baker bree | 13 months

thirteen months old, today!! I feel like we just celebrated her birthday- like last weekend!! 

she's growing like a weed.. her baby thighs are thinning out a teensy bit, but oh thank heavens for her belly.  THAT BELLY is out of control.  

 

 on the move and constantly having some place to be or go or see.  

climbing up and down off the couch and then on the couch.. and then off again. moving herself around as she pleases.  the personality spewing from this little girls face and demeanor is absolutely hilarious and kinda frightening.  terrifying actually.  she is already sassing everyone around her until she gets what she wants when she wants it. 

I cant imagine where she picked that up from.

I mean.. exhibit A:

Baker Bree

continues to be the sweetest little girl on the planet.

..her demeanor is beyond anything I can describe in words.

..she loves loves loves her baby dolls.  

..the light up of her face when you hand her the baby is like outrageously cute.

LOVES her paci.  

..she isn't ready to get out of her crib in the morning or after nap until she has managed to fit 6+ in her tiny hands.

..points and squeaks towards things she desires or needs.

 grunts at the pantry or fridge if she wants a drink or snack, and she especially loves to tell you that she wants to go outside.

she is so patient, so sweet, so gentle.

..and then she'll slap you square in the nose.

..all while she laughs until tears are running down her face.

she only does this to me.  

..never her dad. 

Baker girl sleeps 12-14 hours a night.

..naps like a champ {one 3-hour nap in the morning and occasionally another 1-2hrs in the afternoon}.

..and become quite the chubby bunny when it comes to food.

 ..guarantee a clean plate anytime grilled chicken, macaroni, strawberries and raspberries, & waffles are served.

..particularly piggy when she eats guacamole, yogurt, or peanut butter. 

..will choose the veggies or fruit on her plate before touching the meat.

..unless its chicken or a turkey meatball.  

currently cutting her fifth and sixth tooth. 

..but you wouldn't even know it, unless its 2am and she's screaming her head off. 

she loves to be outside. 

..she would stay outside for the day's entirety if I allowed it.

she also loves loves loves to dance.  

..she shakes her little bootie at any sign or sound of music or a beat.  

I cant even explain how hilarious her dancing is.. 

..its like the deepest/lowest squat and then back up. squat and pop.  squat and pop.   

I'm telling you.  nut job. 

over this last month she has started to independently play along with her sisters and having every movement monitored by me or her daddy isn't a complete necessity.

she has become so attached to those big sister girls.  

..she comes running to sounds of one of them crying and will do anything to attend to them in their time of need.

..and {again} in the same moment steal every toy they are playing with in sight and take off running.

I think she loves to hear the big girls loose their minds in frustration. 

..when I find her to retrieve the stolen toys, she's got the biggest grin on her face.

she knows what she's doing.

she has a serious 'tude at times..

..its hilarious and cute now, but I am actually terrified for what the next year will bring.

purses, scarves, bracelets, and necklaces..

..just a few of her favorite things.

Her laugh is absolutely contagious.

..her smile is super cheese-y.

..puts perfection to shame with her ridiculous crazy curly hair.

..and her eyes are the most beautiful in the sunlight.

I.am.so.smitten. with you Baker girl.

mama picks | video monitor upgrade

its been long overdue that we upgrade to a new monitor.  we bought one.. or maybe it was a shower gift, but we got one with two cameras for when the twins were born and just decided to use the same one for Baker when she arrived.  we didn't splurge on anything as far as baby gear goes for Baker, except a highchair.  everything else, right down to her infant car seat, has been hand-me-down from the twins.  

it worked just fine- ran out battery a little faster than it probably should have, and the touch screen still worked even though it was shattered after I dropped it on the kitchen floor trying to carry it and a load of laundry from one room to the next.. but it worked.  the twins, at three and half, don't necessarily need the monitor on them while they sleep anymore, and their room is literally three steps outside of our master bedroom, so I am not too worried about keeping up with that, but Baker for sure has a couple more years and for our future baby number four (not pregnant) we have talked about definitely getting another monitor. 

I was browsing through a friend's baby registry recently and noticed she had the Levana digital monitor on her list.. I hadn't heard of this brand before!  which was no surprise because so much has changed in just the few short years we have been buying baby items/products/stuff.  literally, a couple days later I got an email about trying Levana's newest model, the Alexa.

well.  DUH! but it was so random and like they knew I was browsing:) right out of the box I was PUMPED about the 5" screen.  I am used to a much smaller screen, so this was like the biggest plus to me.  this monitor also doesn't have a base, it plugs into a USB cord, so its easier to move around for charging.  most of the time it stays on my nightstand to charge, but I've moved it to the kitchen before and the playroom.  you can even charge from your laptop or any USB outlets you already have- no special cord or base, but it does come with a charging cable. even with that being said, the 12 hour battery life allows me to have some time in between when I don't need to have it charging.  when the battery is low it alerts you by beeping.. which I found out around 2am one night.  all this beeping, I was so confused as to what was happening! but it allowed me to plug in the monitor and keep the video on Baker without waking up to a blank screen the next morning!

other good things.. 

 temperature sensors 

feeding/nap timers 

real-time clock 

..and the reviews are awesome!  

this particular model is brand new, and slightly cheaper than other versions of their monitors.  the camera is stationary but has a wedge so it allows me to move it in different angles to be able to fully see Baker's entire crib.  the camera is placed really high up, but I can see even the little details of her face because of the high resolution of the LCD digital screen.  our other camera was placed right below the 'Baker' sign and I got the same view, but in lower resolution.     

most importantly, I can add up to four cameras to this monitor. so, if I wanted another one for the big girls' room, I could, and especially for eventually when another baby comes we can see both Baker and the newbie.  when we add another camera I will have to update how utilizing this monitor is with two cameras vs one.  

I'm so glad I got the opportunity to try this monitor!  

with the market inundated with options, this is one I am confident about.

weekend in pictures

another summer weekend is behind us and I have about a bazillion pictures to prove it.  

anyone else feel like life is in hyper speed?  the weeks are coming and going in a blink of an eye.. I've been working a lot lately, covering vacation for a couple of the RD's at the hospital, so I have been there everyday for the last couple weeks.  although it feels like the weeks are dragging by, it is literally Friday before I know it. lets start there.. 

friday.

Jordan was at the station on Friday and my inlaws went out of town for the weekend, leaving me to find a sitter for my last day of the work week.. and when your favorite and only sitter that you trust to leave all three banshees with for longer than a couple hours leaves to go back to school (how is it already that time, again!?) you call on a good friend to take care of your babies for the day (thanks a mil, Andrea!).

when you get pictures while you are gone, of my kids naked and playing in the backyard.. its like I'm right there with them, you know? they had the best day!

 after Andrea left, I laid Baker down for her afternoon nap, and me and the big girls snuggled in bed for an hour to watch a movie.  most days they don't nap, but on the days they do, they nap hard.  after such a busy day of playing they fell right to sleep.

nose to nose.

 I had to wake Baker up from her nap so that she would hopefully go back to sleep in just a couple hours.  I can see Baker's top incisor teeth popping through, so its been a lot of this + tylenol + snuggles.  I am fairly certain I have this exact picture of the twins at this age.  

dinner! when daddy isn't home, I break all the rules.

 saturday. 

we met some friends for lunch at our favorite Mexican food place and then had made plans to splash afterward.  Baker + Jolie LOVE the splash pad.  Parker doesn't actually care that much for it, until its time for us to leave.. we played hard for about an hour after lunch and then packed up and headed home for a bubble bath and a late nap.

 sunday.

Jordan was back at the fire station covering a shift for another guy, so it was just me and the girls again. I had plans to make it to the grocery store and run a couple errands before the week started, and then Baker slept in until well past 9am for the second day in a row, so we decided that being lazy was way more fun that making the effort to go out of the house.  so we stuck around the house in our jammies for the day and did absolutely anything we wanted while nothing at all.

sticker dress up dolls + a handful of movies + popsicles + naps + snacks..

and a whirlpool bath of every toy imaginable.  I texted Jordan a picture of the girls in the bath for the second time in one weekend.. record breaking, ya'll. 

its Monday! and pouring my second cup of coffee before 7am.

five on friday | nordstrom sale picks for mama

its down to the last weekend before my favorite sale of the year ends!  with the fall season on it's way I picked up some really cute stuff this year.  I LOVE leggings and wear them basically everyday throughout the fall and winter months.  layering them with dresses and tunics.. big bulky cardigans or  a vest and then finishing my outfit with a wedge bootie or riding boot.  I have like five different pairs of wedge booties, and I just cant stop.  I read somewhere last fall that the wedge heel was 'out' and I was in literal distress over it in fear I could never buy a wedge heel again.

slight overreaction. 

here are my mama favorites from this year's sale!  

1. pants

2. tops

3. dresses + tunics

4. shoes

5. accessories

happy Friday and cheers to hiding the shopping bags + receipts from the hubby:)

beauty faves | minimalist makeup routine

while that little collage of my favorite beauty products is b u s y up there, really this is the simplest make routine I have found myself in since.. well ever.  when the twins were really young I still made time for getting myself ready and out the door- I was late about half the time, but I was pretty put together for the most part. when Baker was born, and actually this started when I was pregnant and exhausted, it was a success for me to have just been able to fix my hair.. not even wash it, just get it out of the hair-tie mess on top of my head, let alone put on makeup!  I was busy getting myself and three kids ready for whatever and I was always last on my list for being completely put together.  I cant tell you how many times I have gone to church/dinner/work without makeup on or my hair in a topknot from the night before.  this is coming from a former "I cant go anywhere without having full face makeup and hair washed and dried ".  finally I have fallen into a routine that has me looking put together well enough and it takes me probably just about 15-20 minutes to get myself ready.
the base
I start with lotion containing SPF (I use R+F for my skin care) and then layer with benefit porefessional.  I got this as a sample- and they always get me.  after running out of the tiny bottle I immediately got myself a full size tube.  I follow this primer with tarte full coverage foundation.  I've used this foundation for a couple years and I really love it.  I'm not picky about my foundation makeup really, but I have to find one that doesn't clog my pores and actually lasts as long as it says it will.  lastly, I finish off my base look with concealer.. and another sample product I received.  I swear they know what they are doing when they hand out those tiny little samples..benefit fake up quickly has become my favorite concealer. this one boasts a crease-free formula, and it follows through with that claim with flying colors!
the brows
I've mentioned my new found love for the benefit eyebrow system, and if I don't do anything else aside from my base makeup- I always do my brows.  I never EVER messed with them before- mainly because I was clueless and a little intimidated as to how to achieve a more full look. I start with the gimme brow; brushing evenly over my brows.  I then line just under my brow line with the high brow pencil (I love this stuff!) and set my brows by brushing on the ready, set, brow setting gel. EASY and takes about 5 minutes or less.  serious.
the eyes
while we are talking about eyes.. kind of.. I can mention my go-to eye shadows.  I am a lover of MAC and urban decay- but LOVE L'Oreal's infallible eye shadow. I wear this shadow in Amber Rush almost everyday.  If I am not wear this, I've got urban decay snatch or sellout on my eyes.  since I have lashes, I don't wear mascara very often unless we are going out or taking pictures or I need a fill really bad:)  when I do wear mascara it has to be oil free as to not affect the lash glue, and so I use benefit BADgal lash. 
the blush
I finish my look with my FAVORITE blush ever- urban decay afterglow.  I wear this blush in fetish- which is a warm coral color.  I always gravitate to the warmer colors for my olive skin.  they have a huge array of colors in these, so you can definitely find any color that you love!
the brush
I'm kind of a snob when it comes to my makeup brushes.  I have used the cheap ones.. and the brush hairs gets all in my makeup and stick to my face because they so easily fall out.  I make a splurge on new makeup brushes about once a year (hello, they are the perfect stocking stuffer!) and MAC is always my go-to for brushes. the three main types I use.. a powder blush brush, and foundation brush, and my favorite and super tiny angle brush. I shop at utla A LOT, and I found a great brush cleanser by IT cosmetics that I use about once a week.  it doesn't take much and the bottle lasts forever.  I haven't tried this DIY recipe, but my favorite beauty blogger has a super easy tutorial to DIY your own brush cleanser HERE.  after you read that.. google her youtube tutorial on how to tease your hair.  it will change your life.
lips
at any given time I have about 4-5 glosses in my bag. I love lipgloss- and I have a lot and tried a lot.  my favorite right now?  buxom full-on lip polish.  I wear dolly (a mauve color) most often and for a little more color I wear Isabella, which is more of a plum color.


there we have it! easy and quick and with super minimal effort-  all good things in one sentence.  any quick beauty tips you got for me, I am all ears!

choosing the right carseat | with baby cubby

we are definitely in a stage of transition when it comes to carseats.  we made the big switch from infant carrier to convertible carseat when the twins were about 14 months old, and while Baker still fits comfortably in her carrier (we have the Chicco Keyfit 30; same seat we used for the twins) it wont be long before we are ready to make the switch.  the big girls have been in the Britax Marathon for the last two years and are really starting to get tight in them- it is definitely time to make the switch from the convertible seat to the 5-point harness to booster seat. we had plans to make the switch for the twins and then let Baker use one of their convertible seats (carseats have a 6 year expiration date), just like we did with the infant carseat, but their seats are pretty worn.

they've been covered in goldfish, cheerios, french fries, m&m's..

they've been puked in.

they've been peed in.

they've been slept in and they've been drooled on.

..and spilled on by everything from chocolate milk to watermelon slushy.

..and in turn through the wash about 1400 times, no less. 

Baker needs a new one.  for sure.

but where do I start?!  at first thought I really wanted to go with what I know and stick to the Britax.  but the options and styles and designs that have changed over the last couple years is impressive and I am so unsure where to start!  I've heard amazing things about the Nuna RAVA, and I'm always faithful to Chicco because I have used several components of that brand and have been really pleased every time .. and the Maxi Cosi is new to me, but hello - it looks like my baby is sitting in a cloud! plus the reviews on that one is 5 stars all the way. 

outside of how a seat looks + feels, does the seat fit my chid comfortably?  height and weight limits go up pretty significantly with the transition to the convertible car seat, which makes it easier to spend a little more for quality because your babe will be spending a lot of time strapped into these things! and does it fit into my car? we have a third row bench in my car (I drive a GMC Acadia) and captain chairs in the second row.  so, while the big sisters are in the way back, Baker sits in one of the captain chairs.  rear facing a convertible seat in this row gives me more leeway and space; especially because the captain chairs move forward and backward.  I know not all cars have this capability, which is why its important to measure ever possible scenario.  because while that carseat looks amazing with all the bells and whistles, does it even fit?!  you do want to drive the car, right?  for this reason we put the carseat behind the passenger side because Jordan isn't a small guy and he would prefer not to drive with his knees in the dash.

choosing the right car seat when the market is inundated with baby gear can be stressful.  I was introduced to baby cubby's car seat guide  and it was SO helpful!  after browsing a little further to see what baby cubby was all about, I was pretty impressed and kind of relieved to see these recommendations coming from professionals and parents passionate about encouraging, inspiring, and reminding parents how amazing they are and how important their role is.  they have made shopping for the best and safest baby gear fun rather than stressful.

AND!

they price match everyday. 

(even amazon)

how many times have I been standing in the check out line trying to convince someone to help a mother out and price match that highchair.. stroller.. pack and play.. 

in fact.. I was reading one of my favorite style and sale blogs and she posted about amazon's amazing deal on the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 convertible seat.  WELL.  baby cubby already price matched it.

Whats even better?  Use code themasseyspot10 for an extra 10% off your order!  I don't know about you, but obligatory purchases with heavy price points like these, I am always looking for a deal!  and $20-$40 off helps a TON!  which makes that Maxi Cosi seat a steal of a deal.. and I might have just used my own discount code- ha! 

now.  you go do the same. 

thank you to baby cubby to their support in helping make my shopping experience amazing! you can read a little bit more about what they are passionate about and why they do what they do on their about us page here - HERE

photo every hour | saturday

8am // because Jordan let me sleep in.

any one else attest to dreaming about their first cup of coffee as they drift off to sleep at night?  

 9am // the first breakfast before their real breakfast: cheerios + chocolate milk + bubble guppies.

 10am // real breakfast on the patio.

 11am // nap time for the littlest sister.

 12pm // lunch + little people.  the big girls play with Baker's toys more than Baker.

 1pm // lunch time for mama: black bean hummus + blackened chicken breast + cherry tomatoes

 2pm // big girls are down for the count! while everyone naps at the same time (I've got like an hour)..I wash my hair!

 3pm // picking out our blue apron meals for next week!

4pm // twinning with the tiny one.

 5pm // baby Cornelius is a B O Y!  Cohen Elliott, we cant wait to meet you!

 6pm // the only way to eat a bundtini cupcake

 7pm // one down.  two more to go.

 8pm // snuggles with my bigs.

 9pm // postponing bedtime as long as they can..

 10am // babes in bed: redbox movie + my version of dessert: popcorn + extra butter!

 11pm // sweet dreams baby girl.. my monitor- cracked/shattered screen and all, might be in its last days.