I wouldn't miss out on an opportunity to wear matching gear! ;) Ellie also met Gronk doll, my dad's good luck charm - she showered him with good luck slobbery kisses and I think it worked! The Pats pulled through for another win.  Or so I was told, the girls spent most of the game outside :)

 


Hope you had a great weekend!