Covering All the Bases | vita fusion™ Review

As a registered dietitian, I make it a real point to feed myself and and my family whole foods and real ingredients in attempt to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Of course, we do have fruity cereal hanging out in our pantry, but for the most part - we stick to the 'good stuff'.

When I became pregnant with Parker and Jolie 3 years ago (still can't wrap my head around the fact that its been that long..) I, of course, started taking prenatal supplements - as I would recommend to all my pregnant clients. Something you probably don't know about me... I do not swallow pills well AT ALL. I will literally 'suffer through' a splitting headache, you know, the kind that you get behind your eyes, before I'll pop a pill for relief. I have been that way my entire life- I hate swallowing pills. Antibiotics are killer for me. I spent the majority of my pregnancy with Parker and Jolie fighting off upper respiratory infections, and every time I went to the doctor it was 10 more days of those terrible yellow horse pills. Those supplements were enormous.. and tasted TERRIBLE. Both of them would sit in the back of my throat and there was nothing I could do to make it go down. It was my discovery of gummy vitamins that seemed to solve all my pill-swallowing problems. Not to mention, they taste good, too!

vitafusion™ is rooted in the belief that healthy habits should be enjoyable so that you’ll keep on doing them. This healthy habit for me is actually taking the supplements I'm required to maintain the nutritional status I need. Halfway through my first pregnancy, my OB suggested that I start taking a vitamin D supplement to assist in bone health.* It can occur as a natural declination as a female, too, not just to those of us who are pregnant. The search was on for a gummy vitamin to assist. No horse pills? No problem. vitafusion™ has got me covered.

The makers of vitafusion™ offer a pretty robust portfolio of vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements to meet your health needs through every stage of life. The convenience of having these vitamins available to me wherever I need them was the best part. At that point in our lives, we were venturing out very far from the house with two wee babies.

vitafusion™ gummy vitamins are available at club, mass, drug and grocery stores nationwide including: Costco, Walmart, Target and Walgreens. 

More information can be found at www.gummyvites.com.

What about you? What are your go-to supplements? Let me know about a time in your life that you were in a situation and could benefit from taking supplements or tell me about the supplements you currently take! Have you ever taken a gummy vitamin before? I am always so intrigued by what people take in the different life stages they are in. Leave a comment below and be automatically entered into a random drawing for a $100 Visa gift card!

I received free product and payment for this sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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28 Weeks + Baby Update

banner / little dovie 

floral print sleeveless blouse // pea in the pod (similar)

navy maxi skirt (non-maternity) // (old) groopdealz

How far along? 28 weeks + 2 days

Total weight gain: 16 pounds

Maternity clothes? All the way.

Sleep: I've started to cat nap in the afternoons again.. I am getting a solid 8 hours (or more) of sleep, but after a day at work, the moment I get home and I sit down for 5 minutes my eyes are heavy.  If Jordan is around, he always lets me dose for 20-30 minutes.  Just enough for me to make it to 9pm, when I'm dosing again.

Best moment this week: Jolie has been the sweetest big sister in the world about the baby in my belly.  She is very careful about sitting near me, on me, around me- her awareness of this protruding belly is pretty impressive for a 2 year old.  Parker on the other hand.. hasn't shown much interest at all.  We talk about the baby, she knows about the baby and will occasionally acknowledge the baby- but not like Jo.  Over the weekend we were laying together in 'mama's bed' taking a nap while daddy worked in the yard and she leaned over, laid her head on my chest and started to pat my belly.. calling the baby by her name.  I basically held my breathe in fear that breathing would end this sister sweetness I long for out of Parker.  Since then she has been talking NON stop about her.  Jolie and Parker together making their mother way emotional.

Miss Anything? I sort of thought for a half a second I would be totally fine in regular pants - you know, doing the whole hair tie trick, but um yea, thats a negative. So, while I thought I was missing my pre-pregnancy wardrobe.. I'm perfectly fine without for the next 11 weeks or so:) 

Cravings: FRUIT.  I grabbed a large carton of strawberries over the weekend, and its Wednesday.. and its all but gone.  I eat 1-2 apples every day, and yogurt/dairy at nearly every meal.  It is so interesting that I have fallen into the same habits I had while pregnant with the twins.

Symptoms:  I get winded really easily, it seems.  Bending over occasionally makes me light headed.  Third trimester exhaustion is here.  BUT - really, I don't have much to complain about at all.  Everything during this pregnancy has been pretty low maintenance all together and I appreciate that, baby girl.  

Looking forward to: Third Trimester!  We have arrived! These last weeks are pretty jam packed and I and really looking forward to all of it.  A handful of Ashley's closest friends and myself have been planning her baby shower for next weekend (9th) and I can't believe it is (almost) finally here!  So many emotions have flooded me thinking about the arrival of our babies within days of each other.. There is a real possibility that we will be in the hospital together with our new additions (we have the same doctor and will be delivering at the same hospital-eep!) and that literally brings tears to my eyes. I'm such a sap these days.

28 weeks / twins

Baby Girl

We went to visit the doctor this morning, and due to the nature of my amniotic fluid situation, we got to see her little face again this time. I love getting to check in on her and to learn of her stats - as far as health goes, she is superb with a heartbeat of 156bpm.  She is measuring large.. Dr. Walsh made a joke that her head and abdomen is now off the chart for gestational age.  That sounds about right.  Her mama + all her mama's brothers have a rather large head to begin with.  She is currently weighing in at a little over 3 pounds, putting her at 31 weeks based on her size alone.  

Thats two weeks further along than she actually is.. okay then.

There is zero indications as to why my amniotic fluid continues to rise, except simply because she is measuring larger than expected.  Bigger babies need more fluid to swim around in:) 

Typical range is 5-25, and I'm now measuring 29.  Two weeks ago I sat tightly at 24 for a month- a little high, but nothing to bat an eye at.  NOW, in two weeks, I have gained a lot of fluid and my belly shows and my body thinks I'm 33 weeks along.

Good gracious.  

I was instructed by Walsh to make an appointment with my perinatologist, just to take a second look at this baby girl and make sure Walsh isn't missing anything.  I go next week on Tuesday.

Other than that, baby girl is perfectly healthy and strong!  I'm okay with that.  It give me confidence that she is doing well, I just have to make sure I am taking care of myself well enough and watching for signs of preterm labor.  High amniotic fluid puts me at risk for rupture of the membrane (my water to break), and with my high risk history in pregnancy with the twins, my body is prepared for all that to happen.  So far, cervix looks long and closed (thank goodness), so the risk for that is low (for the time being), but there may come a time in this pregnancy that I will have to go on bed rest to keep her in until we are good and ready for her arrival.

I scheduled my C-Section date for Twelve noon on July 14th (39 weeks + 1 day) and registered at the hospital last night.. Its all getting so real!

Other updates..

I picked out bedding (finally) last weekend, and to think about all this coming together is WAY exciting to me! Going with very neutral + little pattern in the bedding, but really feminine.  

Linen, lace, rose, and ivory.

All good things after my appointment this week - praying this little girl will sit tight for another 11 weeks (eleven?!).. oh, and please don't be 10 pounds;) 

The Weekend + A Toddler Milestone

Friday started our weekend, just as it does every week- but with torrential down pouring of rain.. flooding many streets and our neighbor's front yard.  Thankfully, we were able to stay put for just a bit until the rain passed (just after nap time), and when it did I was clawing to get out of the house.  

While the littles napped, we decided to head out for dinner and to walk to mall after they woke, and thats just what we did.

When we got there, a little girl was going up the escalator with a Build a Bear in hand.  I mentioned causally to Jordan that there was in fact a BAB in this mall, and he looked brightly at me and said- "lets go find it!".

We have been talking for months about taking the leap to toss the paci for Parker, and trying to find time to make it 'special' for her and what in the world could we do?  We thought hard about it and decided (months ago) that we would have her build her own bear and put the paci (and wubby) inside.

Its amazing how many excuses one can have when actually making time to do the deed and follow through. 

So, Friday night, we jumped ship and said goodbye to the paci. 

One thing about Miss Parker Jane is that she is pretty much the tomboy of the two.

Doesn't care about dolls, dress up, or the accessories the way sweet Jo Grace does.  

Making a build a bear stole Jolie's heart back when she was 8 months old and she and Puppy have been inseparable since. 

Parker.  Well.  She participated, but wasn't as enthusiastic about it nearly like Jo was.   

She handed over her wubby and paci, no problem. 

We stuffed it in the bunny.

 Did the whole dog + pony show that Build a Bear has to offer.

 Bath time was next.. and while we were in the middle of the bunny's 'bath' she started asking.

"I want my Wubby back."

"Wubby, back."

"Take it out!"

When she realized that wubby and paci were 'stuck' in the bunny - she basically fell out into screaming tears in the middle of the shop.  Those poor women a BAB felt terrible.  And I felt terrible bringing them into such an event.

 Many, many, many stops, rolling of the (clean!?) mall floor, leaving store after store with a crying toddler asking for her Wubby we finally decided to head over to dinner and attempt to keep her mind weary of the wubby-paci situation.

She sat with the bunny, but honestly didnt care much for him at all.

 Jolie eyeballed that bunny from the moment we got him. She was into it and wanted nothing but to get her hands on him to add him to her collation of stuffed animals/dolls/pillows on her bed.

Just one more thing for her to sleep with at night.

I adore this child.

 After zero tears through dinner, we decided to make a trip to get ice cream before calling it a night.

I love these kinds of outings with my family.  

 Especially when it ends with a sticky mess:)

When we go home she continued to ask about Wubby (not paci) and I started thinking over in my head the last 2 years of her having that Wubby and the more I thought, the more I was heartbroken over the fact we took away her 'lovie'.  It would be like taking away Puppy from Jolie!  With tears in my eyes I told Jordan to pull Wubby out of that bunny.  I don't care about the paci, just get that little monkey out of there. Initially, we both thought that wubby and paci could not be two separate things, so getting rid of the paci meant getting rid of wubby, too.

The look on Parker's face when she realized what her daddy was getting out of the bunny was priceless.  I can't even describe the excitement (like trembling excitement, ya'll) coming out of that little girl's mouth.

She requested her paci once before bed and I explained that paci was in the trash.  I stopped talking about the bunny and went straight for the 'trash' talk. 

"Paci is broken, love bug"

"Paci had to go in the trash.."

End of story.  She laid right down in bed with her Wubby and went to sleep.

Night ONE + TWO + THREE have been a major success with this girl and no paci.  Zero tears or requests during the day or at night.. but truth be told being in the car is another story.  For the last 8-9 months we've only allowed her to have her paci in the car, at nap, and at bedtime.  Surprisingly enough, nap and bed have been a cake walk - the car however has been sort of a battle.

I'll keep you posted with how all this pans out..

SATURDAY

Mama got up and got herself ready for lunch and pedicures with a handful of girlfriends, while daddy took his daughters out for breakfast and a few errands while mama was away.

By breakfast he meant donuts, and he had one very envious preggo at home as the pictures came rolling in of the shenanigans at the breakfast table.

 Girl be serious about her donuts.

 Saturday night we headed over to celebrate a family birthday for Nana's 80th (Auntie's g'ma).  Tons of out of town guests were there to celebrate her this entire weekend, and I was so grateful to be apart on Saturday night. 

The girls were the star of the show.. and I cant believe I didn't snap a single picture.

SUNDAY

Bed was LATE, so we slept in and went down for an early nap on Sunday afternoon.

Naps on Sundays are always better than any other day of the week, am I right?  

We three fell asleep in bed watching Mickey Mouse, and I could hardly handle the sweet cuddles.

 Just as I took one.more.picture. daddy came by with the mower right up against our bedroom window and Jolie rolled over to show me that she was awake.

whoops.

 Outside we went to play the afternoon away. 

Sitting here on Monday after a weekend like that makes me not wish this week to start - but, starting yet another week means we are one more day closer to another weekend.

Heres to Monday.  Day 4 with no paci. 

+ 28 weeks.

Hope you all had a great weekend! XO!

A Dietitian's Pregnancy Food Journal

If bare bellies bother you.. well, too late:)  

But really, can you see her little bootie (hint: she's hanging out to the left of my belly button)?  She is notorious for making herself known these days and loves to stick her little body parts out for all to see/feel.  She's got her work cut out for her when she arrives this summer.

After my OB appointment last week, I decided to start journalling my food intake/meal times.  I preach up and down the benefits of journalling for weight loss + maintenance - but never thought about it doing good in healthy weight gain in pregnancy, just to simply make sure you are taking in enough for both you and the baby. 

One thing I realized is that I have been eating a lot of the same foods.  Mainly because whatever it is is easy, convenient, and thats what sounds the best to my belly at the moment. 

Something that has been on the forefront of my mind has been every sammie variety known to man,  and therefore I've been eating a TON of Subway.  Traveling for work these last several weeks and eating out - I mostly stopped in for a footlong on my way to the hotel to chow down on while lounging in the king size bed all to myself.  

Since being home.. I have been able to control what I'm eating much easier, allowing me to get in some solid wholesome meals and snacks. 

No better place to start than breakfast, right?

B R E A K F A S T

Oatmeal + Ground Flax + Peanut Butter

my go to breakfast about 4 of the 7 days a week.  Other times I'm eating yogurt + fruit or almond butter toast + banana.  The toast in the morning has been giving me heartburn, so that has been more for something I eat in the afternoon (snack). 

I usually have 1 or 2 cups of decaf coffee and 3 tablespoons of creamer in each cup + 18-20 ounces of water 

 L U N C H

Lunch is boring.. really.boring.

I am good for either one of three things:

 1.) a sandwich (duh) 

2.) leftovers (if they haven't completely grossed me out)

3.) the veggie/protein bowl (pictured)

4 ounces deli rotisserie chicken (heated in the microwave) + Mediterranean Quinoa + Steamed Broccoli + 1/4 cup (pasteurized) feta cheese

I found these single serve packs of quinoa blends by Archer Farms at Target and they have changed my life!  The Mediterranean and the Moroccan are my favorites.

I drink about 28 ounce of water + 1 Diet Coke at lunch

I think about this Diet Coke all day.. it is like my special treat!  

No harm to me or my babe for drinking a good ol' DC.  

 Occasionally I'll head out for lunch with a handful of my co-workers- so nice to get out of the office here and there!

Chipotle Bowl (barbacoa, double meat + pinot beans + fajita veggies + salsa + sour cream + guacamole + lettuce + cheese)

I skip out on the rice because rice and pasta make me SO full these days. 

 S N A C K S 

Snacks are pretty habitual for this dietitian. 

Greek Yogurt. Fruit. Greek Yogurt. Luna Bar. Greek Yogurt. Cereal..

water.water.water.  

See a pattern?  One thing I do focus on (and this is general nutrition, but also beneficial for my fellow PCOS'ers) is always always always pairing a protein + carb.  Carbohydrates are our body's number one fuel source for energy, so it gets used up really quickly (mostly by our brain) and we end up feeling hungry sooner than we should.  Eat an apple by itself and I'm hungry in a half hour. Add in some nut butter or cheese and that snack carries me over much further to my next meal time.  

Why?

Protein slows digestion and keeps that food fueling your body rather than the quick intake of glucose (carbohydrate) acts on its own.

Your biochemistry lesson for the day:)

One of my favorite 'treats' (aside from the Diet Coke, ya'll) is reduced fat chocolate milk

High protein, low sugar, low saturated fat - and oh-so delicious!

 Steel City Pops sets out on their Pop Trail every Wednesday.. so when your place of work is on the Trail and among this week's flavor options is Blood Orange, you play your part and pick up two.

the honeycrisp - pregnancy talk at its finest.

Add an ounce or two of swiss cheese and call it a snack.

 Becoming one of my favorite things to eat after I come home from work in the afternoons:

whole grain toast + peanut butter + 1/2 banana + berries

 D I N N E R 

Dinner is whatever we make of it.  After many weeks of this pregnancy passing by with 'wasted' ingredients in the fridge because I didn't have the energy to cook, we decided that me planning just one or two meals a week was the smart way to go (hence my lack of weekly meal plan posts)

I love using my crock pot, throwing together a yummy casserole or grilling chicken to go on top of a great big salad.

A couple dinner meals from this last week:

Mexican Chicken Casserole + 1/2 avocado + 1 tablespoon nonfat Greek yogurt

 toasted naan flatbread + chopped kale + chopped romaine + grilled chicken +  bbq ranch dressing

(dressing: lowfat ranch dressing, bbq sauce, apple cider vinegar)

More of our (healthy) family dinner ideas HERE

So, there we have it.  My eating habits are relatively close to the same everyday - but I don't count calories or protein the way I did while pregnant with Parker and Jolie. 

In general, pregnant (with a singleton) women need between 2,200 calories and 2,900 calories a day. A gradual increase of calories as the baby grows is the best bet to remain healthy for mom and baby.  The first trimester does not require any extra calories.  During the second trimester an additional 340 calories a day are recommended.  For the  third trimester the recommendation is 450 calories more a day than when you are not pregnant.

WATER: I have a 20 ounce water bottle that I fill multiple times a day - counted three times between breakfast and lunch and three times during the afternoon.  I usually stop drinking after dinner in fear that I'll be awake way too many times during the night for trips to the potty.  I completely relate my relatively heavy water intake to any lack of swelling.

I hope this was helpful!  Feel free to email or comment with any questions you might have:)

27 Weeks

banner / little dovie 

scarf // loft (old)

tee // a pea in the pod

denim shirt // loft (similar) 

jeans  c/o motherhood maternity 

How far along? 27 weeks 

Total weight gain: 15 pounds

Maternity clothes? While I am most comfortable in yoga pants and tee shirts, most of said tee shirts are becoming quite short.  Showing off the underbelly is all the rage in the confinements of the four walls I call home.  I've been browsing pinterest for non-maternity style/fashion to sort of twerk my brain on ways to expand the maternity wardrobe (see photo above) I feel like I've been through and back already. While we all wish we looked like her, I am feeling rather whale-ish in everything I put on.  With warm weather in sight, I have collected more maxi dresses this go round of pregnancy - I am loving these: here, here, + here.  It has been pretty warm this week in Texas - and I'm thankful to have another option aside from shorts to wear this summer.  

Sleep: Its all good.  I have been getting really tired in the evenings - ready for bed before 8pm!  Finding a comfortable position has been interesting.  The all too familiar attempt to roll from one side to the other with this heavy belly in flooding back.  Especially when one has a full bladder at 2am and really can bring herself to get up to go.. 

Best moment this week: Anytime I feel her move - it is the best.  She's been flip flopping a lot- she was head down at my appointment last week, but I am pretty sure she made a complete flip back to breech over the weekend.  I can actually feel baby when I touch my belly- her little bootie sticks out more often than anything - it is almost like a special bond I get with her in that moment to feel her with my hand on the outside of my belly.  Favorite.

Miss Anything? Nah.  I got excited for new nail polish and came home after getting it with grand plans to paint my toes during nap time, but sadly, painting my toes proved to be a feat in and of itself.. I really need a pedicure (hello, sandal season!).  Maybe I can convince Jordan to paint my toes for me.  Maybe?  Bueller?

Cravings: Still loving sandwiches (subway cravings start at 8am), carbonated anything, peanut butter toast (only in the afternoon.. something about eating that in the morning gives me heartburn these days), yogurt (3-4 times a day), fruit (we go through strawberries, apples, and bananas like water), crunchy ice, Starbucks fruit teas.

Symptoms: I've noticed that I get heartburn a lot easier these days.  Water is a crazy culprit, believe it or not.  I have to be careful to drink slowly.. and actually ice does me better.  I didn't deal with it in twin pregnancy (weird), but with this one baby she is giving me all kinds of crazy pregnancy dealings.  Heartburn- I do not like you.  

Looking forward to: I had a conversation yesterday with a sweet friend about the arrival of her first - the books she was buying, the classes she was taking, and the necessities she thought she needed while she was preparing for all of this 'newness' and uncharted territory yet to come.  Jordan and I were chatting last night about the differences in expectations of this pregnancy versus the arrival of Parker and Jolie. I/we kind of know what to expect with this little sister's birth- the processes and what the 'plan is'- and with Parker and Jolie there was so much unknown I forgot about the excitement there was to be had about the actual arrival of my first (and second) babies.  I think about the day I will meet her multiple times a day.  The little details of her face, her tiny feet, and the smell of her baby head.  As I approach my last trimester, all this is becoming more real that I get to experience the most amazing feeling I have ever experienced in my entire life- becoming a mom, again.  So, so lucky.  I cannot wait!

27 weeks / twins

Jolie's Journey | Torticollis Update

Read about Jolie's Journey from the start HERE

I recently had some questions asked about Jolie's torticollis and realized that after I shared our 'journey', if you will, with Jolie from months two to ten, I never gave an update as to how it all has come together, what steps we took to continue to work through this disorder she was born with and how its been since she was called 'cured'.  

A picture popped up on my TimeHop feed last week, and I shared it with my sweet friend Sarah, and while we both reminisced about them being so teeny the one thing we noticed pretty quickly was that baby's tilted neck, hiked shoulder, and very apparent struggle with torticollis.   

If you have followed this blog for some time, you know of our PT visits, the TOT collar, and the process that it was to overcome that tight neck of her's - but its clear now that she's got zero issues whatsoever, and her daddy and me are ever so grateful.  

We started at 2 months with PT for Jolie and went consistently until she was 10 months.

Can we just talk about how LITTLE she was?  This was her very first visit to therapy.  

Time goes so quick.  I tried my best not to blink.

We made it through 8 months of bi-weekly, weekly, bi-monthly.. and then finally monthly trips to physical therapy when we were released after her final visit.  At that time she was 'cured' but remained with a pretty pronounced tilt, especially when she was tired, upset, or sleeping in her carseat.  She would revert back to her comfort level and often times hike her shoulder up to compensate for the tilt she continued to have.  At this point (10 months old) we were still stretching her many times a day, and continued to do the exercises we learned in PT, but she wasn't ever very tight anymore (the first stretch in the morning was usually pretty tight, but the rest of the day she was fairly flexible) and the tilt was more of a habit than lack of mobility. We asked about options for correcting the tilt, and our PT talked about the 'tot collar'.

10 months // hiked shoulder + head tilt  

While our amazing therapist did everything she could to assist us, the eager parents, in educating ourselves and working with Jolie on a routine basis, she explained there want much left she could do with her in therapy or we could do with stretching to correct the tilt- and it might just be a 'Jolie thing'.  We understood, but we were not okay with her having a tilt for the rest of her life (surgery will not fix it.. for Jolie is was a habit and laziness because she was 100% mobile and her range of motion was excellent), so we ordered the tot collar when she was 10 months old.  

To be completely honest- I was VERY against the tot collar.  I was tired of appointments, stretching  exercises and worrying about her lack of desire to hold her head up straight.  I was tired of messing with a sleeping Jolie - arranging her so that the way she laid in her crib or slept in her carseat didn't exacerbate the tort more than it already was.

I was done with all of it.  

I think we were both exhausted from dealing with it. But, Jordan persisted after reading and reading and learning more about the effects of long-term, untreated tilt/torticollis - we were not going to let this slide by as a 'Jolie thing'  

10 months // hiked shoulder

10 months // side slouch + hiked shoulder

We started the tot collar at 10 months wearing it 5-6 times a day for 30-45 minutes at a time.  Some friends and family were confused as to how often she was to wear the collar - and it isn't at all like a helmet, and we could put it on as often or as little as we like.  She usually wore it while we were at home - but occasionally if we were out running errands we would always have it with us.  

We did continue to stretch her about once a day in the morning just after she woke when she was the most tight.  After her first year we didn't feel the need to stretch her at all, but continued therapy with the tot collar several times a day.

After 4 months of consistent wear, we finally decided it was time to move on from the collar.

This picture remains one of my proudest moments.  It may seem so silly, but for the entire year we worked with her there were so many says when I thought we were seeing results and progress and out work with Jolie's tort was paying off.. and then she'd revert, regress, and fall into her habits of tilting her neck.  The moment I realized what I was looking at in this picture- I sent it to Jo's therapist with proud mom words of thanks for all her help.

NOW, nearly a year to the day of her last wear of the tot collar, we have zero issues with tort or struggle with a tilt at all whatsoever.  Jordan and I truly believe that the tot collar resolved the issue of the tilt completely and we are really glad we opted for her to wear it.  The collar isn't something you have to get through your doctor or physical therapist, but if you are interested in using something like this, I would 100% recommended having fitted at the PT or chiropractor's office.  It can be really confusing if you don't know what you are looking at or how to fit it.. I remember opening the box and looking hard with a ruffled brow at the tubing and straps- but after we took it to our physical therapist's office and she fit it to Jolie's neck it all came together for me.

While this tilt we battled is common and most often associated with torticollis, it is correctable, without surgery, and completely non-invasive.  

The tot collar is optional and not a required thing (like the helmet), but I would seriously suggest and recommend the tot collar if you are going through an experience similar and have questions.  After being left with little option for Jolie after her release from therapy with this continued shoulder hike and tilt to her weak side, I don't think it is something that a toddler will grow out of, but that's just my opinion:)  

So thankful for this little girl.  She has been a soldier from day one in the womb, and I am proud to say, once again, we have overcome.

Texas Blues

It is amazing how much change there can be in just one year's time.  Looking back to the pictures we snapped last year when the girls were just a couple month's past their first birthday, well, comparably they look like teenagers in these pictures.  It has been super wet/rainy and not optimal for picture taking in a random roadside field - but I was determined to carry on our bluebonnet tradition that started last year.  

Driving to a birthday party last weekend we passed a small patch of bluebonnets that was just right up the street from our neighborhood.  It was small- but it was FULL.  I was so overly excited that it wasn't 'too late' and they hadn't all been trampled.  With a busy week ahead, we made plans for Saturday morning after breakfast to take the short trip up the road to get into that field.  

 They didn't hate it - and were actually having fun playing out in the beauty of the weather that was Saturday.  Jolie was pretty freaked out by the flowers last year, and this year tolerated them well. 

This picture makes me laugh.. only because I feel like I am looking to the future of picture taking the twins.  

If thats not a 'sister pose' if you ever did see one..

Do bluebonnets have a smell?  The girls took  their time to take a whiff or two here and their as they ran through the flowers.

 Parker looks like a giant in this picture - but I can assure you that just about 2 inches and a pound or two doesn't fit the image at all.  Sweet Jo Grace is really petite, but standing next to her sister (who is standing closer to me and on higher ground) she looks extra teeny.

 ..and I'll leave you with a pouting Jolie for a few giggles.  This girl and her accessories.  I made her leave the sunglasses in the car and it was devastating to the toddler heart - clearly.

NEXT year the littlest sister will find her place right there in between - so crazy to think..

But I just can't wait!

headwraps // shelby chic boutique (parker) + s.a.k. threads (jolie)

overalls // old navy

crop bubble tops // s.a.k.threads

moccasins // hello moccs

Bluebonnets 2014