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2.29.2016

weekend snaps

after almost two weeks of passing whatever junk thats going around between me and the trio of little ladies in our house- we were all on the semi-mend towards the end of this last week.  Jordan basically worked all weekend (thurs+fri+sun) and now on monday I am completely wiped- but I happily report that we all survived.  me and the babes started this weekend with laundry piled up to our ears and then supper club on friday night hosted by Auntie + Uncle J.  Ashley is from Chicago and has a ton of family that still lives there and she visits often.  for supper club this month she shipped in the famous Portillo's for all of us in Texas to enjoy.  GOODNESS- it was delicious!  she and I share the serious love of sandwiches.  so, while I know everyone loved the meal, I was most excited about dinner!   
you know we couldnt get the bay + gray together without a little photo action.  
#bakerlovesgrayson but G couldn't figure out while this chick wouldn't stop grabbing his face!  
 Uncle J was in charge of the homemade onion rings! 
 ..look at these shenanigans! so much has changed in the last 5 years!  and ANOTHER sweet baby will be here at the end of the summer and the girls will continue to rule to roost with the addition of baby girl Cabrera.  

 saturday was a f u l l day.  Jordan came home that morning (clicking my heels in excitement!) and we quickly headed out for brunch with Jordan's parents and aunt Jenny visiting from Seattle.  it was SO good to see her and she finally got to meet our Baker girl.  we went from there to a birthday party to celebrate miss elliott rose turning two years old!  and then straight from there we went to church and out for burgers with friends.  


 Sunday, Jordan was back to work and I was once again solo with the babes. me and the girls ran a boat load of errands, skipped naps and instead took the longest bath that sailed us straight through the afternoon and into dinnertime.  I woke yesterday morning really wishing I didn't have to 'mom'.  it had been a really long weekend and on top of still feeling just 'blah' I really just needed a nap.  I cried/whined/complained through the thought of having to take on all three of them at Target.  it was me + my grocery list against them.. but nothing a dozen donut holes for them and a starbucks run (or two.. I couldn't manage our time out without a second venti cup-o-jo) for me couldn't offer enough energy for.  

ultimately it ended up being an okay day- it really is all about my attitude and once my attitude took a 180 turn they seemed to be in better spirits, too.  I swear they can smell fear and frustration.

I hope you all had a great weekend!  our week is going to be a busy one!  we have some exciting things going on around here we are prepping for.. our favorite gent celebrates his birthday + and I head of to hope spoken for the weekend and I cannot wait!  here's to a fabulous start to this week.. with a nap. xo!  

2.26.2016

friday favorites | beauty

its been awhile since I have shared my beauty favs!  some are the same but most are new finds that are by no means 'new' but I'm just late to the party on figuring out about them.  after using some of these products for a couple months now, I figure - if I'm loving these I bet you would, too! 

I've been on a little bit of a hair + face product kick, which might not be of surprise because since Baker was born makeup has taken a backseat.  I still wear it but its all about the basics for me. what really matters when people see me?  not looking like the walking dead.  so what can I put on my face in the shortest amount of time to make me look presentable. 
presentable is all that matters.. and then sometimes it doesn't matter.
like sometimes at target.  and sometimes at starbucks (thank the sweet lord for the drive thru).  and sometimes when you see people you haven't seen in forever.. and they don't recognize you.  I dunno if thats a good thing or a bad thing.
c'est la vie. 
a n y w a y 
less makeup means that I work harder at the attempt to make my skin look good - I use the term good loosely because I was not blessed with great skin at all.  so even into my adult life and now my 30's its been a battle.  thankfully I have found a few products that don't clog my pores and don't make my skin freak out- I'm excited to share with you!

two words: living proof.  I have fallen INLOVE with this line of hair care, and honestly I don't know how I ever had a good hair day before it.  it was a recommendation of a friend to try out the living proof dry shampoo and an awesome recommendation at that!  I can get three really good days out of using this product just once the morning after a wash.  THREE days.  thats worth every penny!  I'm also loving the living proof 5-in-1 styling treatment.  its sort of like a hair lotion that you comb through your hair while its still wet.  I have gotten so many compliments since I started using this stuff I can never bring myself to stop using it:)  I also have their root lifting spray and volume mousse- but I've found that GUTS10 and the 5-in-1 styling treatment work best together for my hair if I am blow drying it straight after washing.  the mousse stands alone as a great styling tool and I like the root pump for when I am washing my hair at night and sleeping on it wet.  gives me the extra volume I need in the morning after sleeping on my hair all night.  they have so many great products I literally want to try them all!

I've tried just about every skin care regimen on the market and no matter how good its claim to fame may be- my face can always find something wrong with it (enter rolling eye emoji here). I have never  really bothered with anything anti aging (ever) but I'll be *ahem* halfway to my mid-thirties this year, and geez its starting to show!  I got the philosophy anti wrinkle cream as a sample and started using it just as my daily moisturizer.  while it might have the anti aging benefit I noticed just after a couple weeks of use that my pores are smaller and my cheeks are smoother.  using this in combination of the philosophy microdelivery face wash I have also noticed that my notoriously dry skin on my nose has diminished.  what is with the constant dry flake?!  
I use the microderm face wash every morning with my clarisonic mia 2 and I just feel like my face is really clean and refreshed.  at night I use philosophy purity face wash and it cleanses my face and eye makeup great!

speaking of makeup.. some of the essentials in my makeup drawer..
there was a time when I didn't care at all about a makeup brush- I was fine using the regular old sponge applicator that usually came with the eyeshadow or even the foundation wedges.  again with the samples.. but I got a small sample brush kit as a gift several years ago and I never looked back.  brushes are so important!  this foundation brush applies my favorite full coverage foundation evenly and without causing build up in one spot.  tarte full coverage foundation is the bomb (oh, hey 2001). when my favorite foundation was discontinued (why does that always happen?!) I was on the search for something different.  I have dark spots and some acne scarring and this covers better than I have ever used before- and believe me when I say that I have run the foundation gamut at the makeup counter.
another brush thats important is the style of blush brush you use. this brush in particular doesn't shed and it blends into my cheeks really well.  spending money on makeup brushes can feel silly and not important, but using a quality brush can make all the difference in how your finished makeup looks.   

maybelline has always been a standard go-to of mine since I was in high school.  I started using the fit me line of foundations and concealers and the maybelline fit me concealer is awesome!  and really affordable.  I get asked a lot about the brand of mascara I use and its the regular old maybelline volum' express falsies - black drama gives me lots of volume as well as height without having to curl my eyelashes.. who has time for that?!  I wish I did..
and when I want to splurge? urban decay big fatty mascara  is where its at.





as usual, please tell me what you are loving this month. I think it’s impossible to have too many beauty products. 
(which I definitely do.)

2.25.2016

p+j | life lately

parker jane + jolie grace.
there has been a whole lot about miss Baker lately.  which might be expected.. she rocked our world about 7 months ago and we absolutely cannot imagine life without her in it.
BUT.
my big girls.  my little loves.  they have grown and changed and basically are full of sass these days.  
our new normal seems to be just trying to making it through the day in one piece but honestly I am impressed every single day by their ever changing love for one another, their friends at school, their teachers, their BB (good gracious they LOVE their BB), and the sweetest of them all- their love for the littlest sister.  
 some days it seems impossible to think how much time has passed since they were born.  my time on bed rest.  the doctor appointments, the stress tests, the blood work- and then their arrival.  that was like a million years ago.  
my memories of that time are so vivid.  I will never forget. 
but what I also never want to forget is this time right now.  this time when they have become some of the sweetest little girls I've ever met.  its amazing how quickly your 'oldest' babies grow up when you bring a newborn home.  they look like they grow about an inch every single morning when they come strolling out of their room.
'mama!  green light is ON!'
yes.  thank you.  stupid green light.  
with hearts of pure gold.
"mama- you have you keys?!"
yep.
"mama- you have to be berry carefurrl"
yes, I will be very careful.
they are so in tune with the world around them, and I am halfway in disbelief when they come to me and chat me up about the most random things they ave picked up just in the last few months
singing loud and clear "Jesus loves me" as we walk through costco.
they love Jesus and talk about Him often.  something that makes me beam with pride.  even when they share the love at the top of their lungs.  its beautiful.
simultaneously saying their ABC's (correctly) as they run circles around the island in the kitchen.  
saying phrases that I have no idea where they picked them up.
chasing the dog through the backyard: "daphneeee! hold you horses!!!"
 ..in a public restroom: "mama- you poop??! let me get you a wipe."
no Jolie.  I did not poop.  thank you for my wipe.
loosing her beloved wubby monkey for the ONE BILLIONTH time: "this is NOT GOOD."
Baker- you get my nose?!  Baker you such a stinker-butt!"
the day she calls her teacher a stinker-butt.. 
"you look so pretty. I wuv you hair, mama"
..seeing me in a dress " mama, where you pants?!"
counting to twenty.. although they always get stuck on number 17. 
"eleven. twelve. thirteen. fourteen. fifteen. sixteen.  seventeen.  seventeen.  seventeen..."
 where does dada work??  FIRE TRUCK!!
where does mama work?? GROCERY STORE!!
"mama- we going to tarrrrget?"  
probably.  
..in the drive thru at starbucks: "mama- we have to wait you turn for you coffee."
yep.  
 peppa pig.  
good lord they are obsessed with peppa pig.  Jolie has all but perfected the english accent and her daddy pig snorts are painful.  their BB brought them each a peppa pig doll and she hasn't left their little hands in four days.
they also love my little ponies + anything disney princess + and the littlest pet shop.
about 90% of the day you can find them in their ballerina tutus + butterfly wings.  much to my surprise Parker is the one that is playing dress up more than Jolie - whereas 6 months ago it was the complete opposite.  these days Jolie prefers to be dressed from head to toe- socks and shoes on and hair done with a bow to match.  
thats just Jolie.
while Parker strips down to her underwear and pulls out her hair the moment we walk in the door.  its a battle if we are home for just a short while with plans to leave later in the day and I have to re-dress and re-do her hair.  
thats just Parker. 



I would never change a single thing about this time in our lives.  it is complete chaos just about everyday and in the moment I find myself counting the minutes until bedtime, and then I miss them tremendously after they are sound asleep. 
they are busy.
they are moody.
they are c r a z y.
they are e x h a u s t i n g.
BUT.
they are the most amazing little girls you will ever meet with love to give bigger than you can imagine
even on my worst day they can bring me back to reality with their curious demeanor and sweetly spoken words:
"I wuv you so much."
Oh my sweet babies.  I love you. more.

2.23.2016

good eats | adventures with BLW

baby.led.weaning. 
I had briefly learned of this term around the time the twins were Baker's age.  I was taking time to make purees for Parker and Jolie and absolutely I loved doing it and found some foodie creativity in creating my first babe's their first foods.  while I did enjoy it.. it would take me hours on a saturday to prep about a month's worth of food (x two) to stash away.  
while I was pregnant with Baker, I found myself curious in what BLW was all about.. and then she made her surprise arrival and I didnt think about food again until we were sitting at the 4 moth check-up and Dr. B mentioned starting her on rice cereal. 
I was not ready.  
we made the executive decision to wait until she was 6 months old before starting solids, and with that brought up the curiosity of baby led weaning again.
I found HUGE encouragement after reading blwideas.com and thought- this could be so much fun!  and if I am being honest - I also really struggled with the idea of making baby food again.  not because I didnt enjoy it, because I did, but ultimately I wanted to just try something different.

Baker hit the sixth month mark and it was time to introduce her to her first foods!  I was so overwhelmed to think about what was okay?
what was appropriate?
what she should eat?
what should I avoid?
 finally I just started to offer things to Baker that we were eating.  I wasn't trying to make it into a big to-do or find myself in mega stress over it.  
she's only been eating solids/table food for about a month and for the most part its going pretty good!  there are some things she absolutely will not try/eat/entertain at all (ahem..bananas), but for the most part she will fiddle around with it and half the time some of it makes it into her mouth. 
the amount she eats wildly depends on how she is feeling.  
did she get a good afternoon nap?  
is she sleepy?  
does her mouth hurt? 
cranky?
she could be totally uninterested in those same sweet potatoes that she had a few nights ago or the veggie burger she gobbled up the first time around but definitely not this time.. truth be told- at this age table food is all about exploration.  learning textures, fine tuning those motor skills, and simply introducing flavors to your little one.  sure we can get that added benefit of a full belly, but the most important form of nutrition from birth to twelve months is breastmilk or formula.  so, as quickly as I feel myself getting frustrated when she is tossing her food all over the floor because she would rather play in it than eat it (truth!!), I have to realize that its totally okay.  
so- what are we actually eating over here?? 
as far as Baker is concerned- she is definitely not eating three full meals every day.  she is eating a mid-morning 'meal' of yogurt and sometimes fruit and then her main course of the day is at dinner time.  occasionally I will share some of whatever I am eating for lunch or breakfast- she and I have gotten to the point of not being about to eat around her while I am nursing.  I was eating a bowl of cereal the other day while nursing (the hunger is real.) and she popped off and grabbed it with all she had and the cereal (lucky charms cereal with the glorious b l u e milk remaining) went all over the chair and the carpet below.  not to mention the other morning I was eating the usual PB + banana toast and she got herself a handful of banana.  she's such a busy bee!  

she usually eats or plays with what we are eating, but often when we are on the go she will eat a fruit pouch pretty quickly and then eat whatever at the restaurant.  we finally figured out how to suck those pouches (therefore no spoon required!) and its been an easy way to get prunes in her, too.. if you know what I mean:)  we are being pretty modest in what we give her right now mostly because her skills for feeding herself are still in the beginning stages, but some of our the BLW beginner meals include:  

scrambled eggs // olive oil, smoked paprika, black pepper // + shredded mozzarella cheese
wheat/corn tortilla 
whole milk yogurt mixed with fruit puree // we really like ella's kitchen fruit pouches
whole milk yogurt mixed with almond butter (she LOVES this)
toasted whole grain waffles (we like the VAN's brand) + sliced strawberries
homemade baby pancakes // store bought mix + breastmilk or water
grilled cheese sandwich cut into stripes 
chicken nuggets (all white breast meat)
sprouted whole grain toast + all natural almond butter
roasted root veggies // olive oil, rosemary, pepper + baked at 400 for 30 minutes // + shredded chicken // cooked in the crock pot for 6 hours on LOW with water and a little salt and pepper
steamer bag cheese + broccoli rice + all natural deli meat
homemade bbq chicken pizza  //skip the pineapple- citrus at this age can be hard one your little one's tummy.
crock pot italian chicken // chicken breast + zesty italian dressing on LOW for 6 hours.
baked pasta // we love ziti!! 
store bought cheese + spinach tortellini
black bean cakes with avocado cubes (still working on her accepting the texture of avocado) 
sweet potato hummus // combine 4 cups (baked) and mashed sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup tahini, 1/4 cup lime juice2 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons ground cumin // add 1-1/2 teaspoons salt1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper for older kiddos and adults // + wheat toast
broccoli bacon mac + cheese // we skipped the bacon for 7 month old
store bought veggie burgers
spaghetti squash burrito bowls + italian chicken sausage 

wheat, soy, eggs, almond butter, and strawberries are all potential allergens. avoid serving all together until you know your babe doesn’t have a reaction with any of them individually.  dairy milk is not okay until 12 months of age- but cheese and full fat yogurt are okay.
salt + sodium should be limited.

I'm always looking for fun food ideas for my kids!  recommendations + corrections + fun new things to try are definitely welcome! 

2.21.2016

weekend snaps

this weekend was fast and furious, but thats how we like it.
its been super warm here- like 80 degrees, warm.  so I knew it was going to be about getting outside for most of the weekend without a doubt.  so how about a recap:  
we (they) turned my house upside-down and covered in princess dresses and legos, we spent time at the park, had pancakes for breakfast and drank way too much coffee.  I celebrated the cutest preggo friend and her baby boy set to come at the beginning of April and then we loaded up the kiddos and had mexican food with family + friends plus did a little shopping for the babes on saturday night and then enjoyed brunch sans kiddos before the weekend was over. bloody mary's all around!  my favorite drink of all-time.  
so random but literally.  
it was a good good weekend.
this girl.  my little shadow- and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I would take forty replications of her.  at once.  she grew double time in one fell swoop this weekend.  crawling, pulling up, trolling along the furniture and her toys- pulling up in her crib!?  all of the above.  she's mastered that in about 48 hours.
 after an afternoon of no naps, we made a swing through starbucks for an iced coffee (in february!) and headed to the park (in shorts!!)  
Baker loooooves being outside.  she played and crawled and rolled her little self all over the blanket while the big girls ran their little hearts out.  yup. tucker them out before we go home.  bedtime is so much easier when they are little sleepy heads.
by the way.. this blanket is outrageously practical and has quickly become one of my favorites for anything that has to do with being outdoors!  we picked it up one night when we were headed to a concert where we had lawn seats with every intention of returning it if we ended up not liking it.. well.   we loved it.  its just amazing. 
 Parker's ugly cry.  goodness!!  she scraped her leg about 4 minutes before we made a quick run inside to grab a few things (our favorite play area is a small park connected to our grocery store- do they love moms or do they LOVE moms?!).
she cried "mahh wheeg! (my leg) this is NOT GOOD!!"
I wish I could really capture the gravity of her concern.  the poor kid checking us out was looking at Parker wide-eyed and couldnt concentrate on anything else happening around him and I was just trying to get him to make sure I had paper instead of plastic.. 
quite comical looking back.
a handful more from this weekend..
 ready for dinner!
 kendall + jolie + parker
 the big girls love kendall, so when we get to spend time with her its a big deal! lots of big girl loving to go around!
 jolie and her stuffed squad.
for the love of all her animals.  poor puppy has to share his time with jo grace!
we had three babes in our bed before 7am on sunday morning, so we skipped church, live streamed watermark, and poured another cup of coffee while the girls played instead.
 ..and then stuffed our face with brunch.  
 like I said.  growing way too fast!  I heard her wake from her afternoon nap and I couldnt find her not the monitor.. I walk in to her standing like no big deal at all.  we've already lowered the crib once! please don't make me do it again!
she also graduated from the sink baths in the kitchen.  while it was incredibly convenient to bath her right from her high chair (because she was SUCH a mess!) it was like bathing a monkey in a wet suit- she's everywhere!  I was having a mini stroke every night trying to just hurry up and get her in and out before she either climbed out on her own or she leaped from my arms.
such a nut.
I have to mention..her hair!  its getting really long and starting to curl some at the ends, especially when its wet.  I can hardly handle it!
hope it was a good weekend- here's to a great start to this week! 

2.19.2016

sleep training 101

there is no one in this world that loves my Baker girl more than me. as I sit here typing this, I can see her sweetly sleeping on the monitor and I want nothing more than to just scoop her up in my arms and hold her for the night's entirety.  
Baker would agree.  
sleep with all my kids has been a tough journey.  after months of dealing with Jolie's torticollis and then Parker refusing to sleep through the night until she was fifteen months old, I swore I wasn't going to be able to handle sleepless nights with my infant AND my toddlers.  
sleep is the number one question a new mom gets asked about.. as if the dark circles under her eyes aren't enough of the story to tell.. 
I scoured blogs and read books and articles and reached out to my seasoned mama friends for advice and found a form of sleep training that worked for us and I think might work for you, too!
we started sleep training based on the recommended age of 6 months + 14 pounds.  that age range kept popping up in all the literature read, regardless of the 'type' of sleep training method it was.. so I figured that was a safe place to start.
ground rules.
a few things to focus on when you are 'sleep training'.
number one // and most important! // set a regular and expectant routine for your baby. 
number two // slowly wean your baby from eating through the night.
number three // give your baby the attention she needs when she needs it.
number four // if it doesn't work this time, try, try again.
number five // last but not least!! // sleep training does not have to mean cry it out.
so.  now that we have the ground rules laid out.. 
first things first.  creating a routine.  children are creatures of habit.  they thrive and thrive well on a routine.  for the first few months of Baker's baby life we sort of just winged it.  we were exhausted and so in love with our newest little girl, so whatever she needed she got.  she ate when she wanted, she slept when wanted, wherever she wanted.  there was no real routine. it made it really hard to know how long she was going to sleep or when she was going to want to eat.  when we decided to get into a regular routine with her, we started with daytime. getting into a regular daytime routine allowed us to transition this routine to the evening and ultimately making it easier to get her to bed without a fight.  we started Baker on her daytime routine around 5 months and worked on this routine for about 2 weeks before we really had it down to something regular.  we are so busy with the twins in the afternoons, so making sure she gets an afternoon nap is like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.. but since we started her on solid food (6 months), her evening routine fell into place really easily.  

daytime routine: 
6-6:30am: nurse + back to bed
wake for the day: 7:30-8am
9am: nurse
10am: yogurt + fruit or almond butter
10:30am: nap
1pm: nurse
2:30-3pm: nap
4pm: nurse
6pm: dinner
7-7:30pm: bed

during the first few weeks of getting into our new routine I created a consistency surrounding nap time so that she would know what to expect when it was time to sleep.  we really made an effort of always letting her take her naps in her crib and getting out of the habit of letting her sleep in the car or the swing.. or in our arms.  getting her to take consistent sleep during the daytime definitely helped make it easy to regulate her nighttime sleep.  she currently sleeps about 2-3 hours in the morning and 1-2 hours in the afternoon.  
because these two naps during the day are relatively long, she doesn't typically take an evening cat nap.
as far as our nap time routine, Baker sleeps in a dim room with a sound machine and humidifier on.  I always make sure her sleep space is dark because a baby can wake up after a sleep cycle and get distracted by the colors or things on the wall and wake completely.  I can always tell this is the case if she wakes after just 30-45 minutes.. not because she's ready to be awake but because something has caught her attention (and screwed me out of finishing my lunch in silence, hehe!) 
when it comes to laying her down awake- thats hit or miss.  occasionally I will nurse her to sleep (gasp!) but like I mentioned in her 7 month update this is our quiet time away from he chaos of the day, just the two of us together.  and then there are some times when she is in a playful mood- attempting to stick her paci in my mouth or playing with my hair.  so, in those instances, she is laid in her crib to go to sleep and she will fuss here and there for a few minutes and then self soothe to sleep.. so I know she can do it without me.  
after we got her nap/sleep schedule down during the day, we started with nighttime.  
our nighttime includes:
dinner time + bath.  
every night, more or less, baker is bathed in lavender soap and then rubbed down with lavender lotion before getting in her jammies and telling everyone good night.
sound machine + humidifier + sleep sac + paci.
the main difference between nap/daytime sleep and bed/nighttime sleep is that she sleeps in a sleep sac during the night.  I have no idea if that makes a difference, but she sleeps well when she wears it through the night, so.. lets just go with it.  I have read that sleep association is real, so it could very well have something to do with it.  lastly- I put her down for bed relatively early- about 7 or 7:30pm every night.  thinking that keeping your baby awake later will make her more tired may actually backfire and create a harder time for your baby to fall asleep because they are overtired.  
I have read that babies who go to bed earlier typically sleep longer.  
second.  weaning.  this was among the toughest part of the entire sleep training process.  Up until this point, anytime Baker fussed even the slightest bit, I would run in and offer her my boob.  she would nurse for like a half a minute and fall back asleep.  I was exhausted!  I had even started bringing her into the bed with us through the night, which is a HUGE no-no, not because of the fact that we are SO AGAINST co-sleeping, but because Jordan is a paramedic that has been on one too many (horrific) major medical calls related infants sleeping this way.  in turn, Baker developed this dire need of needing me to soothe her to sleep any time she woke.  most of the time it was about 2-3 times/night.  I knew when it was time to sleep train her that it also meant that I needed to stop allowing her to nurse whenever she pleased at all hours of the night.  
night one I still fed her through the night, but only as a last resort. on night two and three I fed her one less time through the night.  even if it was just me rocking her through the feeding time, no matter how much she fussed about it.   night four she actually slept all night!  and night five-seven she woke again, but only once and I did not offer to feed her.
NOTE: sleep training was also coupled with her starting solid foods in the evening time, so I think it was helpful for her to fill up on solids and a quick nursing session before bed to allow her to feel full for a little longer through the night than she would have before now.    
three. attention.  this process for us took about two weeks.  week one was focused on weaning and getting Baker used to not eating/suckling through the night and the second week we worked on self soothing.  the second week was much easier than the first week.  during this time it was hard some nights because I just wanted to hold her and squeeze her.. and some nights I definitely did.  because she needed it.  sleep training doesn't have to be horrific or complete abandonment, so I gave her the attention she needed when she needed it.  Before your put your babes down at night, be sure they have a dry diaper, comfortable sleepwear, and that they won't be too cold!  We keep our house at 69-72 degrees at night, and I have Baker in a footed sleeper or footless with socks and a sleep sac.  chances are if you are cold/hot, then your babe is, too.  So however you need to bundle or strip them during the night, just simply making sure they are as comfortable as possible is most important.
four. try again.  after three successful weeks of sleep training Baker girl was sleeping well, a full 12 hours at night, and we were sleeping like babies- Baker became stuffy and coughing.  she was coughing all night long causing herself to wake and because she was stuffy she had a really hard time soothing herself back to sleep.  there were a few nights that I was up and down with her multiple times to rock and hold her- sleeping sitting up was easier on her breathing and sleeping through the night.  after she was well again we took a hard stance in sleep training for a second time and this time it was successful right off the bat. much easier than the first time around.
five. always assess the cry.  if Baker wakes crying, I always wait and assess. what type of cry is it?  at this point in development, babies usually have a distinguished cry for certain needs -hunger, upset, pain..What time is it? this cry might be out of habit if its around the same time every night. in the second week of sleep training, for about three nights in a row Baker woke at 330am, fussed for about 5 minutes and went right back to sleep while I stood outside her door to assess whether or not her cry was changing or advancing to something for stressful than a 'fuss'.  is this cry new? If it's new, or a different cry I always go in and check her.  this is where I bring in the classic '10 minute window'.  If after 10 minutes Baker is still upset, I go in and check her, settle her down for a few minutes, by rubbing her back and her head and telling her calmly that she's "a good girl" and "mama loves you so much".  I didnt ever pick her up because I didnt want her to expect that she was going to be picked up and held every time she made a peep.  one thing I had to teach myself was not to respond to every noise Baker makes. I had to learn to distinguish a real cry from a sleepy whimper.  this gives Baker the ability to self soothe but also allows me to be able to comfort her when she needs it.
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it’s not realistic to expect your baby to sleep through the night a few weeks after they are born. it is also not realistic to think that it may not take a little bit of work. sleep training isn't for everyone, I know, and I didn't think it was completely for us until I found a method that worked well and we stuck to it and was a success!  one thing I will say is that sleep training based on your child's temperament is important.  going back through number three and four of my post might be necessary based on the developmental milestones your babe might be going through at the time.  Baker just started to crawl (what?!!) and is cutting her two bottom teeth (at the same time!!), so this last week I have noticed her restlessness on the monitor, but again, assessing her fussing to determine if I need to go in to soothe her or not.  

I am definitely NOT AN EXPERT, but I did find comfort in reading other women's experiences, and I decided to write it all down in hopes to help another tired soul get her way back to sound slumber:)

2.16.2016

little golden books with gymboree

have you seen it??
last week, Gymboree launched the Little Golden Books limited-edition newborn collectionwhich is inspired by three characters from the iconic children’s books most of us know and remember- and if you don't well.. then I'm so old.  
I'm being reminded of this everyday, I'm afraid.
 how about my poky little puppy right here.  first of all.. overalls.  second- baby overalls.
third- the hat.  really that hat makes for the best accessory.
 The Poky Little Puppy, The Fuzzy Little Duckling and The Shy Kitten—memories come flooding from my childhood about The Poky Little Puppy, specifically.. I used to read that book over and over again until the binding fell apart- literally.  seeing this book in person for the first time since I cant even remember really made me excited and super sentimental to finally share this with my own children.

while the Poky Little Puppy was my all time childhood favorite- the Fuzzy Little Duckling was new to me.  I hadn't seen this precious yellow babe before and let me tell you, Gymboree did an awesome job at bringing these characters to life in their baby clothing sets, blankets, and accessories.
the onesie and pant set is so vintage and I.love.it!!!

 that diaper booty:)  how is she already pulling up to stand??!
To celebrate the collection launch, Gymboree has teamed up with Land of Nod and Random House to host One Big Happy Storytime sweepstakes, offering Mom the chance to win a gift package that includes everything she needs for storytime with her little one—from the most comfortable rocking chair to the entire cozy Gymboree collection. The gift prize is valued at more than $2,000 (!!) 
As an extra bonus to my readers, they’ll be awarding a $50 Gymboree gift card to one lucky winner. 
Enter HERE and comment below letting me know you have done so:)
good luck!
photography: b faith photography
sun hat c/o gymboree
poky little puppy overalls c/o gymboree
gingham onesie c/o golden hill design
silk bow: bug+bub studio
hand tied bow: free babes handmade
the fuzzy little duckling onesie + leggings set c/o gymboree

2.15.2016

Valentine's Day weekend in pictures

happy monday, folks! 
this weekend was rather low key, but filled with family and friends.. and the complete loss of my voice.  conversations have been exhausting and I'm hoping it returns soon!  BUT it didnt stop us from celebrating this weekend-o-love with some of our favs!
beanie // onesie c/o // tights
this.  this girl.  she has some internal alarm clock that tells her its time to wake before 7am every single day.  when her dad is at the fire station.. this is what I wake up to.  my bed is full of either puzzles or books or both.  we are really adamant about making them stay in their bed until 7am or later- and often it is a result of telling her to get back in bed until the green light on your alarm clock comes on.  it usually works and then sometimes its just sweet to let her play quietly while the rest of the house is asleep.
friday night we were desperate for dinner on the patio somewhere- the weather has been unreal!  this week its supposed to be in the 80's (gasp!).  we met auntie and uncle j for mexican food and then headed back to their house for dessert.
 uncle j's specialty.. pizookee!  chocolate chip cookies topped with ice cream topped with chocolate syrup.  the big girls were digging it!

..all while the babes slept soundly.
 saturday we went to jenna's, let the big girls and truett play on their new outdoor play set and then had dinner + dessert together.  I got zero pictures.
I have bene having really bad insomnia lately when Jordan is gone to work..so I found myself on pinterest and midnight eating a bowl of cereal and decided to try my hand at a fancy valentine's day chalkboard:)
we DIY'd these doors months ago and this was my first time to really break them in.
 sunday morning Jordan came home bearing gifts for the big girls.. so sweet!
they were SO excited about their valentine's day gifts from their daddy!
 sunday night it was our turn.. dinner out sans kiddos.
a long time coming and much needed. 
 floral top via groopdealz
I hope you all had a great weekend- and felt big love from your people.
xo!
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