Whirlwind of a February

HOLY MOLY! Where in the world is this month going? This has been a crazy month so far. Vivi turned 1 month. Jake went to Switzerland and Germany for 10 days. The girls and I ran a million errands. I had my 6 week postpartum check up. Then.. sickness and cold weather hit. Bryn was been down for the count. Vivian has been congested, but nothing crazy.

First off, something VERY important happened when my little was just one month and 3 days old.. a SMILE!!!!!!

 Speaking of one month..

Seriously.. this girl melts my heart. I hope I don't jinx myself.. but she is literally the easiest baby EVER. I haven't had one single moment where I couldn't console this baby. Bryn was an amazing baby and I loved every little ounce of her, but the girl put me to work. She had many inconsolable moments and she had to be bounced, a lot. Vivian and I need to talk about her frequent spit up on mommy (but she's never fussy so I don't think she's reacting to the formula..)... but other than that, I think I'll keep her.

Jake left to do some business in Switzerland and Germany. He had a conference in Switzerland, had the weekend free to do his own thing, then met with some of his counterparts, traveled to Germany and did the same.He took a train to the top of the Alps and had lunch while he was there. How awesome?! He sent me lots of pictures. It was literally like a postcard. He will be traveling over there probably once a year or every other year... and this mama will be going with him at some point.. when our girls aren't so little! These were taken with his phone.. what?! So amazing.

 If I said I wasn't worried about him leaving me with a newborn and a 1 year old.. I would be lying. Jake is a huge help.. HUGE. He spoils me big time and is so valuable to me. My mommy ability was totally being tested, and I was nervous I would have a big breakdown. Let me just say, I LOVE being a mom.. and I absolutely rocked those 10 days. It really gave me a lot of confidence with my mommy skills. Bryn and I were the bestest buddies.. and Vivian was an angel.

Poor girl had some skin problems while daddy was gone. Her skin was SO dry and red. It was awful.. but she didn't seem to mind. I'm thinking she either had a reaction to someone's laundry detergent (cuz it was mainly on her face) or maybe just a newborn thing. It came and went within a few days. I treated it with some hydro-cortisone cream, eucerin and coconut oil. Girlfriend was shiny for like 3 days straight.. and my lips were super soft from kissing that face. Haha!

My friend Katie and I took our kids to the Boonshoft Museum. That place is awesome for littles. Our kids loved running around. We brought extra clothes so the kids could play in the water table. Zane was really into it.. he is a freak of toddler nature.. he plays with toys the way they are SUPPOSED to be played with. Bryn was busy climbing rails.. going up the slide the wrong way.. scaling walls.. ya know, typical toddler stuff. (Note to self.. Vivian needs to be in a sling for these events.. mommy needs TWO hands to chase Bryn haha!)

 I swear this girl likes me and had a good time.. she just doesn't smile for the camera.. ever. STINKER! But TRUST ME, when she candidly smiles.. it is THE sweetest thing. Ugh, even her serious face melts my heart.












Another play date we had was with Katie and her little guy again, and Alyssa and her TWO year old Peyton. It was her birthday when we all hung out. Alyssa, Katie and I were in the same sorority in college. Alyssa was my little. It's fun to take these friendships into our family lives.

Just for fun.. here is our big/little reveal back in 2008. Loved her then, love her now! (Ps.. there is Katie in the background seeing her big, Melissa.. we love them, too!) 

 

The girls weren't AS enthusiastic to hang with each other. Bryn tried to kiss her, Peyton wasn't having it.. they started off on a rough note. (Ps.. see Bryn's hood.. later on in the day.. Peyton decided Bryn was her side kick and started pulling her around by her hood. I was DYING!) These two are going to be best buds because they are moving near us soon! Eeeeek!

 Here are some pictures from college with Katie, too! Love my girlfriends!

I'm pretty sure we made the cutest kids ever.

 After some play time at our house, we went to a indoor play house called Run Around Fun Town. That place is so cool. $5 for the whole day.. it's really close to our house so we could go home, nap, and come back! It was bounce houses, little "grocery stores".. a "vet".. a workout room.. a ball pit.. indoor slides.. They needed adult supervision because they are so little.. so we took turns climbing in all these things.. it was a mommy workout too!

 It was seriously an awesome day.. and Bryn napped big time after. Double win!!!



Bryn kept pointing to this elephant in her picture book and said "Mama".. I mean.. she has never known her skinny mommy.. but.. really? Hahaha

 Bryn had lots of cute little outfits this week. I love this baby.

 Vivi was a doll baby, too. I could just stare at these girls all day (Oh wait, I do!). They are so pretty.

Shannon and Kelli came to visit us.. We love visitors!!! :-)

 Bryn decided while they were here to climb UNDER the playpen. Besides books, nothing is used the way it's supposed to in our house.. toddlers.. Oy!...

 Bryn has decided that anytime Vivi gets changed.. she NEEDS up there, too. Seriously... seriously? They are adorable.

Bryn became a big mama's girl while Jake was gone.. Have you seen the Family Guy commercial where Stu yells "Ma! Ma! Mama! Mama! Ma-ma! Ma-ma! Mommy! Mommy!..." I'm living that commercial... it endearing.. and annoying.. haha! ;-)
 

Bryn's new favorite accessory is bibs.. we wear 5-8.. at a time.. on the daily.. 

 In the mornings, if Vivian was still asleep, I would bring this little one in my bed when she woke up.. she would drink milk (only out of a bottle in bed.. because sippy cups leak).... watch cartoons.. and I would close my eyes for a few more minutes.. mmm

Sometimes I feel bad for this one. At times.. we are strictly business. She eats.. then I put her down to chase Bryn. She falls asleep.. I put her in her rock n play so I can read to Bryn. She's awake but not hungry.. she's on the floor stretching or on her boppy and I'm feeding Bryn. I try to sit on the floor and play with Bryn near Vivi.. and Bryn interacts with her.. but.. Vivian doesn't really get my full attention, except in the middle of the night (when I'm begging her to close those little eyes again). Maybe that's why she's so good.. just forced to be independent? Ugh, I just love her little face though.

Jake came home late on a Thursday after 20 hours of traveling. Yuck!

 Funny side story.. I went to rent a movie from redbox. I always ask Jake what he wants to see because he just KNOWS good movies. But, I decided to do this all on my own. I picked out John Wick.. because.. Keanu Reeves.... (GREAT action movie by the way). Bryn kept playing with the dvd.. trying to figure out how to open it. Jake and I both noticed her playing with it.. but.. didn't really care. So, HOURS later, we clean up the house.. and go to put the movie in.. and it's gone! GONE! Long gone.. we looked for probably a straight hour. We figured it's with the remote that she played with and lost (still haven't found that one). Long story long.. we found in within our recliner.. not on it.. or under it.. IN it. Bryn.. Bryn.. Bryn.. our little Houdini..
I had obviously even taken a picture of her with it earlier.. caught red handed!!!

I ordered some headbands from an etsy site for the girls (and their cousins).. I was so excited to get them!!! Vivian tried it on first.. there was no one to her left.. just smiling up at God, I guess..

Then we got some REALLY awesome pictures for Valentine's Day.. I mean.. everyone was really feeling the love..

So... not quite what I was hoping for. I tried the next day and got some good ones.. Oh.. they melt my heart..

Anytime Vivian is laying anywhere.. Bryn looks at me and says "Up!" and points to where Vivi is. I already have a ton of pictures of these two together. They are best friends. 

Like.. on this day.. I had to say "No, no Bryn.. we don't throw oranges at Vivi's head". But I know, she was just trying to share with her bestie..

The sickness hit.. Bryn was pathetic for about 4 days straight. It has been too cold to take her outside.. so she hasn't been outside since last Friday. Coooooped up!!!!

Being sick.. she moves around a LOT more while sleeping. Check out that post nap hair.. OW! OW!!!!

Runny nose.. congested.. fever.. drooling.. we were definitely taking two baths a day.

Sickness also brought a lot of this out of my child.. Attitude..

Gosh, long few weeks. I can't believe this month is almost over. Notice in this post, it's allllll about the kiddies. This weekend, I'm gonna take a couple hours for ME! I have $10 Kohls cash and eyebrows that need waxed.. Ohhh yeahhh.. I'm gonna get wild with my ME time! ;-)

Until next time!

February Goals

Before I get into my February Goals, I'm going to go over my January Goals (because some are transferring to February since I failed hehe)

1. Find a dermatologist. DONE! I also scheduled an appointment with a plastic surgeon to take a look at a couple funky moles on my neck and one on my face. That appointment is next week. 
2. Go to ONE movie with my husband. Failed! We just didn't have time.. and the one weekend we wanted to, both of our parents were out of town so we didn't have the babysitters. But honestly, we watched a LOT of movies together. Probably 15.. a lot of those were kids movies, but my hub loves a good cartoon.
3. Organize my storage room. Another big FAIL! I need big storage bins in order to get started, and I kept forgetting them while I was out. Side note: I asked Jake while he was at Target to "grab storage bins if he sees them".. to me, that was asking him to pick them up. When he got home, I said "Hey! Did you get the bins?" He said "No, I didn't see them". I asked if he looked. He said "No, I just didn't pass by them." Bahahaha! Okay, if that's not the difference between men and women, I don't know what is! Note to self.. Say what you mean! ;-) So anyways.. organization in my storage room.
4. Shower.. 2-3 times a week. YES! I totally did this. I actually showered DAILY! It was like my mini spa and mental break.
5. Dry brush and coconut oil. Check! I would dry brush 2-3 times a week. I would like to do it more. I can tell a difference on my upper thighs. And I use coconut oil daily. Love the way it makes my skin feel!!!
6. Don't look past my babies to focus on my messy house. I really feel like I did very well with this. My house was very clean at time.. my house was very messy at times.. and my mood and demeanor remained the same. It was a good month with my little family. 

FEBRUARY GOALS

 1.  Go to a movie with my husband, FOR REAL! ;-) \
2. Organize my storage room.  This month I will BUY storage bins and ORGANIZE my storage room. Seriously, this time!
3. Read a book.  This past month I read 50 Shades of Grey. It was.. okay. I'm not as crazy about it as other women seem to be. But I did enjoy having something to read. I've missed having that. Jake is a big reader, too, so he has been reading a book. I think we will continue this pattern!
4. Look into gyms. Right now, I'm deciding between Kettering Rec or the YMCA right down the street. I may look into others, but I really need something with good child care hours for both Jake and I. I don't love classes, but it might be nice to have a good class that I consistently go to. My 6 week appointment isn't until the 12th, so I can't even start working out yet. I've got time!
5. Pack away the newborn and 12 month clothes. My girls both have grown out of clothes. Bryn has been able to fit into 12 month clothes until the past couple weeks. Time to empty her closet and drawers to see what we really have. Vivian lasted in newborn clothes longer than Bryn did.. her little legs still fit in the pants.. but by the time I get to it.. she will be out of them.
6. Play dates for Bryn once a week.  Bryn is a mover. She is super well behaved when she gets out of the house or has another kid over. Tomorrow, we are going to Boonshoft Mueseum with my friend Katie and her little guy, Zane, who is two months older than Bryn. I'm excited! :-)


That's it for this month. I thought about adding "SURVIVE" to the list, since Jake is in Germany. But.. I've totally got this, right?! ;-)

Weekend Recap-- Chillin' Out Max

This weekend was a whirlwind. We spent a lot of the weekend hanging out at home. Jake leaves for Germany tomorrow and we were soaking up our last days with him.. and I was trying to relax as much as possible before putting on my superwoman cape. I am PERFECTLY capable of taking care of my babies alone. However, Jake is a HUGE help at home. Anything I can do, he can do (better).. besides dress the girls and foresee the future.. only a mama can do those things. We sure are going to miss them but I'm looking forward to a girls week. 

[FRIDAY] My sisters go to school in Kentucky, but had an indoor track meet at Cedarville this weekend so they came home. That night, we went to watch them run. They run the same races and have very similar times. One race, Meg will win.. the next time, Maureen wins. How cool would it be to have your biggest motivator be the person you were born with, raised with, live with, train with, study with.. the list goes on and on. Maureen was injured and unable to finished the race.. it was awful seeing her in pain. But, like I told her.. I really could care less HOW they do. I would like to see them do well, only because.. THEY want to do well. They could be the water girls and I would totally go just to support them. Meg ran really well. Then they introduced Vivi to the team. Her first of MANY races. Bryn stayed home with Jake. Indoor track requires sitting in bleachers.. Bryn doesn't sit. Haha!! 

Bryn played at home with the dogs. She has always loved our dogs... but never paid much attention to them until a couple weeks ago. Now, she loves playing with them, giving them treats, feeding them, and letting them outside. Love that babe!

Also, at school on Friday.. this girl made it to the BIG kids table. Normally, she sits in a mini highchair. But, highchair NO MORE. Growing girl!

After the meet Friday, we went to dinner at Longhorn. It's been a HOT minute since we could all get together for dinner. We loved it!

Vivi was looking right at her Mum Mum and working on her smile 

[SATURDAY] I didn't leave the house at all. Like, I was totally in sweats ALL day. Jake had to make a couple of trips out to get some last minute things for his Germany trip. The weather there is comparable to here, but he has to walk the majority of places so he got some extra layers. He also came back with this for Vivi.. I love that guy! ;-)

Bryn is going through a phase. She is a little dramatic when you say "No". She was loving brushing her teeth for awhile..

 The, I told her we were "Allllll done!" ..She didn't think it was time to be done..

Lordy!!!

Bryn woke up from her morning nap looking like a million bucks...

I'm pretty sure this picture will be at her high school graduation.. and 21st birthday.. ;-)

Jake and I became Advocare distributors last year. We have really loved the products they offer. A lot of my family members have done the challenge multiple times. We are going to start another 24 day challenge the 16th with our friends The Jones and my parents. This will be their first challenge, our second, and my parents 3rd or 4th?! They love it! Kelley and Ben came over Saturday evening for a bit to chat about the challenge and let Bryn and Allie play. They are pretty much the only people that I would let see my house totally messy and me with no make up (except, I'm pretty sure I had black under my eyes from not washing my face at all lol).. and.. I felt totally comfortable sitting there with them. The bestest friends. No judgements! Their little girl will be one in May so she falls right in between my girls. They live RIGHT by us, so our girls will go to the same school. So much fun!

Oh, and I should add that Allie is like the PERFECT kid. She is always so sweet around us and low maintenance... and bonus, she lets me snuggle her. LOVE HER!!!!

Jake and I watched the movie Fury that night with Brad Pitt while eating killer brownies. The movie was awesome. I'm a super dork when it comes to WWII.. and I love war movies. It was my kinda thang! ;-)


[SUNDAY] we did a lot of laundry, cleaning, napping and playing. I tried to get pictures of my sweet girls with their "I'm the BIG sister" and "I'm the LITTLE sister" shirts. It was kinda, sorta a big fail.

 We couldn't get Bryn to look at us.. she was too busy trying to tickle her sister.

Girlfriend LOVES her daddy.. and he is such a big fan of being a girl dad. Don't let him fool you if you hear him talking about wishing he had a boy. The guy LOVES having these girls.. I'm totally outing him! Hehe

For Super Bowl, we went over to our friends Morgan and Michael's. They had just finished their basement and it was KILLER! Jake was green with envy, for sure! They have a sweet little 3 year old named Roman that Bryn loved.. and he loved her. Lots of playing cars and legos! They were fun to watch. Erin and Clayton were there too, and their expecting their little guy in May. I can't freaking stinking WAIT! Ah! Love babies.

Their dogs are kinda huge, and Bryn wasn't intimidated at all. In fact, the only picture I got was teeny tiny Bryn holding her own against their big, sweet dogs.

What a bummer end of the Super Bowl. Marshawn Lynch cracks me up when he interviews, so I was rooting for them. But! I loved the #likeagirl commercial. I hope I raise two empowered girls who are confident in their skills.

Tomorrow, I will review my January goals (which I didn't completely succeed in).. and put down my February goals in writing!