My first day back // A weekend in review

Well, today was my first day back to work. It wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined. I was sad to be away from home but my coworkers are all super sweet and made me realize why I love my job. I am glad, however, to have tomorrow off work to spend the day with my babies. We will have so much fun! Kyle sent me pictures of the kids while I was at work and my favorite was this one of Miss Ridley. Apparently she loved holding her Sophie all day long! 

This weekend was a lot of fun even though it flew by, like always. On Saturday we had a play date with Lachlan and Ridley's friends. They each had a friend that was their age. The big boys didn't get along very well the whole time but the babies loved being together! They are so cute. 

On Sunday Kyle took Lachlan to play at the splash park while my mom, Ridley and I went to the outlet mall. I have officially finished Rid's 0-3 month wardrobe thanks to some awesome sales at Carter's. I also got an adorable wallet from Coach and some new work clothes. We also found some cute new headbands for Rid, which she loved modeling. 

We finished off the weekend by relaxing at home while it stormed. I am really looking forward to this weekend because we are going to try to head to the dunes for some sun and sand as long as the weather is nice. 

Quick Update // Mommy Guilt

Well guys, it has been while since I have stopped in here to say hello. As of late, we have been enjoying the little time I have left on maternity leave as a family. We made a trip down to Nashville to spend time with Kyle's family and it was a nice little getaway. I head back to work this Monday and to say that I am dreading it is a serious understatement. I am thankful to have a job and to be working in banking which is truly something I love but the thought of leaving my babies each day is almost too much. Right now, I am feeling serious mommy guilt. I know that things will be fine here because my husband is going to part time so he will be home with the kids most days and I will be off on Tuesdays so that gives me am extra day home...regardless, leaving them all day is the last thing I want to do. On a happier note, we are almost ready to transition miss Ridley into 0-3 month clothes which is super exciting!

So for now, here's to the weekends and be on the lookout for new posts as I am currently brainstorming new topics! :) Also, enjoy a quick "photo dump" of my favorite people...

Ridley Eloise - Two Month Update

Miss Ridley officially turned two months old as of yesterday! It seems impossible that she can be growing so fast. She is doing new things every single day and continues to amaze us! 

Ridley is still a little nugget weighing in at just 8 lb 1 oz and at 20 3/4 in long. She is still below the fifth percentile for height and weight but she is growing at a really good rate so we are happy. She is still wearing newborn size diapers and is now able to wear pretty much all her newborn size clothes. We just try to stick with outfits that get reviews of running small. ;) Her tiny little feet are still too small for size 0 shoes but I am anxiously awaiting the day she can fit into her little baby sandals! 

                

She is taking 3 ounces of formula at each feeding. She actually takes a little bit less than that overnight so we are thinking it won't be long until she will want to sleep much longer stretches without waking up to eat. She actually does sleep pretty well and on most nights will sleep from 10:30 or 11:00 PM until 3:30 AM so I can't complain about that! 

She actually got her first cold last week and we were really worried about her. She picked up a virus that her brother had gotten Easter weekend but she was barely eating and with her small feeding amounts we really can't have her eating any less. She was having a hard time breathing so we took her in for a visit with her pediatrician. We were on the verge of being admitted due to her becoming dehydrated and her oxygen levels below 100% but she decided that it would be best to support Ridley at home to keep her away from the germs in the hospital. I ended up staying up most of the nights with her to make sure that she was breathing fine and suctioning out her nose. Thankfully now she is back to normal and eating fine...I'm praying she doesn't get sick again anytime soon! 

                  

Over the last couples weeks Ridley has started smiling more especially when I talk to her. As soon as I whip out my phone to get a picture though she stops smiling which is a bummer! She also has amazing head control and can sit in her Bumbo seat for a long period of time now. This morning she was able to sit up while we read around 4-5 books. She also started cooing and making sweet little noises over the last couple days also which is the cutest thing I have ever heard! I forgot how sweet baby sounds are. 

                     

Recently her favorite things are the owl that plays music on her play seat and her brother, Lachlan. He always talks to her in this sweet little voice and she smiles the biggest at him. I love that they are so good together! So also still loves being held at all times and I am more than happy to snuggle with her. 

I am so happy that I have been home with her each day to experience all the new things she does and just be able to be with her all day long. By the time she turns three months old, I will be back to work which is unimaginable to me right now. I can't wait to see what this next month holds and am excited that I still have a few weeks at home. I absolutely love my sweet girl and her awesome brother! 

Summer Bucketlist: Toddler Edition

I am so excited for this summer with my kids, especially Lachlan. At three years old, he can be so much fun and has endless amounts of energy. He is so inquisitive and always asking great questions. Winters in Illinois are brutal and really limit the amount of activities we can do. He loves to be outdoors so those activities are his favorite! I have made a list of activities that I want to do with him by the end of summer. Some may be simple and already included in our daily activities whereas other are more complex and new but this will help set the tone the amount of fun we will have as a family over the next couple months and hopefully give you ideas for fun things to do with your toddlers as well.

1. Blow bubbles
2. Draw with chalk
3. Go to Jarling's Custard Cup
4. Walk down the new bike path to Gigi's house
5. Play at a new park
6. Take swimming lessons
7. Catch a firefly at night
8. Make s'mores
9. Play with sparklers
10. Play with water guns
11. Spend the day at a beach
12. Fly a kite
13. Take a trip out of state
14. Eat at a new restaurant
15. Go to see a movie
16. Watch fireworks
17. Play with a water table
18. Go swimming at the pool
19. Plant flowers
20. Visit a zoo

These are the first twenty activities on our summer bucketlist. I plan on adding new and fun activities to this list each week. Feel free to leave suggestions for a fun summer activities that you plan to do with your child(ren) so that Lachlan and I can add them to our list as well. Here's to a fun-filled summer of 2014!

Our Weekend in Review - Mother's Day Weekend

I am almost certain that every Sunday night I sit and think that our weekend went by way too fast. With Kyle working during the week, we try to squeeze as much into our weekends as possible. I love our time as a family of four but it always feels like we are on the go. After a busy weekend like the one we just had, I am thankful to still be home with my babies this week and that means that we will *fingers crossed* have a nice relaxing day at home tomorrow with no big plans or places to be.

Our weekend actually started on Thursday this week, as Kyle had the entire day off of work. We started off relaxing on Thursday morning and I actually got to sleep in for a few hours. We even got Chinese takeout, Lachlan's favorite, for lunch. That afternoon, we attended a ceremony for my mom who was getting inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. We are so incredibly proud of her accomplishment! During the ceremony, Ridley slept and we were armed with snacks and books which kept Lachlan still. Lachlan found another fun activity to keep himself entertained which was repeating the names of those called during the ceremony - it was pretty funny! After the ceremony and reception, we went out to dinner to celebrate. 

On Friday, Kyle actually headed into work for the day so the kids and I were on our own. We headed into town that afternoon to run some errands before Kyle got off work. We made a stop into Toys R Us and Lachlan got a new water table to play with outside. He was so excited! After we picked up Kyle from work, we managed a quick Target run before heading home. I picked up the cutest sandals while we were there! Once we got home, Lachlan and I made homemade individual pizzas. I decided to let him try it all by himself and his pizza turned out really great! I am so proud of his independence.

Saturday morning we were outside bright and early so Lachlan could try out his new water table. We even ate our breakfast outside on our back patio while he played. It was a little chillier than ideal but really sunny so it was nice to be outside and enjoying the weather. The new water table kept Lachlan entertained for about an hour straight, which is like three hours in toddler time.

Saturday afternoon, we attended my mom's graduation. Although she finished classes a couple months ago, this was her official graduation ceremony. Ridley slept throughout most of this ceremony as well and Lachlan was a terror but we managed to make it through with the help of fun snacks and a couple toys. My mom graduated with a Masters of Science in Nursing. Again, we couldn't be more proud of her! After graduation, we went for dinner with our entire family at the Beef House Restaurant in Indiana. Such good rolls! We ended up getting home pretty late and headed to bed immediately. After a long day of driving, trying to keep a toddler entertained and keeping up with Ridley's feeding schedule - we were tired! 

Today was Mother's Day! It's so crazy to me that this was my fourth Mother's Day, although it was only my first Mother's Day as a momma of two. Sweet Ridley sure did made it more fun! She has started smiling at me more and it's the most amazing thing ever! We had a pretty lowkey day - we went to breakfast, played at the park, did some shopping and then got Mexican food for dinner tonight. I am so thankful to have spent the day with my sweet little family!
 
Overall, our weekend was busy but so much fun! I am so glad we got to attend the different ceremonies for my mom and celebrate her amazing accomplishments. Lastly, I am wishing all the mommas, soon-to-be mommas, and hopeful to one-day-be mommas out there a very happy Mother's Day! I am so glad to have the next five days home with my babies but am also looking forward to next weekend when we get two days with their daddy at home!

It's The Little Things

Hello!! Today I am linking up with Ashley from Words About Waverly for an "It's the Little Things" post. I have been following this series from week one and thought it would be fun to participate this week. Following the approach that she did this time, I thought it would be interesting to also share some random facts about myself.

I met my husband, Kyle, when I was in just seventh grade. We dated all throughout high school and got married on November 21, 2011. Marrying him is the best decision I have ever made. He's the best daddy to our children and works so hard for our family. I really love him!

I currently work as a personal banker and really love my job. Although I would love to be home with Lach and Ridley everyday, I love what I do and feeling like I truly contribute to my family. I have a lot of responsibility in my position and always feel like that pushes me to do my best. I am also extremely lucky to have wonderful co-workers AND my own office! Although it's so sad that I have only one more month left home on maternity leave with my little nuggets, I am so lucky to be going back to a job that I actually enjoy doing.

I am extremely close with my mom. I love that we live within about three minutes of each other and I talk to her every single day. She's so amazing and does so much for me. Plus I know she reads my blog, which I love!

My husband and I love watching tv. Once Lachlan goes to bed for the night, we almost always have a show to watch. It's our way to unwind after a difficult day. We currently love The Following, Chopped and House. We just finished watching all the seasons of The 4400 on Netflix which was really good too!

We currently reside in central Illinois but ultimately want to end up in Tampa, Florida! It's been our dream for years to live close to the beach and to live in a bigger city. Plus it would be nice to get away from Illinois winters. We love vacationing in/near Tampa too and I cannot wait to go back!

Last but not least, I love my babies! I am so obsessed with Lachlan and Ridley. Lachlan is a charmer and a ball of energy! I get worn out just watching him because he is constantly running but he's also very loving and sweet. Ridley is the sweetest cuddler and I love seeing her personality come through more and more each day. Lachlan holding or feeding his baby sister just melts my heart and I really hope they have a good relationship growing up!

Thank you to Ashley for starting this link up! So much fun to read and participate in! I'll definitely be back for week fifteen.

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday, everyone! This weekend flew by so quickly! It's funny because while I am working I dread Mondays because it's the start of a long work week but now even being on maternity leave I still dread Mondays because it means Kyle has to head back to work after having him home for two days in a row. It's such a bummer!

This weekend started on Saturday with my sister-in-law's baby shower. My mom came over to watch the kids which was amazing because they were much happier being home with her. Anyway, it was such a nice shower and I was so happy to be able to attend and celebrate my future niece and her momma! After the shower, we went to dinner with Kyle's brothers and both of their wives. We had such a good time! We don't live close to either of them but we always have so much fun when we get together. I just wish it could be more often! Here is a picture of the six of us.

After being up with a fussy baby most of Saturday night, the hubs took care of the kids in the morning so I could get a few hours of much needed sleep. Sunday afternoon we headed over to my grandparent's house to visit. My mom and brother came with too so we had a really good time! We ordered pizza for dinner and played a few rounds of Scrabble while Lachlan ran around like a wild man and everyone got to snuggle with Ridley including her great-grandad that has never held her before. I'm so glad we got a picture!

This entire weekend was so much fun and spent entirely with family which made it better. I just wished it could have lasted longer!