the road trip that didn't happen..

well, we made it to Gurdon, Arkansas. population 2000. 

I had grand plans for an amazing Nashville trip recap this week.  we left for Memphis TN last thursday to stay one night and then on to Nashville for the rest of the weekend.

we didn't make it. 

the weather man had been talking about residual rain from Harvey but we didn't anticipate it completely ruining our time in Tennessee so we packed up the kids and dropped them with BB and Papa before heading out. we were abut 5 hours and three pitstops into the roadtrip, just crossed over the Texas-Arkansas border and all hell broke loose.  the car started sputtering/stalling out and the "check engine" light started flashing.  we pulled over.. confused and concerned because what the heck was happening with our car?! we sat on the side of the road in hopes to let the car cool off a little and maybe it would let us get to a place where we could get it checked out.. because there was nothing where we were.

we drove a few more miles up the road and finally were forced to pull into a gas station that legit looked like there wasn't a soul in site.

..and then it started to rain.

..and whatever at&t cell tower was in or around this area blacked out.  literally.

so lets recap.

no phone. no internet. no CAR. and we didn't exactly know where we were at. we ran into the desolate gas station/truck stop and thank goodness there was someone behind the register!  we asked her if she could point us in the right direction for finding a place that we could get our car looked at and she casually pointed to the shop that was in the same parking lot as the store. which also happened to be connected to a restaurant. 

we pulled our car into the shop and the sweet young guys gave it a look over.. thought it could be the battery and then also thought it could be a sensor.. they had to call someone with a computer to come and hook the car up, so we waited and waited.  Gurdon is about 30-45 minutes from the next town over in both directions, so there was a lot of waiting that day.

I checked "pumping in a truck stop" off my bucket list and we went to see about getting some lunch.  still no cell service or internet at this point, but we were able to use our waitress' cell phone (thanks, verizon!) to call Jordan's dad.  we were on the phone with him when the tower blacked out and the last he had heard was that we were having car trouble.
so we sat.  and sat.  ate a grilled cheese and a fried pie..
the cell tower booted up again around hour 4 of waiting (YAS!) and then waited some more.
by the time hour six rolled around they had finally hooked the car up to a computer and determined that one of the sensors was firing incorrectly. OKAY. so there is still hope!  they assured us that they could fix the car, but wouldn't be getting a part until maybe the next day.  maybe?? at that point we started trying to figure out if we were going to have the car towed to a dealership about 35 miles up the road or if we were going to stay put until the next morning and let them fix it.
oh and there happened to be a motel, albeit creepy AF, but there was some place to stay if we needed it.  we talked to my mom, who was a life saver in all this helping us with hotel rooms (she works for Marriott).  we cancelled all our plans for Memphis and eventually decided that our trip money was probably going to car repair.. so Nashville was off, for now.

SUPER bummed, and I might have shed a tear, we started up the car in hopes that we would be able to limp the car down the road back towards home.  the car would run, just not very well.
UNTIL we started driving.  nothing.  no check engine light.  no shuttering.  no stalling.
so we risked our chances over paying $500 to tow the car and drove about an hour back to a hotel my mom had helped us book last minute.
the car didn't make a peep.  
as we laid in our hotel room that night, still licking our wounds over the fact that the entire trip had been ruined, we watched the news reporting tornado warnings in Memphis.  and the next story was flash flooding in downtown Nashville.  I woke the next morning to a text from my mom saying that the hotel we were supposed to stay at in Nashville was evacuated and flooded.. the roads we were supposed to take were nonexistent at the moment.
if we would have made it to Tennessee we would have been stuck there for a hot minute!
we took the scenic route home and made a stop in Canton for first Monday trade days (basically the best flea market you'll ever go to.. and it happens just once a month) and made it home to these precious babies.

have you ever have one of those moments when you don't see the blessing in those exact moments,  but as it all rolls out before your eyes you kinda go "okay, Jesus.. I see you."

He totally took care of us on this one.  I was bummed about the car, which by the way has yet to even flash an engine light, but the trip wasn't going to happen either way.

SO.. instead we spent the weekend at home with the babes.  we didn't have 'plans' because we weren't even supposed to be here, so it was low key and enjoyable with my favorite people.  we hit up the nephew's bday party on Saturday afternoon where we were reunited with Jolie, Parker, Baker, and Brady. Baker wouldn't leave my lap and I wasn't mad about it! we finished off the weekend with the last swim of the summer, ordered pizza and the kids crashed early because they were zonked! church on Sunday + brunch at our favorite spot then an afternoon outside while daddy threw some chicken on the grill.  after Brady was down for the night we popped in The Lion King and snugged up with popcorn and theater candy before bed.

I took an unexpected hiatus from the blog the last couple weeks.. my plan was to get through my last week of work, come back after our trip without kids with loads of blog content and feeling refreshed. but the truth is, we are still living out of suitcases that never even saw said 'vacation' and my house looks like a tornado casually dropped in. life sometimes gets in the way of our best laid plans. and it sucks and its so annoying and I find myself the most anxious when things just aren't going my way.
but we came back and were greeted with the best weekend ever.  if only I could get myself and all these kids unpacked! best part about unpacking for a trip you didn't take is that there us way less laundry to be done..?

I say yes!

five on Friday

its FRIDAY!!  I slept in until 7am this morning + woke to a bed full of babies, so I would say its off to an amazing start.  we don't have a ton of plans this weekend.. a family birthday party/dinner on Saturday afternoon but other than that we are just laying low.  J is at the fire station so we may bring the toddler party to him!

one. camp castle play mat  

one of THE COOLEST toys we have ever had. I was introduced to Camp Castle through an acquaintance on Instagram (I love that place) and I was floored at the quality and detail of this mat when it arrived. I am OBSESSED!  I have been watching my girls play on this mat for hours since it hit our doorstep and I think you guys should totally get in on this goodness, too. they are working hard to get their brand up and running for a final release around Christmas (perfect timing!!) its 100% wipeable surface with a matte texture (no pet hair!) and a grippy backing to keep it from sliding all over the place while the girls play.  it pretty much has a permanent place in our entry way, but when its time to pick it up, I just roll it up and stick it in the hall closet until we are ready to play with it again!

two. amazing giveaways over on the 'gram!

its been a busy week! I have partnered with two awesome brands to bring you a couple fun giveaways over on my Instagram page. enter HERE for your chance to win one amazing swim suit of your choice from Albion Fit (I'm wearing this top in a size XS and these bottoms in a size small!) I'll announce the winner on Saturday, but in the meantime use code: MASSEYA15 at checkout for 15% off your purchase! 

the other giveaway is for a 4 moms mamaRoo4!!  4 moms is launching their new mamaRoo4, but also their collaboration and commitment to the non-profit project sweet peas, supporting families that have experienced a stay in the NICU.  I'll be selecting a winner today, but you still have time to enter + nominate a NICU mama HERE.

three. SAHM status

I mentioned in my post earlier this week that I'll be a staying home with the kiddos.. actually working from home as a stitch fix stylist, but not having a commute and being home with the girls and Brady.  I've had some (major) anxieties about it because I have always worked outside the home, but we have been praying for a long time about how we would make this work.. and finally its come to the point for us to pull the trigger.  my last day is next week and I'm both nervous and excited!  I will also be able to devote more time to the blog.. and have been working with Kate Handling Creative  for a major overhaul and new design, so stay tuned for that update, soon!! 

four. sister girls

the cutest thing ever has been happening in our house for about a week. Baker moved into a "big girl bed" a couple weeks ago and she's been doing an awesome job sleeping in her room!  

we have been reading books together in Parker + Jolie's room at night before bed and one night last weekend Baker asked to "stay" while she was snuggled up in Jolie's bed.  Jordan has been talking about Baker eventually wanting to sleep in the room with the twins, but I didn't think that would ever happen..but I was totally wrong.  Jordan called it!  Baker has been sleeping on the floor of the twins room on her crib mattress that we had stored in her closet after replacing it with her twin size mattress. the most adorable thing ever.. and now I'm contemplating moving a bed into the twins room for Baker?? we are in the middle of making a 'big girl' space for her in her room, but we actually still have the other twin size bed that the twins used stored in the garage.. maybe I'll set that up, too?

five. NASHVILLE

me and my honey are heading to Nashville next week.. just the two of us!  we are road tripping and stopping for a night in Memphis for some amazing BBQ and then heading to spend a handful of days in downtown Nashville.  I've got a list going for places to see + yummy food to eat, but if you've been there or live there, send all your recs my way!!  I am so excited for this trip! 

happy Friday, ya'll!  I hope everyone has had an awesome week.. lets hop into this weekend asap!

jojo + PFAPA

glitter clip // tank // pants // shoes

just in case you missed the (extra long) explanation on the 'gram stories, I wanted to share here about Jolie and what's been going on AND that we finally have a diagnosis.

you have no idea what a relief it is to have some answers. 

I honestly didn't see the effect it was having on me, my emotions, and my heart until I was basically walking on a cloud yesterday after our appointment with the rheumatologist.

taking you back a couple weeks ago, we got a call from the clinic because someone had cancelled their appointment and there was a time slot available. it happened to be a Tuesday, which is my usual day off during the week AND Jordan was off to be able to go with me.

perfect.

truth is, I was a little hesitant about going and I sort of walked in with very low expectations of the appointment. our pediatrician had mentioned about a week prior to getting the call about the open appointment that we shouldn't worry about going if we had to wait until OCTOBER to get in.. and that she really feels like infectious diseases should be involved instead of rheumatology.

within just a handful of minutes of visiting with Dr. Stewart at the Children's Hospital of Dallas she had a diagnosis for us. 

PFAPA

"..excuse me, but do you have a handout on this?"

Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, Cervical Adenitis (PFAPA) is a syndrome that consists of recurrent episodes of fever, sore throat, mouth sores and swelling of the glands in the neck.

Jolie has all of these things. 

she has fallen into a period of 4-6 weeks between episodes and her episodes of 104+ fevers last about 7-12 days.  these fevers completely knock her on her rear.  she's lethargic, doesn't hardly interact or play, and definitely doesn't eat.  occasionally this is coupled with nausea and the lymph nodes in her neck swell and become painful. 

in regards to the mouth sores.. I've noticed they come about a week before the episode.  and as a matter of fact she complained about her mouth "burning" a few days ago.. I didn't think anything of it then but now I know what I know, and she's been 6 weeks fever free, so I'm anticipating a fever any day now. 

ugh.

we do have a plan, though.  for now, we are going to watch and treat her for the symptoms as they come. maintenance medication is the last option for both us and the doctor mainly because the side affects of these drugs can be hard on her little body (stomach upset, damage on her liver, ect.). we could also treat with steroids with the onset of fever.. but steroids have a track record of causing the dormant time of these episodes to become shorter (i.e. 2 weeks between fevers instead of 4 weeks) which we experienced when we were treating her for what we thought was an infection in her lymph node when all this mess started.

we go back to the rheumatology clinic the first week of January and most likely we will plan the surgery to have her tonsils and adenoids removed. 100% of the comments I received talked about their success with the tonsillectomy- and Dr. Stewart agrees that this would be the best option for Jolie to find ultimate relief in these symptoms. apparently tonsils house a ton of bacteria and can be the root of all these issues Jolie is having. 

AND most importantly we don't want to be walking into kindergarten with these fevers, you know? 

I hate this for her, BUT I am thankful for answers. I shared the news on IG stories yesterday and the amount of people that came out of the woodwork to offer encouragement because they have directly gone through this with their child or know someone that has, was incredible. something so foreign to me is actually much more common than I could have imagined! 

the tips and tricks and trial and error so many mamas offered was phenomenal. 

I cannot thank you all enough!

day in the life.

four-forty.

up and at'em!!  

my day starts about 4:40am when I am up and heading to camp gladiator.  finding time to get in my workout has been the toughest transition into having four kids.. especially when 3/4 of them aren't sleeping through the night.  early morning at 5am is the only really good time for me to get in about 60 minutes, but its also the time Brady is waking to eat.  there has been a handful of times that he's slept through until closer to 7am, but most mornings Jordan will feed him a bottle and I'll pump when I get home around 6am.

6am is when I hit the ground running.

I usually get my coffee and breakfast the moment I get home.. Im starving by the time I finish bootcamp and need something asap.  if Brady has eaten already I'll take this time to pump while I eat my breakfast and catch up on emails or style a handful of stitch fix clients.

I shower up, rarely wash my hair, and attempt to get myself "ready" in the morning. 

the babes slowly start to trickle in, usually Parker or Baker first.. then Jolie, and if Brady isn't awake already he's in the bathroom with me!

 I usually lay out the kid's clothes the night before.. even if we aren't going anywhere and its literally a tank top + yoga shorties, I have a plan for what they are going to be wearing for the day.  and then there are those days that their clothes sit on the floor of their room all day and we stay in our pj's instead:)

the twins are able to dress themselves and Baker, that sweet girl, really tries her best but ends up stuck in her shirt sleeve and with two legs in one side of her shorts.

I finish getting myself "ready".. usually just minimal makeup (foundation + bronzer are my lifelines) and if I didn't wash my hair I blow dry the dampness out from workout, tousle it with dry shampoo and touch up the curls with my flat iron.

seven thirty.

if it is a day that I am working, I throw on my scrubs and I hit the door.. but on a day that I am home (usually I have one or two days off during the week!) our days are literally filled from start to finish! 

 playtime happens all day long.  my house is a mess moments after the crew wakes..and I usually only pick up and organize after they are down for a nap or after dinner while the girls are winding down for the night. I've been trying to find fun things for the girls to do this summer that don't require me going out and spending a ton of money..and its so darn hot outside.  that sort of limits what we are able to do outside when I have an infant in tow.  

ten o'clock 

mornings usually consist of errands.. picking up groceries (I order online and pick up at the store.. seriously changed my life!), running to Costco or making quick shopping trips for whatever we need.  I end up putting together a list every week as the things come up of "things to do" and so my days off are FULL. I'll usually pack a lunch for all the girls and we eat on the go.  BUT I am not beyond a swing through the drive through for chicken nuggets for Parker, a jr. burger for Jo, and a grilled cheese for Baker. 

two-thirty

I try to make it home by early afternoon so that Baker can take a nap.  afternoon nap for Baker has fallen in line with Brady's long nap of the day (he takes one morning and one afternoon nap everyday) and even though the twins don't usually nap anymore, they have quiet time and color, watch a movie, or read books in their room.  

I'll usually take this time to style more stitch fix clients, blog ahead for the week, or catch up on emails. 

four o'clock 

::I'm on my way home from work if its a "work day" for me:: 

these warm afternoons of the summer are spent at the neighborhood pool, in the backyard on the patio with scooters + mini trikes.. and occasionally I pull out the blow up pool.  earlier this summer Jordan and Papa put together a swing set, so we spend a lot of time playing outside in the backyard.

six thirty

after a couple hours of playing its time for dinner.  I usually cook on the nights that Jordan is at home (not at the fire station or on shift at the hospital). I plan our meals the week before and create a mini meal plan schedule which helps me to make sure I have the ingredients on hand to cook a meal for the family.  on the nights that its just me and the kids dinner often looks like boxed mac + cheese or baked chicken nuggets or even breakfast for dinner.  we usually have left overs from the night before and Jolie is a big leftover eater but Parker and Bake aren't, so I kind of just make whatever sounds good to everyone at the time. 

seven fifteen 

the bed time hustle takes forever right now.  by the time I get everyone bathed.. usually I stick all three of the girls in the shower while I bathe Brady in the tub, its a solid forty five minutes before everyone is in their jammies.  on nights that Jordan is home we divide and conquer and he reads books to the girls while I feed Brady and get him down for the night.  when I am solo Brady just hangs out with us while I get the girls in bed.  getting them in bed first seems to be much easier on me than trying to get Brady in bed while they are still awake.. we play a game of in and out of his room and Brady never really seems to settle down enough to fall asleep and it takes forever!  

eight fifteen 

my goal is to have every one down before 8:30pm.  lately, since starting the sleep coupon + reward system with the girls, its been a much easier time of day. bedtime easily could be my most stressful time of the day. 

after the kiddos are in bed I usually hop back on the computer to finish my stitch fix clients, blog for the next morning or do absolutely nothing at.all.  I try really hard to be in bed before eleven, but sometimes its midnight or I get in bed when the kids are finally down because I'm completely whipped.. and then sometimes Brady wakes before I even get in bed at night and I'm up for another couple hours..

life is full these days. 

transition into having four babies hasn't been seamless, but we are managing. one thing that we've talked and prayed about for a couple years now is my staying home full time. I have about a 45 minute commute to the hospital in the morning and sometimes over an hour coming home. Jordan works about 35 minutes away from home.. the twins are starting kindergarten next year and being that far away from home sort of stresses me out.  about a year and a half ago the application for stitch fix fell in my lap and I feel like the Lord was laying ground work for me to be able to finally be home full time with the babies.  I didn't see it then but looking back it was clear as day the plan that He had for us.  after Jolie started struggling with health issues and Parker's anxiety hit an all time high the value in being home with my kids became most important than anything.  

that being said.. being a SAHM is freaking hard.  my days off with the kids can be EXHAUSTING and so I need ideas!  cheap ideas to keep these babies entertained! this is all new territory for me, so I need all the advice I can get! 

photography by: b faith photography 

sleep coupons | a method to the madness of getting my kids to sleep through the night

sleep.  an ongoing issue in my house for the last four years.  the twins have never really slept that great.. so then Baker came along and was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks and would go down like clock work at 7PM and not wake until well past 9AM once she hit a year old. I was floored by how well she slept because I thought all kids just sucked it up in the sleep department.  

as we approach year five with the twins things have progressively gotten worse and most recently its just been plain terrible.  no other words to describe it and I have never been so tired IN MY LIFE. an infant waking me a couple times at night is one thing but couple that with two other kids up and down for hours every night and I'm basically running on fumes.

I've been searching for ideas and ways to work through this stage with them, and much to my surprise its not just my kids going through this. a lot of other mamas have the same issues surrounding sleep and going to bed and staying in bed.

phew. 

 a couple weeks ago I had mentioned to a friend about these struggles and it happened that she had recently brought it up to her pediatrician and he mentioned that with his older kids he does sleep coupons.

SLEEP COUPONS?! 

collecting sleep coupons for getting in bed at night and staying all night will earn them one coupon and they can "spend" it however they please.

the method.

the biggest part about this method is offering the kids a real explanation about what to expect. allowing the girls to have control over their sleep habits with a reward has proven to be really beneficial! I roped Baker into this because she wants nothing more than to be included with the "big girls" and while I don't know if she will truly understand "saving" her coupons for something 'bigger' she has totally kept up with the concept since we started this about a week ago.

they each get a coupon before going to bed at night and they are allowed to keep the coupon as long as they go to bed without a fight and stay in bed all night. if they wake at all for something other than to use the bathroom (or they are puking.. I'll give them that. but only if they wake their dad first.) they have to hand over their coupon in the morning. I don't take the coupon away at night in the moment mainly because I don't want to cause a FREAK OUT fit.  so I wait to deal with that consequence in the morning. 

NIGHT #1:: on the first night Jolie woke just twice (normally its about 4+ times) and in the morning I talked her through her waking up and why I was going to be taking the coupon.  since it was the first night and a brand new concept, gave them a trial pass, but explained that if she woke me up the next night I would indeed take the coupon away.

NIGHT #2::  Parker fought me quite a bit about going to bed but after a gentle reminder that she was going to lose her coupon if she didn't settle down + lay down she chilled out pretty quick.  AND no one made a single peep all night!!  normally it takes at least an hour or longer for bedtime, but not this time.
NIGHT #3:: no fight at bedtime!  they got into bed after putting their coupon in their little box on their dresser and talked about what they were saving their coupons for.

it was SO CUTE how excited they were.

Jolie is saving her coupons for a Doc McStuffin's toy and Parker has her heart set on a tiger's blood flavored sno cone.
NIGHT #4:: HORRIBLE.  it was raining off and on and we are not a fan at all about the rain and thunder over here.. but Jolie had me up about 6 times and Parker just once.  the next morning I told the girls to go get their sleep coupons off their dresser and turn them in to me since they didn't sleep through the night. they handed them over and I told them that we would try again that night.

the reward.

2 coupons :: 30 minutes of iPad time

3 coupons :: ice cream or sno cone

6 coupons :: nail salon for a mani and a pedi with mama

9 coupons :: trip to target to pick out a toy of their choice 

12 coupons :: movie date night + pop corn and candy

I had my girl Sarah, creative brain at CKFireboots, put together the perfect little coupon for us to use- complete with unique personalization + darling little figure on the front.  I designed them with the girls' favorite colors in mind and dressed in cute little pajamas.  you can find the custom listing for these sleep coupons HERE!
I downloaded the PDF and sent them over to office max or something of the like to be printed and laminated so they will hold up well with use.

AND, before I forget, Sarah so graciously offered my readers a discount!
use code MASSEY10 for 10% off your entire purchase.
(btw: everything in her shop is ridiculously affordable with or without the discount code!)

I'm really excited for the girls and for this random trial and error with the sleep coupons.  we haven't spent any coupons YET, but when we do I think it is going to really drive home the point of this method with the girls.

as always, I want to hear from other mamas about their experiences with sleep! send me all the tips and tricks:)

how does she..?

I had the amazing pleasure to contribute to the 'how does she' series over at Little Miss Dessa! the interview was posted over there last week (HERE), but I loved sharing a little bit about our day in the life I wanted to share it over on my little corner of webspace, too!  this was one elaborate interview and it took me a week to think through and complete:) 

ENJOY!  

Tell us about yourself: Where do you live, age, marital status, number of kids and business.

I'm a 32 year old married mama to 4 babes.  My husband and I have been married for 12 years this August and we live in a suburb about an hour outside of Dallas/Fort Worth. We made this our home about 5 years ago while I was pregnant with the twins.  We have four year old twins, Parker and Jolie, Baker Bree who is about to be 2 in July and a 12 week old baby boy named Brady.  I've been a Registered Dietitian for the last 8 years and have worked as a personal chef (pre-babies), nutrition counseling, and currently work 4 days/week in the NICU at a hospital.  As if I wasn't crazy enough, a little over a year ago I started working from home as a Stitch Fix stylist for fun and have fallen in love with the company.

Describe a day in the life of you.

Right now a day in the life is all up in the air… we are all still getting to know Brady and he's finally on a regular "schedule". We are able to plan around his eat/sleep times during the day and I'm on maternity leave.  Usually we are all up by 8am in the morning- Parker wakes me often before 7am and I send her back to bed until at least 7:30am because it’s hard for me to function before then, ha!  The twins drink smoothies for breakfast and watch Disney channel or read books in their room while I nurse Brady and then Baker wakes by 9:30am (she's an amazing sleeper!) and she has her own smoothie.  If we have errands we usually leave the house by 11am and we are out and about making Costco runs or hitting up the splash pad now that the weather is warming up.  I pack a lunch for all the girls and we often eat on the run!  Usually home by 3-3:30p and I put Baker down for a late nap while the girls color or chill out and watch a movie or a couple of recorded Bubble Guppies on the DVR. I take that window of quiet time to straighten up the house, unload the dishwasher, or play catch up on email and the blog.

Do you have help? A nanny or housekeeper? Family?

Oh my goodness- YES.  100% yes.  I am so thankful for the help that I have.  First of all, my husband is amazing.  I wouldn't have survived the twins, let alone have two more after the fact if he didn't help me the way that he does.  He does the laundry, manages the kiddos, runs errands with all four in tow, and he and I take turns cooking.  He is a firefighter and his work schedule allows for him to be home a lot more than a normal 40 hour 9-5 type job. We also have a housekeeper that comes every two weeks.  Jordan and I both tend to put actual cleaning at the end of our list of To-Dos and we can agree that we would literally give up our cell phones to keep our wonderful housekeeper if it came down to it.   Since the twins were born, my mother in law has kept the babies on the days that I was at work and Jordan was on shift- about 2 days per week.  After Brady was born we made the decision to hire a nanny three days per week to replace the help my MIL has given for the last 5 years. 

How do you manage to have “me” time?

As I mentioned above, my husband is around quite a bit, but that also means that I am home alone often, too.  Days that I am solo with all four of them for 24 hours while he's on shift can be exhausting! Because of that he makes it a priority that I get in some “me” time. So about once a week or every other week he allows me to go to Starbucks and work on the blog, meet a girlfriend for brunch, or get my nails done.  Just about 2 hours of uninterrupted time to myself.

How do you manage to make time to stay in shape? Do you workout? Diet?

Since Brady was born we are still figuring that out :). I usually like to go to the gym early, around 5am to get it in.  Jordan and I both go to the same boot camp, so if it’s been a rough night or I just can't seem to get myself out of bed at 5am, we go together with all the kids!  I try and get in 60 minutes about 3-4 days/week. I also eat relatively healthy- of course I love my fair share of junk and Vente iced coffee is my weakness, but over all we maintain a balance pretty well and try to limit eating out to once a week, for both health and financial reasons.  Some weeks we stand by that rule and other weeks its pizza every night! Regardless, feeding five mouths, including a toddler that out-eats everyone, can be so expensive!

Do you get ready every day? Makeup, hair and curated outfits?  If so, how do you do it with children? 

Definitely NOT! There are some days (when I don't leave the house) that I stay in my pajamas all day. The kids don't get dressed either! Other days I throw a ball cap over my dirty hair, do a little touch up with some concealer under my eyes and + tinted moisturizer and get whatever errands I need to get done wearing a t-shirt and jeans or leggings. Honestly, these days, if my hair is fixed I feel put together, more so than a full face of makeup.  I wash my hair about twice a week and I'm lucky that it only takes a little touching up with the flat iron between washes (including those days that I hit up boot camp) I just blow dry that sweat right out! Outfits are never curated unless we have set plans for the day (lunch date, church, family outings, etc).  I have found that if I have an idea of what I want to wear before the rush of getting one billion people ready for the day it helps with the overall management of chaos.                                                                          

Has your style changed after motherhood?

Totally! There was a time in my life before kids that I would never leave the house without a full face of makeup and a shower. I dressed very conservatively for work (slacks, blouses, blazers, and heels) so that carried over into my weekend life, too!  Big chunky accessories (early 2000's that was all the rage, am I right??) and I didn't understand how valuable sneakers were to my life until after I had children.  These days I wear scrubs to work and live in my favorite boyfriend jeans and a casual tee, and sneakers.  Oh how I love my sneakers. 

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I could not live without coffee. I actually love the flavor and drink it for that rather than the caffeine component (I usually drink half-caf or decaf while nursing). I have been known to drive through Starbucks twice while being out and about running errands. While I work out the only thing I can think of is the fact that I get to have a coffee afterwards, and when I am up nursing Brady through the night I cannot wait until the 'morning' when I can brew my first cup. I've turned into my mother.

If you breastfeed, how do you schedule your day around feedings and outings?

I usually try to breastfeed Brady right before we leave the house. My goal is within an hour of leaving so that we can actually get out and about and have some time to get things done before I'm sitting in the car to nurse him.  He usually takes his first nap around 10:30am, so if I feed him right before then he will sleep in the car (most of the time!) until it’s time to eat again.

How many hours of sleep to you get a night on average?

I'm usually in bed between 10 pm-11 pm and I'm up at 4:30 am for my 5 am workout OR if I don't get up that day for boot camp I'm getting up about 7:30 am. I'm dragging by dinner time and then will get my second wind around 8 pm after the kids go to bed. So I would say between 6-8 hours at night.

What is a priority for you, and what gets sacrificed? For example, everyone looks great but the house is a disaster, or the house is clean but work deadlines get pushed back.

I'm such a stickler for my house being "put together". It sounds silly, but it drives me batty to come home a messy house (like the playroom turned upside town, or dishes in the sink). That being said, it comes last on the list when we have somewhere to be or if I have to work on getting something done. No matter what, the house is put together and the kitchen is clean before I go to bed at night, so it might fall under "a clean house over sleep" ha!

Do you cook meals every day for your family? If so, how do you plan them?

Because of Jordan's schedule I only cook about 2-3 nights/week.  We try to eat out just once or twice/week and the other days me and the kids just eat whatever we feel like (macaroni from a box, cereal, peanut butter toast). When I meal plan I do it early in the week while I'm making my grocery list so I have all the ingredients on hand and it keeps me motivated to actually cook the meal when I have a plan in place.

Have you ever felt like you are losing yourself to motherhood and or life? If so, how did you bounce back?

There was a time before Baker was born that I felt like I couldn't get in the groove of life with kids.  I was trying to find my voice, routine, and manage working and being a wife, too.  Thankfully I have a husband that is a huge advocate of ME. He knows how important it is that I have “me” time and allows me to do pretty much do what I need to feel secure in my role, both at home and professionally. 

Does hubby help you with anything particular? If so, what and how?

Jordan is a huge help to my day to day but also as my number one supporter in this crazy life we live right now. I can literally look at him and say "I need a break" and as long as its an appropriate time he will let me go decompress or take off and grab a coffee by myself.

How do you manage motherhood and marriage?

Jordan and I are a TEAM, an incredible team.  We work together to manage our kiddos and some days we are going through the motions of life to just make it to bedtime, but we always make time to catch up.  Date nights are few and far in between these days, but we try to chat in the car, before bedtime, and always ask each other "how are you doing" looking for the real answer outside of "fine".  We have learned the right time to actually ask these questions is when we can actually finish the conversation and the wrong time is to try to have this conversation in the middle of wrangling babies for bath, dinner, and bed.

Do you work? Do you work in an office or at home? What does your work consist of and how do you get it done during the week?

I work both in and outside the home.  Four days per week I work as a dietitian to newborn and premature babies in the NICU; and I work from home in between those four days as a Stitch Fix stylist. Being a stylist is more of a hobby for me than a job- I love it!  We have a nanny to help on days when I am not home, and I try to do SF on the days that Jordan is around or fit it in early in the morning before the kids wake or after they go to bed in the evening. 

Have your circle of friends changed now that you're a mother? if so, how do you meet new mommy friends?

Thankfully my closest girlfriends and I have all sort of grown our families at the same time.  I have met some of my closest mommy friends through social media!  It is such a powerful platform to meet amazing women.

What’s the least favorite household chore you dread doing?

Laundry!!  I don't mind putting it all in the wash and transferring it to the dryer, but getting it folded and put away is my ultimate demise.  

Describe a recent experience when you didn’t have it “all together” and how you handled it all.

I start back to work soon, and we have a nanny helping us when I am away.  She came for a "trial run" a couple weeks ago and I totally didn't explain a million things that probably would be helpful in knowing before she starts watching my FOUR kids! She didn't text me to ask (which is probably better) and just figured it out on her own (which is awesome!).  After I got home she gave me a rundown of questions she had for next time.  I felt so defeated in that I was NOT ready to go back to work and not ready to leave my kiddos with someone else other than myself. I regrouped, bounced ideas off on Jordan for helping me remember what the nanny would need to know for next time, and hopefully she'll be set up for success when she starts!

Fill in the blank: As a mother, it's a luxury to __________________

Wash my hair. I am thankful I am able to find time to actually shower, but washing my hair is the last on my list of to-do's! 

What is your philosophy on balance and does it exist in your home?

Balance does not come easy.  It is something that is constantly changing and my once type A personality has taken a major backseat to the ins and outs of motherhood. We work hard at attempting to keep everything in order and balanced, some days it works and some days it totally doesn't.

What are your dreams outside of motherhood that you would like to accomplish?

I love style and fashion.  I have been a dietitian for a long time, and still love food and nutrition, but would absolutely love to grow my career with Stitch Fix.  Styling and helping women (and men!) find themselves comfortable in clothes that are perfect for them is so much fun!

What is one thing that keeps you sane?

I've become a night owl since having kids. I still wake up early, and actually prefer to be an early riser, but giving myself at least an hour or two to chill out, watch reality TV, or surf social media is something I've learned that helps me get through the end of my day. My mom always stayed up so late growing up and I couldn't ever figure out why, well I have three brothers and now I can completely relate to her!

What is one question you'd like to ask our fellow mama readers?

I didn't really grow up with dreams and aspirations to be a mama, let alone having four babies of my own!  I always thought in the back of my mind that I would have children, but even when I was dating Jordan very seriously, children didn't cross my mind very often.  I have discovered that now I was born to be a mama.  I would have ten more if Jordan and my body would let me!  So, my question for you all is: Looking back now, starting with your first thoughts of becoming a mother as a little girl, how does it feel to watch your children grow up now?

check out more on this series of amazing mamas!!

weekend + July fourth

Man I am riding the struggle bus to keep up with the daily happenings of this crew of mine.  a little recap for ya of our weekend and fourth of July holiday festivities.. lets start with Sunday, well because thats the only day I got dressed and snapped any kind of photos to share:) 

Sunday morning we made it (barely) to the early service at church and me and the girls were really feeling the boho vibe, and so Jordan kindly snapped a pic for us.  Baker is the only one looking and her eyes are closed.. so this is a perfect depiction of my life right now- ha! everyone going in different directions, and I'm in the middle trying to keep the plates spinning! 

..side note.. my pants are like 5 years old from LOFT, but I LOVE them. Definitely my favorite for summer.

Sunday afternoon we laid by the pool and grilled and filled up on homemade ice cream that never turned into ice cream because the motor of our maker quit on us after just a couple minutes of spinning. so we drank them as milkshakes.. and even still I use that term loosely.  

Brady looking so dang cuteeee in his trunks and hat.  give me all the baby boy hats.  all of them.

thanks.

you can find my sunglasses HERE (use code AMBER25 for 25% off!); my hat HERE, swim top is from KJ HERE, but the print is no longer available.  layered necklaces HERE (I'm wearing 14" and 16")

Brady's hat HERE and trunks HERE

our weekend ended, but not for long before it was time for more fun on the fourth!

I wil forever match these baby girls together.. well until the day they tell me they are over it and how "uncool" it is.  but until then.. (insert dancing red dress emoji)

big girls shirts HERE and their shorts HERE.. Baker's bows HERE via Sutter Sisters.  shortalls HERE and her cute little top HERE

oh my goodness I love this crew of mine.  

we headed out to meet Auntie + Uncle J and then headed to the Freedom Fest in Frisco.. but first, it didn't happen without a photo, right?

thanks to Uncle J for his mad camera skillz

you can find my tee HERE and my shorts HERE (on sale!)

my hat is from the texas rangers ball park..I haven't been able to find it online yet:)

lots of people.  lots of herding cats.  lots of sweat.

still so cute anyway, right??   these two babes.  I can't believe they will be TWO in like DAYS.

 hey Brady, why so serious?

waiting patiently for cool A/C and the best pizza we have ever eaten!

if you are in the area, hit up Pizzeria Testa and you won't regret it!

my favorite bandana bibs HERE, romper HERE, and sister handmedown moccs HERE

we didnt last long after dinner.. y'all it was SO freakin hot. we hit up the dip'n'dot tent and then headed back to Auntie + Uncle J's house to view the fireworks show from the park near their house. sparklers were a hit!  we stopped at a stand to grab some and I'm so glad we did- sweet Baker and Grayson were new to the sparkler scene and had such a good time with them! Baker kept saying "whoa!" everytime to fire works exploded- SO cute.

love ya, America! XO, Baker Bree

I hope everyone had a safe and happy fourth!