photo NavTwit_zpsc1rktw78.png photo NavIG_zpsaip8p7oy.png photo NavPin_zpsuu9kgez7.png photo NavBL_zpscv6phppl.png


10.12.2016

baker bree | 15 months

we went for Baker's 15 month check up today- our big growing girl is currently weighing in at 21 pounds and 8oz, wearing 12-18 month clothes and size 4 diapers.
..all that being said, we can still squeeze your tiny little bootie in size 6 month pants- although they are a leeeeetle short.  she's right at the 29th percentile for weight, but she's lost a little in the last couple months because she's growing in length and not really in girth- I mean, those string bean legs, tho.
the last time Baker was at the doctor she got her flu shot.. and she remember.  so getting her length and weight was a NIGHTmare.  she screamed for like 5 minutes even after the nurse had left the room.  d r a m a 
she was a little wheezy when she listened to her chest, and her throat is really red- which could also explain why she hasn't been eating well the last several weeks.. because it hurts.  mom of the year. dr. b thinks there is something viral going on right now and she even mentioned RSV- but without fever we are just going to hang tight before we do breathing treatments or antibiotics- her lungs cleared a bit when she coughed right in the middle of her listening, so thats good. 
but her ears were clear!
other news..
we have ONE new tooth this month.
..bringing the grand total to 5 teeth, which is comical.
but you surly don't mind to gum through everything I offer you. 

your appetite was basically terrible this month, but here at the end it has much improved- you really do love to eat when you WANT to eat.  but when you are teething food is just not an option. even your favs like cereal and oats and yogurt are a no go.
..peanut butter oats, strawberries, raspberries {all fruit, really}, eggs, grilled chicken, and holy cow you can scarf some mac and cheese! 
you also love to snack: yogurt, dry cereal, granola bars, goldfish, and graham crackers
you also remind me of Jolie because I can't keep your sippy cup of water full.
..you suck it down like you didn't have a swing/gulp/chug 3 minutes ago, and then you're stealing everyone else's sippy cups for a sip.

your motor development is definitely improving this month.
..climbing, running, walking up & down stairs, and using utensils while eating come easy to you.
over the last couple months you have started practicing your dance moves.
..this month you are definitely ready for back-up dancer extraordinaire.  
You do the shoulder lean and bee-bop like a boss.

Your few of your favorite things at 15 months: 
you've become quite attached to the pacifier as well as a small white polar bear your BB + Papa brought back from their trip to Europe.
legos, stacking blocks + puzzles.  you continue to come back to these toys for entertainment.
playing outside.  ALL.Dayyyy.Long.
you will stand at the door and just holler until someone lets you out.
you love anything and everything that plays music.
accessories.  bracelets, watches, necklaces, handbags.  you love them all, and you know how to layer those beads well, girl.  
pushing boxes, bags, toys {anything, really..} across the floor.  your recent obsession is with the huge water bottle in the pantry. you find it about once a day.
Face Time- omg it is hilarious to watch your face light up with animation when you talk to dad or BB and Papa on the phone.
you love, love, love your sisters. this has been a growing trend over the last couple months, but this month you really show a motherly concern over them when they are upset and want to be right in the middle of their playtime.
wrapping your legs around my waist and leaning your head on my shoulder while I hold you.
ok..that last one is probably your momma's favorite.

outgoing, hilariously goofy, wears a contagious smile, and most of all, pretty over dramatic.
..all words that describe your personality.
easy-going, care-free and clumsy describe you perfectly.
..you can't turn a corner without taking a topple, which never phases you at all.
you pop right up and take off once again.
..always on the move with places to go and people to see.
toys to steal!
..a rare sighting of the top teeth:)

earlier this month we went for flu shots and while we were there Dr. Butler caught Baker just at the right time when her right eye was pulling into the center a bit.  its never been super noticeable and she had never seen it, but Jordan and I both had noticed it from the day she was born.  it wasn't all the time or very consistent.. and it happened mostly when she was sleepy- and that day Baker hadn't gotten a solid nap and it was 4pm in the afternoon.
this picture was actually taken the day Dr. B noticed her eye pulling and you can really see it- most of the time you can only tell her eye is abnormal if she's looking up at you for any reason.
SO, she sent us to a pediatric ophthalmologist to get it checked out.  Baker was such a rockstar through the entire thing.. even let us dilate her eyes without so much of a fuss out of her! turns out it does pull in to the middle consistently BUT the great news is that her vision is completely normal and she will most likely grow out of it.  in the meantime we have the option to patch her left eye (the stronger eye) while she plays a couple hours every day to help strengthen the right eye.. but he also said not to stress out if she wont let us do the full two hours.  we got back in a few months to ensure that it isn't getting worse, but everyone is optimistic that it will resolve itself.
THIS girl.  that pointed lip action she does ALL the time when she is being sassy or silly or trying to get attention.. I wish I could find baby pictures of myself doing this exact same face..
..and THIS face.  theres the lip again.  she is just something else. Baker has so many of my own mannerisms and I see a lot of her in me when I was a baby.. from what baby pictures I have. 









my precious Baker Bree.  This world is brighter with you in it, little girl.  the sweetest kisses, all smiles, and hardly any tears.  every one comments on your contagious demeanor and personality.  
you are just sweet as pie.

10.10.2016

healthy snacks + fit pregnancy | albion fit

I've gotten plenty of questions about staying fit during this pregnancy and to be honest it was something I was most excited about when I started my pregnancy journey.. before I was even pregnant.  I have never been super active during any of the pregnancies (nothing more than just walking and low impact stuff) and after doing bootcamp for several months prior to getting pregnant,  I had a great base to keep going- and I plan to until my body just cant do it any more. my belly is already feeling really heavy and I cant lay or sit certain ways, but I just have to listen to my body and do what I can.
the biggest component to my exercise routine is FOOD. food is SO not fun for me right now, and I generally love food- but now more than ever I need to make sure I am fueling my body with the nutrients it needs both pre-workout and recovery.  early in my pregnancy I was getting really lightheaded any time I tried to run or do the normal workout movements and while this is common for me in my first trimester regardless of working out or not, it was definitely attributed to my food intake on how easily I could recover and keep up with my workout. 
 many people start their early morning workout food-free- and I was totally one of them!  this is a problem because when you sleep at night your body burns through your dinner and night-time snack.  by morning your body needs nutrition to jumpstart metabolism, replace some of the carbohydrate stores used up over night and give your body energy for a workout.  there is myth that you burn all fat, like the fat off the back of your leg, if you workout on an empty stomach.  False.  you burn thought stored carbohydrate in your muscles, a little fat from inside your muscle and likely protein, which is never good.  the idea is to eat a little something carbohydrate rich before a workout.  it will help you feel better and have more energy.  for cardio based workouts an hour or less something like a whole grain granola bar, banana, some dry cereal or even part of a protein bar will work with water.  for me, bootcamp lasts about an hour or a little longer- so if you are working out for longer than an hour or going to be doing something more intense like lifting weights, cross fit or boot camp, I would recommend a little protein in addition to the carbohydrate.

peanut butter + banana 
granola bar
180-200 calorie protein bar
  
if not, your blood sugar can drop leaving you feeling weak, dizzy and light-headed.
all those things I am already feeling while pregnant and now I want to make my body move and be active on top of that!?  if you workout in the afternoon, it is a little easier because you have time to let food digest.  ideally have some whole grain carbs, some protein and veggies at lunch.  then mid-afternoon, an hour or so before your workout, sit for a carbohydrate-protein snack such as:

​​whole grain crackers + string cheese
apple/banana + peanut butter
greek yogurt with whole grain cereal or fruit
hummus + whole grain pita chips
1/2 of a turkey + 2% cheese sandwich on whole grain bread
180-200 calorie protein bar


be sure to pair your pre-workout snack wth 12-16 oz water.  
if you take a longer time to digest things, then maybe eat your snack 1.5 hours before the workout.
mornings are best for me to workout- getting it out of the way first thing.. because if I don't I will have every reason to all myself out of it the rest of the day.

another big thing for me is finding maternity style and comfortable workout clothing to wear.  the weather is changing, so I've been wearing long pants and sweatshirts in the morning at 5am when its still in the low 50's.  I was excited when I got the opportunity to try albion fit on for size. I have seen them all over instagram on my favorite feeds.. I even had someone recognize the logo on my pants while out at bootcamp recently.  there is something to say about that! NOT to mention, they are the most comfortable joggers I think I have ever owned.  does anyone know what I'm talking about with certain styles of jogger pants that just cut into your side?  they fit well everywhere else, but the waist makes you want to suck in the entire time you are wearing them!  
not these.  
very comfortable + adjustable waistband- I sized up in anticipation for growing with this pregnancy and probably didn't have to.  they are 100% true to size. while they are a splurge on lounge clothes, I know- I have spent $50+ on joggers from my favorite online boutiques and those don't even come close to albion fit >> totally my personal opinion from personal experience:)
my favorite post workout breakfast:
greek yogurt (protein) + berries (carbohydrate) + granola (carbohydrate and a little fat)
its Jolie's favorite, too.
not Parker (clearly).  the pickiest eater on the planet.
over greek yogurt and fruit.  silly girl!
OH.. and they have their own line for the kids!  the big girls thought it to be SO fun that we were matching.
I'm so excited for the opportunity to offer one lucky winner $50 shop credit towards anything they wish from albion fit!  I know I'm not the only mama out there that could use $50 to kick their workout (or lounge) gear into shape- not to mention that cooler weather wardrobe for themselves and their babe(s)!  even better, albion fit is offering a generous discount of 15% off your entire purchase using the code: masseya

I'll totally be using my own discount code to get a couple of these amazing sports bras + probably this hoodie. 
probably.

GO!  fall is here!! but don't forget to enter the giveaway!
 ..and I'll end with Parker puling my hair.  
nut job.
as always, thank you to Brittany for her talent in catching my crazy crew in the best light, and of course to albion fit for sponsoring this post.
mama
tank
joggers c/o
toesox c/o
mug c/o
littles
ponchos c/o

10.07.2016

five on friday

one. fair days
I made an impromptu trip to the fair this week- no kids.  no husband.  just me and the cotton candy.
and corn dogs.
..annnd lemonade.
Brittany asked me to tag along to a photoshoot she had planned at the Texas State Fair because last minute her family couldn't make the trip- so of course I said yes! I haven't been to the fair in about 12 years- which is like blasphemy here in Dallas, but Jordan isn't a HUGE fan, but omg I was like a giant kid in this candy store.  completely fascinated by everything and I just had the best time- even if I was just tagging along.

OF course you can find me eating.
you can get my amazing sweater tunic (super lightweight) here and maternity (!) moto leggings here
two. birthday shopping
my sister in law and I are exactly one month apart in our birthdays.. we've celebrated 17 years of birthdays together (she came looooong before the hubby) and spent the majority of our high school years connected at the hip.  Bree (her mama) and Bree's bestie Teresa, who is basically like a second mother to me, wanted to treat Jenna and myself with shopping + lunch for our birthdays so we planned for a day when Jenna didn't have school (fair day!!) which happened to be this last Wednesday.  we spent the day at northpark and had lunch at maggianos- and let me tell you.. it was SO good for my soul.  I just had the BEST day and I was sad to see it come to an end.  
three. preggo style
sooooo many of ya'll loved my plaid tunic!  I LOVE it- and I snagged this amazing item during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and was so excited to finally wear it.  it is such a unique item in my closet and while I own about eleven duster cardigans I don't have anything remotely close to this!  I will say, this is LONG- I am relatively tall at just about 5'7" and it comes to my ankles when wearing 3in booties.  unfortunately, I cant find this tunic anywhere but I did come across a couple other options similar to it!
PLUS- my other favorite pair of motherhood maternity jeans, this time in a medium wash and I love the distressed denim look.  I can totally still be fashionable AND pregnant, you know:)  I also linked a couple other items I picked up this week that are NOT maternity but still fit my belly relatively well right now.
four. halloween jammies (!!)
October first rolled itself around (finally!!) which means it is 100% appropriate to be wearing halloween jammies every single night of the month.  OK- so we dont have that many pairs, but thank goodness for the 15 minute quick wash option on my washing matching.. amen??
it is no secret that I love jammies in general, and so when the festive wear starts to hit the shelves between now and Christmas I just cannot help myself.
AND- these sass pant little girls. wear their boots and their pajamas.
starting trends.
lets hope this one doesn't catch on.

just a few of my favorite halloween holiday jams!

five. forts
Jordan made the twins this giant fort in the kitchen covering the kitchen table- complete with a lamp and all the comfortable bedding you can think of.  these two stayed in that fort seriously for HOURS.  I swear they didn't come up for air from noon until 4pm.  they ate lunch and a snack in there and watched movies and youtube kids, and no body minded.  Baker had the playroom to herself.. so it was like managed silence in our house for that time.  I didn't even know what to do with myself!  we needed an evening walk after they laid around all day- but how fun is their dad for building this?!  the weather is rainy here today.. so maybe we will have some more fort building.

its FRI-YAY!!!

10.05.2016

15(ish) weeks | first trimester update

I cant believe that time is flying! I have felt like the last month of life has been insane and busy and is just whipping right past me in a short blink.  I found out so early about this pregnancy and keeping it quiet had me so anxious to share and life felt like it was dragging on and on, and here I am in my second trimester- holy moly!  
I've been feeling great- except that I basically sleep on my face at night. I can 100% sleep anywhere I lay my head down and take naps about once a day.  over the weekend I didn't get in a nap everyday and I literally needed a day to recover- my life is busy and my kids are crazy and I'm getting old:)
and we are adding another one to the mix..
I CANNOT WAIT!

mama things
from week 7-14 I was nauseous just about every evening. I didn't really eat dinner for those 7 weeks and was ready for bed when I was putting all my girls down by 8pm.  the nausea has since past, but the food aversions have not. I've been having those much more than I ever had with any other pregnancies and food is completely disinteresting to me all together.  even my favorite peanut butter and banana toast has lost its magical touch at breakfast (and lunch and dinner) and I am totally grossed out by every component of a banana.  the idea of putting them on my toast gives me the heebee-geebees, so I have to skip them. other things.. migraines.  I've had four since I've been pregnant with this little guy and I can count on one hand how many I've had in my entire life!  the smallest things seem to trigger it, but lots of water, taking a couple tylenol when needed, and a nap usually gets me back into the swing of the day- usually in a fog, but c'est la vie.
I'm in full maternity wear- my belly is measuring almost 2 weeks larger than I actually should be.. I was at my regular OB check up at a little more than 14.5 weeks and my belly was measuring over 16 weeks.  my doctor giggled a little, but after the giant belly I held with Baker, she's not super surprised, and neither am I.  ever heard of muscle memory? I feel like my uterus can relate.  of course my belly is huge in the evening- and in the morning I would say its probably normal size for almost 16 weeks (I'll be 16 weeks on Sunday), but I am not complaining.  I've found easy ways to stay comfortable this time around- with a 14 month old + two 3 year olds I need to be able to bend to scrape pop tart or dried mac and cheese off the kitchen floor (this is why we have a dog!!) and get down to their level and move around relatively easy with my growing bump.  I have these exact jeans by jessica simpson in the under the belly option and wore them out during my other pregnancies- these jeans  from motherhood maternity are the over the belly version and I love them just as much!  no to mention they are butter soft and not super heavy in weight so wearing them while the weather is changing here in Texas has been awesome. 
I'm still working out 3-4 mornings out of the week.  bootcamp is still okay for me to do, but at my last appointment my OB gave me a laundry list of things I had to change since generally these workouts are pretty high intensity.  thankfully my trainers have been amazing and are helping me through making adjustments and giving me alternative success options while the rest of the group does their normal thing.  
baby things
we've had a couple of sonograms of our growing boy and he's just perfect.  such a sweet little profile and CHEEKS that resemble his sisters before him so much!  I feel like he looks a lot like Parker in these early sonograms- but we shall see, we have a lot of time left (??) for him to grow!  I am feeling him move here and there but not consistently at all.. mostly in the evenings and definitely after I've had something sweet like yogurt or fruit.  which by the way, I cannot seem to get enough of!  we go back for our anatomy screen in a couple weeks (18 weeks) to get a full look at this guy and seeing how big he's grown and hopefully get a better look at made how big he might be! 
I have relatively smaller babies (4lbs 8oz; 5lbs 15oz; 6lbs 7oz), but this boy might put a kink in that track record.. my brothers were all on the big side (9+ pounds) and my mother, in all her 5'3 and 90 pound frame might, pushed out every single one of them- all three now 6'4 or taller.
plus, my dad is just short of a giant.
not to mention my baby daddy ain't small either.

 I'll be honest and say that when I was pregnant with Baker I was terrified of the idea of having a boy.  but this time around I didn't even care. of course the girl option was the easy route.  I knew exactly what I was doing with a fourth girl in mind.. but ever since I found out this baby is a HE I cannot get enough of thinking and praying and preparing to be a boy mom.  something I honestly never thought I would get the chance to be.  the most exciting news of my LIFE was when that balloon exploded in blue. 
grow baby boy, grow.
also.  we still don't have a name:)

photography by b faith photography 
bag c/o
cardigan / loft
jeans c/o
booties c/o

10.04.2016

weekend | pumpkin everything

IT IS October, after all!!
this weekend was FULL and so fun- and we are still recovering.. well I am still recovering.  its amazing how easily my energy level can be zapped. we spent every moment together as a family with only interruptions to take naps for Baker and me, myself, and I- and baby brother, too I suppose, right??  Parker woke me on Friday morning at like 5:30am (!!!) and I told her NO after she repeatedly requested absurd things like a banana and bubble guppies she finally sunk my "mom stance" of putting my foot down with "mom.  I just want to wuv on my baby brother.  he wuves it when I rub his head.."
fine Parker.  FINE.

the weather was amazing this weekend and we took full advantage of getting and staying outside.. and I took about one billion photos to prove it..
side note: we discovered Baker was allergic to insect bites maybe a month ago after she was bitten on the hand by a mosquito.  her hand swelled tremendously and blood pooled around her joints, so we made a trip to the doctor in panic we were all relieved that it was just a mosquito bite. she was bitten on the cheek on Wednesday and by Friday her eye was swollen shut. 
exhibit A:
 we made our weekly trip to Costco for the essentials and then headed to Market Street for lunch and to play at the park.  OMGGGG this weather. 
 pumpkinssss! the twins were fascinated with the piles of pumpkins in front of the market.. my mama heart skipped a couple beats when I saw all the festive October-y things every where I looked!
this is my favorite time of year.  hands down.
 ..we ended our Friday night with a walk + a trip to the park before the babes went to bed.
Saturday, October 1st
the best day of the year!  I celebrated a good mama friend and her growing baby boy belly on Saturday morning and then we headed for church on Saturday evening.  by the time we got out of service everything was closing down, but we made a quick stop at a small nursery on our way home to grab a couple pumpkins for the porch.
hats c/o / tees c/o / skirts c/o / boots c/o
 Sunday. 
it isn't really public knowledge, and I'm not totally sure WHY, but I've worked as a stylist for Stitch Fix for almost a 8 months now and they hosted their Dallas team and our families for an amazing brunch at the Truck Yard in downtown Dallas on Sunday. I LOVE this place, and their cheesesteaks are phenomenal.. and not to mention my company was pretty awesome, too. such a random job to have found myself in- but its fun and I don't feel like I'm "working" when I am styling women of all sizes, preferences, and ages. plus, since cutting back on the amount of hours I work away from home from my growing family- every little bit helps.

SO ANYway.. food.    

 we ate a lot of it and enjoyed every moment of it. 
plus.. the weather.
 after we filled our bellies with food, we stuffed the grocery cart with all the food.. and hardly made a scene while doing so.
 somehow I convinced Jordan, after our entire Sunday spent away from the house, to skip the Cowboy game and head to the weekend opening of our favorite Pumpkin Patch!
flower bow / denim dresses 

 $5 bucks to park + 1 billion pumpkins + tractor rides + hay mazes + bounce houses + giant slides  
we will be here everyday of October.

 Baker's first real experience with a pumpkin.. she was cracking me up!
#rookie
bow / romper
 the girls and their amazing sport of a daddy rode these cars about 5 times before we finally said TIME TO GO with promises we would return super soon.



gah.  take me back to the weekend! I took a two and a half hour nap to make it through my Monday after this fun weekend, but still so worth it.
'tis this AMAZING pumpkin season!
Pin It button on image hover