Farewell, 2016!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!  We've spent the last week visiting family, fighting colds + playing with new toys.  We also officially closed on our old house, which is such a relief and a little bit bittersweet!  The way things worked, I thought I'd be going back to help Tyler clean but he ended up finishing it up himself (I know, rough life for me), so I never got to say "goodbye" to our little home.  We both agree that it's probably for the best as I'm sure it would have been filled with more of a walk down memory lane than anything... Remember when Ellie said her first word?  Remember when she took her first steps?  Remember when my water broke right here and shit got really real, really fast?  Remember when I woke you up by shoving a pregnancy test in your face + telling you that we were going to be PARENTS?  Remember when we spent a portion of our honeymoon back here because I (temporarily) lost my driver's license and we missed our flight?  We made so many memories in that house, which definitely makes it a bit sad to think about, but we are happy to close out our year by officially having sold our first house.

Things have certainly been a little bit crazy these past few months, 2016 wasn't perfect, not everything went as we had hoped or planned, but we really did have a great year with so many memories that I hope I can bottle up in my mind + keep forever!

There are so many things that we're looking forward to in 2017 - we've got lots of memories to make in this soon-to-be new house of ours and can't wait to watch our family grow.  Cheers (with my sparkling water) to a brand new year, a blank slate + so many good times to come! :)

16 Weeks

How far along:  16 weeks.

Gender:  Our guess is definitely boy!  We are pretty set on a girl name but boy names seem so much more difficult.  I may have thought of a winner this week though!

Belly button in or out:  In.

Maternity clothes:  Same as before, really just maternity jeans and leggings.

Stretch marks:  Nothing yet.
Sleep:  Not bad, but starting to get sore hips from sleeping on my side.  I remember feeling the same way when I was pregnant with Ellie.
Best moment of the week:  Watching Ellie play with all of her new toys on Christmas!

Worst moment of the week:  Sickness has been spreading through our house this week, which totally sucks.
Miss anything:  A giant grinder.  Extra pickles, please.
Movement:  Felt a few kicks this week!!

Cravings:  Nothing too specific this week.  Although, I wouldn't mind a nice cheese pizza all to myself at this exact moment.
Queasy or sick:  Feeling good.

Looking forward to:  My doctor's appointment this week - love getting to hear baby's heartbeat! :)

Christmas Week!

It's been a busy month for us, which might mean we haven't been able to fully enjoy the Christmas season, but that doesn't mean we aren't so excited for the weekend ahead!  While Ellie doesn't fully understand what's going on, I know for sure that she will be excited to see all of her new toys on Christmas morning and really can't even wait.  I am starting to wonder if she or I will wake up first to see if Santa came! That is, if we ever finish putting her play kitchen together in time to even get to sleep. ;)

We're also excited to spend time visiting family, especially those who we haven't gotten to see in awhile.  We're so happy to be back home and get to see everyone more often, but there's definitely something special about getting to share the magic of Ellie's Christmas with everyone we love! The thought of having another baby at this time next year is kind of crazy and super exciting!  We've already been talking about how fun it will be and all of the things we plan to do as a family of FOUR! :)

The past week has been spent saying goodbye to our old house and getting settled in here, which has been a much easier transition than I anticipated.  I assumed Ellie might need some time to adjust, mainly having trouble sleeping in a new house, but she has been doing really well.  She loves having her grandparents here and I'm sure she will be looking for them when they move out - luckily they will be just a few minutes away! ;)  I also wasn't sure if she would wonder why we haven't gone back to our old house.  I mean, I know she's only a year and a half old, but she doesn't seem phased by the move at all which is awesome and definitely a relief.  Also, all of our cats have been getting along much better than we imagined they would.  It's a little bit of a zoo, but there's definitely always at least one fur babe around to cuddle with if you're looking for them! ;)

I used to think holidays could only be fun if you were a kid, but I'm honestly not sure if I remember ever being this excited for Christmas morning to come!  I know that these years of having little kid(s) who really believe in the magic of the season will go by way faster than I'd like. Christmas will be over for another year in the blink of an eye, which always makes me a little bit sad so we will be soaking it up as best we can.  

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas + happiest everything from our family to yours! XO

15 Weeks

How far along:  15 weeks.

Gender:  I had a dream that baby #2 was a girl and we even named her what we are about 99% sure we would name a baby girl, but last month I had a dream baby was a boy - pretty sure my dreams are more because I can't wait to find out than some kind of sign! ;)

Belly button in or out:  In.

Maternity clothes:  Just a couple things so far, though I honestly envision living in sweatpants and leggings most of the time when I'm not leaving the house.  Definitely wouldn't mind hibernating for winter!

Stretch marks:  Nothing yet.
Sleep:  Missed out on some sleep this week since we were up late packing, but nothing because of baby.

Best moment of the week:  Officially being moved HOME!

Worst moment of the week:  Packing, if that counts.  Also, driving home in a snow storm with a toddler + three crying kitties.  It was a long drive for sure.
Miss anything:  Not really this week - I think I've been too busy to really think about it!
Movement:  A few tiny movements here and there.  Really looking forward to feeling more in the next few weeks hopefully. :)

Cravings:  Food in general is good by me!  We ate at a few of our favorite spots lately and nothing disappointed.
Queasy or sick:  Finally feeling really good.

Looking forward to:  CHRISTMAS!  Can you believe it's a week away?!

Friday Favorites: Mid-Week Edition

It's moving week which means I will probably be signing off for a couple days after this, but we've run out of boxes so I'm off the packing hook until we get more tomorrow morning. ;)  That being said, I thought I'd pop in + share some Friday Favorites a little bit early this week!

Not trying to get too far ahead of myself here, but I did notice a few adorable new Valentine's Day arrivals at the Gap - loving these red heart print leggings in particular.  Also, these tights hanging out in the J.Crew sale section can be grabbed at a super steal with code HOLIDAY + free shipping!  I personally think they'd make a perfect stocking stuffer, AND you'd be planning ahead for the next holiday on the calendar! ;)

If you're a fan of Fancy Free Finery, you'll definitely want to join their Friends + Family Facebook group now if you haven't already - they're giving away five $50 store credits this Christmas season!  Instagram is great and all, but I always check to see if my favorite small shops have closed Facebook groups as well. FFF is probably one of the best ones I know of, but generally speaking, these types of groups tend to have FB exclusive giveaways, promo codes, sneak peeks, etc.  Definitely worth checking out!  Also, if you're part of a group that you think I'd like, please send the link my way. :)

I have yet to buy anything from Childhoods Clothing but have heard nothing but good things.  I always love their styles and have been a little bit obsessing over their Ski 1941 collection that comes out this Wednesday. Like seriously, how cute + cozy is this?!

These festive cookies look so good and I know Ellie would love them too.  She had her very first candy cane last weekend and chomped away at it like there was no tomorrow!

I loved reading this article.  Not saying that sharing the real meaning of Christmas isn't important, that you shouldn't give back this holiday season, or that you have to spoil your own kids like crazy... but, thinking back to that feeling of coming down the stairs to see all of the gifts under our tree when we were little is something I will never forget. The magic of Christmas definitely isn't all about the gifts, but I totally can't wait for the day when I get the "OMG" reaction from Ellie on Christmas morning.  I hope to create the same kind of special memories that I have for her and all of our future babies. :)

Lastly, Ellie in her heart sunnies that she randomly decided she enjoys wearing this week (preferably while listening to "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" so she can jam).  Crossing all my fingers + toes that she loves the "fashion glasses" Santa is bringing in her stocking! ;)  Way too much cuteness.

reindeer shirt // heart sunnies (old from last year, similar here)

Hope you're all having a great week!

14 Weeks

How far along:  14 weeks.

Gender:  I went from thinking one thing to the other and now I'm back at my first guess!

Belly button in or out:  In.

Maternity clothes:  Definitely getting to that stage where a lot of my regular pants are too tight to button but my maternity pants are still a little too big.

Stretch marks:  I feel like my love handles are growing at the speed of light these days, so it wouldn't surprise me.  But no, nothing yet!

Sleep:  Had a few nights this past week that I had trouble sleeping, though I blame it more on everything else going on (or a tiny human who requests to be pushed in the stroller at 1 a.m.) and less on the baby in my belly.

Best moment of the week:  Friday at 4:15 when I was officially done working!! Also, getting to the second trimester!  I've seen a lot of people say 13 weeks is the start of the second trimester, so I did the obvious thing and googled it.  Apparently there's different methods of separating the trimesters, but I went with my Ovia app on this one and am calling 14 weeks the second tri!

Worst moment of the week:  See stroller shenanigans mentioned above.

Miss anything:  Well, I cried watching "The Search for Santa Paws" with Ellie this week (the girls get adopted, you guys!!!), so one might say I'm a little more sensitive than usual.  Definitely wouldn't mind taking that down a couple notches. ;)

Movement:  Still just tiny movements here and there.  One night I felt a few in a row which was the best!

Cravings:  I had Tyler grill me a bunch of chicken to make wraps with for lunch this week - the closest thing to a "real sandwich" (that I would love to eat), and they were SO GOOD.  Also, chocolate.

Queasy or sick:  Apparently snacking on baby carrots was a poor life choice.  Other than that, I'm good as long as I don't have an empty stomach.

Looking forward to:  Getting this whole moving business over with.  We can't wait to sign all the paperwork and get settled in!  Also, Christmas with my baby girl + my baby bump. :)

December Happenings

Clearly we've had so much going on lately, and the next few weeks will definitely be exciting! First off, this Friday marks my very last day of work!!  Well, for now at least.  I am SO looking forward to getting to stay home with Ellie for awhile.  It seems like the perfect opportunity to get settled into our new home + spend some time with my girl before baby number two arrives late spring.

We're officially moving in about a week and a half, which means we'll be up to our eyeballs in boxes + packaging tape all of next week.  I attempted packing a few boxes with Ellie's help the other day, and got a whopping four boxes taped together and one box filled in an entire day's time.  Luckily Tyler is taking a few days off from work before we move, so the plan is to hit the ground running + get it done as quickly as possible!  My parents' new house isn't quite ready yet, so we will be crashing with them for a couple(ish?) weeks.  It will be six humans + five cats in one house for Christmas - one might say a good old fashioned Griswold Family Christmas, perhaps?  As long as no cats get electrocuted, I'm totally okay with that.  Break out the moose mugs, people!

 If you follow us on Instagram, you might have seen that we had our very first snow fall of the season this week!  Ellie ended up being less than impressed with the chilly situation, but she looked so cute all bundled up!  I'm not the biggest fan of snow (it tends to linger well into springtime around here), but the first snowfall of the season can be a little bit magical, especially around Christmas time. :)

In an attempt to do something a little festive with my little girlfriend this past weekend, we bypassed the gingerbread house decorating this year and went with cookie decorating instead!  We will definitely be doing a little baking for Santa Claus, but I had to use my favorite cookie cutters one last time before we packed them away. It was messy but she seemed to have fun helping me out (and sampling).  One thing's for sure, Ellie takes sprinkle duty very seriously! ;)

I'm not trying to rush through the season, but at the same time I really can't wait for Christmas to get here!  We've been talking about Santa and watching as many Christmas movies + shows as Ellie will let me put on for her before she decides she's sick of them, so I can't wait to see if any of it seems to click when the big day comes. :)

Aside from all of that, we're also trying to soak up this last bit of time in our house.  We've got plans to hit up our favorite restaurants in the area one last time + are really just enjoying our time here.




So much to look forward to!  I hope you are all enjoying your Christmas season as well!

P.S. Ellie's love of lotion in my last post?  I wasn't joking. :)

Stocking Stuffers for Toddlers

Today I'm sharing some of the adorable stocking stuffers I've come across in my search this year!  I could totally fill Ellie's stocking with practical things like body lotion, toothpaste + floss and she would love it (maybe ketchup, peanut butter + a bag of chips too), but I won't include those here. ;)  Ellie will be getting a few of these items, others she already has and a couple I'm not sure she would quite be ready for just yet but I'm saving for future gift ideas!

kitty slippers // necklace // pom hat // tights // glasses // makeup (also available on amazon) // bath toys // love is a tutu // undies // critter hair clips // watercolor set // bath crayons

Those kitty slippers were a no-brainer, as well as those glasses since Ellie is obsessed with mine and anyone else who wears them.  Ellie loves her play makeup to put on herself, me or even the cats. ;)  I really can't recommend it enough! That pom hat + a couple pairs of colorful tights were possibly my favorite Black Friday purchases of the year.  They help brighten up a winter wardrobe and will be perfect for when it still feels like winter but we're wishing it were spring!  Bath toys and art supplies seem like stocking stuffer staples.  Ellie will be getting a brand new pack of (washable) crayons since I have no idea where 90% of her current pack ended up.  A book and some fun hair accessories are also cute ideas to fill your little ladies stockings!  Lastly, those adorable undies have been on my Ellie wish list for months and I might have to snatch them up before they're gone.  She likes to do what we do, so I'm thinking some "big girl undies" would be a fun way to motivate her when we seriously give potty training a shot (sometime in the new year).

There are obviously tons of small shops who sell some awesome stocking stuffers as well - Etsy is the place to be! I snagged this mini doll-sized lovey from Stella & Lu (only $5!) that I am super excited about.  I'm not sure if Ellie will use it with her baby dolls or her stuffed animals, but she has been loving them all lately so I thought it was a perfect fit.

Options are pretty much endless and I feel like this list could have gone on forever + ever.  Stocking stuffers were some of my favorite things growing up, so I love trying to think of what Ellie would love to have in hers too.  Have any fun ideas for your cuties?  Please share!! :)

13 Weeks

 How far along: 13 weeks

Gender:  Currently taking predictions! ;)  So far, I'd say about 80% of the guesses have been the same so I can't wait to see who's right!

Belly button in or out:  In

Maternity clothes:  Already mixing in a couple things with my regular clothes. Plus, I never stopped wearing my favorite leggings + tank from last time - just. so. comfortable.

Stretch marks:  Been slathering on Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter daily!  It worked well before so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Sleep:  Sleep hasn't been great for about two years. ;)  Trying to get to bed early as often as I can these days.  I am ALWAYS tired.

Best moment of the week:  Hearing baby's heartbeat for the first time! It's cool to see it beating during ultrasounds but there's something special about actually hearing it. :)

Worst moment of the week:  Poor Ellie getting sick.  I think we slept about two hours Wednesday night, meaning she was awake and miserable the rest of the night.  Luckily, she seems to be feeling much better!

Miss anything:  My patience, if that counts?

Movement:  The teeniest of flutters every once in awhile over the past week or so! This was hands down my favorite part of being pregnant so I'm definitely looking forward to feeling more soon.

Cravings:  Cravings this time around have been very similar to the first time, although much sooner in the pregnancy.  I'd say top ones lately have been anything sweet - from fruit to donuts and everything in between.  Looking back at the first trimester in general, I had one too many carbs, a LOT of clementines and what was possibly the best tasting Chinese food ever for Tyler's birthday.

Queasy or sick:  Good for the most part.  That car sickness feeling is still coming and going a bit at this point.

Looking forward to:  Dinner with my family tonight to celebrate my grammy's birthday and maybe trying to squeeze in a nap tomorrow afternoon.

I was 12 weeks the day before Thanksgiving and had to start taking pictures at the same time I did when Ellie was in the belly, so here's my 12 week picture. :)

See similar posts in 2014 and 2015 for chalkboard reference.

Good thing I didn't have my hopes up on trying to get Ellie in these weekly pictures, huh? :)

Also, thank you all so much for the well wishes!!! XO