Friday Things

If you follow me on Instagram, (ashleywbrickner), you may have seen that we got snow this week! :)  To most of you our dusting of barely an inch would hardly be worth mentioning, but for us, it was exciting!!  Last year we randomly had a few snowstorms but have had nothing so far this year (just freezing temps with nothing to show for it), so I have been waiting for Waverly to experience it all winter.
I knew she would love it!

She adored it, every bit of it, so much that all she wanted to do was eat it. ;)  We brought out her breakfast to distract her & she had the best time, she is such an outdoor girl!  The forecast is calling for another round on Monday, we are crossing our fingers for more snow this time.  And hoping if it does, it snows enough for my husband to have to stay home from work too, my five-month pregnant self certainly does not need to be taking Waverly Maye down any hills, though I know one little lady who would be all about that activity.

Along with the snow came a two-hour school delay, which I could not have been happier about!  Keeping it real, I have been throwing myself a bit of a pity party about being a working mom lately.  I like to think of myself as a glass half full kind of person & always try to focus on the positive parts of working, but sometimes it's just really, really hard.  Getting up at 5:00 each morning is kicking my ass, I usually am fine throughout the day but come late afternoon (when I actually get to be with Waverly), I am exhausted & making it through to (my 8:00) bedtime is a serious challenge.  Maybe the hardest, most days Waverly is still sleeping when I leave, I hate it that I have to go that long without seeing her, especially since the mornings are by far her happiest times.  She really is so much fun to be around, sometimes I am jealous of all the fun she has with other people besides me.  I know it is only going to get harder with two, the thought of leaving both my girls next year scares me on a daily basis.  Yet ultimately I do know there are perks & downfalls to any situation, that my schedule really is ideal, & I have SO much to be thankful for. 
These hormones just aren't currently doing me any favors.

And in other, less-emotional news, Waverly painted her nails all on her own for the first time this week!  Clear, glitter nail polish for the win, she was OBSESSED & so proud of her little self.  She even tried to bring all four bottles of her new nail polish to dinner, I thought I could have saved the "we don't paint our nails at the dinner table" comment until her high school years, yet no such luck. ;)

Finally, happy super bowl weekend, friends!!  Eat lots of food & drink a beer for me. :)
XO

Waverly Maye: 2.5 Years

Waverly turned two & a half this past Monday, happiest half-birthday to our little lady!!  We are going to have a small dinner plus "half" a cake to celebrate this weekend, we started the tradition of half-birthday celebrations when she was six months old (you can see last year's here) & I see no reason to stop now. ;) I know Waverly will love it, so I'm going to go with it as long as she will, too!!

Like most moms, part of me can't believe we are now well on our way to three, yet mostly, I can't begin to imagine how we ever lived a day before her.  Lately she is growing & maturing so quickly, I really feel like I can't keep up!  She is smart, curious, & our little comedian.  She knows exactly what she can get away with plus what she can't, and loves to test her limits all of the time.  She is as sweet as they come & has the biggest heart, she never ever stops amazing me.

Old Navy Dress, H&M Vest (Past Season)

The older she gets, the more we realize how shy she is when we first get somewhere or meet someone, then how outgoing she is twenty minutes later.  She is as wild & talkative as any toddler I have met, yet it definitely takes her some time if we are not at home.  It always makes me laugh when someone comments on how laid-back she is when they first meet her, I just wait until a few minutes later when she is dancing circles around them singing her current favorite Taylor Swift song. ;)

She is always cracking us up & she knows it.  She loves to put on a show almost as much as she loves to be the center of attention, she notices if we aren't focused on her for a second & makes every effort to get all eyes back on her.  Her imagination is greater than ever, she calls her "guys" throughout the day to let them know what she is doing, which scares us just a little bit. ;) She remembers everything, uses full sentences all of the time, asks me questions constantly, & wants to do every single task all on her own.  All of which can make for some trying moments, which we definitely have, but also the part of her personality that is going to make her one strong, independent woman one day.

Her favorite things & activities have remained the same for a while now, which I definitely attribute to her growing into her own person more than ever.  Waverly is all-girl, she loves make-up, purses, arts & crafts, and most of all, her baby dolls.  She does not leave the house without a baby, along with anything that baby could ever need, and always makes sure that they are all fed & well-rested.  She still ADORES our dog, no one can make her laugh like he can & she takes care of him all day long.  One many reasons that I know she is going to be a rock star big sister in a few short months.  

This age yet again is my favorite, looking back on any tough moments over the past couple of years, they have nothing on the sound of her telling me she loves me twenty times a day.  As bittersweet as it is to see her grow, I could not be prouder of the little girl she has become.

Hope you are all having a fabulous week!
XO

22 Weeks

Size of Baby Brickner:  A papaya!

Maternity Clothes:  I am starting to feel really, really ready for spring & all the clothes that come with it, anyone else dreaming of maxi dresses?!  In the meantime, the outfit above is actually a maternity jumpsuit from Asos.  It's super stretchy with plenty of room to grow, plus beyond comfortable! I thought it would be perfect to layer now & then wear when it gets warmer since it's strapless.

Best Moment This Week:  Date night with the hubs!  We went & saw "American Sniper", which is amazing & we definitely recommend it!  The movie theater even had full-size recliners, which is a definitely upgrade since we have been last, so relaxing!!

Miss Anything:  My brain.;)  Pregnancy brain has hit full force, I think, or I am at least going to go ahead & blame all of this on that!  First, I was cleaning the counters when I realized I was using butter spray instead of cleaning spray, I couldn't figure out why all of the sudden our cleaning spray turned the color yellow? Then I left my wallet at the shoe store & didn't figure it out until the next day.  Finally, & definitely worst of all, I ran out of gas TWICE, I really hate getting gas when it is cold out so I try to put it off as long as I can. Thankfully it didn't run out while I was driving either time, both times my car just wouldn't start, but seriously, how embarrassing is that?!

Movement:  Yes, & I love it EVERY single time!  Waverly is more interested in feeling my belly these days, I cannot wait until she can feel her baby sister move, too.

Cravings:  My appetite is just so weird, most of my aversions are gone but lately nothing sounds good, yet I am always so hungry.  The thought of dinner every night really overwhelms me, I hate bringing Waverly & my husband down with me, but cooking is just not high on the priority list these days.

Queasy or Sick:  No, feeling happy, healthy, & excited!

Looking Forward To:  My husband has been busy building Waverly a big girl bed for the past couple of weeks, I am getting really anxious to get it in her room & to start that process!  One of my best friends is also due with her first babe any day now, I am beyond excited for her & can't wait to meet her little girl!  I have loved being pregnant with several of our close friends this time, it makes me so happy that our little ones will grow up together! :)

Our Week & A Few Favorites

Oh, what a week it has been, full of both the sweetest moments & others that put me in slight state of panic!  It all started when my husband called me Tuesday morning at work to let me know that the strap off  Waverly's purse had broke.  I've mentioned before that she is obsessed with purses lately, she has one favorite & I'm convinced her addiction to it gets worse by the day.  She hoards things in there but doesn't let us look in it, she freaks out if we even get close (two-nager). We do know that it has some sort of mix of granola bars & chapstick though, since we snuck a glance one time when she wasn't looking.

So I was worried all day about her, which I should have been, since when I picked her up the tears immediately started rolling (like bucket tears) over her broken purse.  I seriously haven't seen her cry like that or for so long since our newborn days, I felt so bad for her while at the same time, couldn't help but almost laugh over the fact that our first huge meltdown in months was over an accessory.  She is my child, I should have known this was coming. ;)  Good news, we finally calmed her down, though it was touch & go for a while, & she currently has my mom's old purse as a replacement until my mother-in-law sews the strap back on her ($2) favorite purse.

Also in happy news, we got some extra time together this week since I had off work Monday!  We went to the best breakfast place, had a date to Target, & I got lots more organizing done in the nursery!  I wish every Monday could be exactly like that, two days for a weekend is just never enough.

I am proud to announce that we have a new addition to the family, a beta fish named Norman!  My brother took Waverly for a lunch date last weekend so we could get some work done around the house, a couple hours later they showed back up with a fish, food, & a fish bowl.  I was so appreciative.  Waverly was thrilled, she adores her uncle anyways, then the fact that he bought her a living animal pretty much sealed the deal that he is her favorite for life. ;)  We are currently working on teaching Waverly that we don't "mix Norman" like we do cake batter, she really wants to take our big kitchen spoons & give him an extra spin.

No family photos of Norman yet, just Waverly & her first pet (& bestie), Bogger.

Sweater (Zara, Last Season) & Boots

Finally, I have a couple favorites from this week, two from two of my favorite bloggers!  I ordered this headwrap after reading about it on Erin's blog, we have a couple headwraps but I love the chambay on this one, it's so versatile!  A food favorite, these no-bake energy bites from Megan, she had me at "no-bake". ;)  I have the weirdest appetite lately, pregnancy related for sure, so this seems easy enough to bring with me when I am starving & nothing looks appetizing, plus I know Waverly will like them, too.

Happy weekend, friends!
XO

Heart-Shaped Things

Happy halfway through the week!  Every year, one of the first thoughts to cure my post-Christmas sadness is the next holiday on the roster, Valentine's Day!  I am so excited that it falls on a Saturday this time, I hate leaving Waverly Maye for work (& really feel that it should be a recognized, day-off-work holiday), so I feel extra lucky I don't have to.  This year, it's foods cut into heart shapes ALL day long, you have no idea how hard it was not being able to do this for her first two February holidays!

Waverly & I have already been busy getting together some Valentines, this will be her first year handing them out to her "friends" which is already way too much fun!  I am also putting together a small present for her, a Valentines book to add to our collection along with some new arts & crafts supplies.  This Christmas sealed the deal that she is obsessed with anything wrapped (& I am sure there is no turning back), so I am really looking forward to giving it to her!

In fashion news, I was kind of disappointed in the selection for toddlers this year, did anyone else find anything good?!  I mentioned before that I got Waverly the LOVE dress from Old Navy, I also rounded up the other cute options I found for both boys & girls, seen below!

Love Dress, Heart-Foiled Onesie, Heart Pajamas, I Love You Footie, Heartbreaker Onesie, Mustache PJs

And for the mamas, I came across this heart-print dress, it is just too cute plus currently on sale!!  I would definitely wear it year-round, & could probably even get by with buying big for now to wear with this growing bump.

 Lastly, it's no secret that we love a good pair of sunglasses our way, we got into the spirit early by rocking our heart frames (plus this heart headband from Willow Crowns) over the weekend!  I don't dress Waverly in pink often, but it really is so sweet on her! 

Happiest week ahead, lots of love your way!
XO

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21 Weeks

Size of Baby Brickner:  A pomegranate!  Baby girl is currently in the 33% percentile, she weighed in at 11 ounces at our appointment last week.  And the rest of the weight I have gained is from ... ?! Kidding.  Kind of. ;)

Maternity Clothes:  My preggo leggings finally came in this week, I ordered them forever ago but they were on back-order.  They were totally worth the wait, they are high-quality, stretchy, & beyond comfortable!  I definitely recommend them, thanks to Laura for the heads up!!  Also, the outfit above is actually a crop top (H&M, in-store) over a long tank, who ever would have thought a pregnant girl would be in need of a crop top?!

Best Moment This Week:  Definitely our ultrasound!  The biggest thank you for your sweet support on our healthy & thriving baby girl, it truly means so much to us.  I can't stop staring at her pictures or comparing them to Waverly's from the same week, from what we can tell, they have very similar features!  I can't wait to see in real life soon when my girls are together on the outside, in the meantime, Waverly holding on tight to my belly is close enough! :)

Miss Anything:  Sleeping through the night without needing to wake-up to go to the bathroom!  I am up to at least three times a night now, which scares me for how my nights might look a few months from now. Baby girl is VERY low, basically snuggled up to my bladder!

Movement:  I am totally that paranoid mama when it comes to movement, so it was a big relief when our ultrasound technician said she was moving ALL around in there!  Her hands & feet were going the entire appointment, which I guess erases my theory that she is going to be way more laid back than her sister. ;) Of course, since then I have been feeling her more & more, plus this week my husband was able to feel her for the first time!

Cravings:  You guys, LUCKY CHARMS!  I had been on a roll with healthy goods again, then my sweet fellow pregnant blogger mentioned that she had Lucky Charms & I couldn't stop thinking about them!  It was one of those "send your husband to the store to get them ASAP" kind of moments.

Queasy or Sick:  The round ligament pain has definitely arrived, but other than that, feeling great & loving the second trimester!

Looking Forward To:  My husband brought down the (many) bags of Waverly's clothes from the attic, my plan is to get through them over the next couple of weeks to start organizing the nursery closet!  Other than being excited to get some more use out of them, I love the thought of seeing Waverly's little sister in an outfit she wore!  I peeked through a bag already & it was so surreal, I could remember exactly when she wore most of the outfits plus exactly what we did.  Also, was she ever really that little?!

Hope you all had (or are still having!) a happy weekend!

XO

Friday Things

Happiest Friday, friends!!  It's been such a great week, made even better by the fact that today kicks off a three day weekend. :)

Bright & early Monday morning, we had our big, 20 week ultrasound to check on our littlest lady.  I am always a little nervous at these appointments, so it was the best feeling to get such great news!!  Our girl is healthy, growing, & moving around in there like crazy!  The ultrasound tech said "she is as good as it gets", which was all I needed to hear!  Waverly Maye came with my mom & I, I definitely think it made everything a little more more real for her.  She kept asking to hear her heartbeat & at one point, started waving & saying "hi baby sister".  It was at same moment the screen showed her little sister with her thumbs up, I seriously could have died from the cuteness!  Then of course, Waverly forgot all about the whole ultrasound or technician over me & instead begged us to let her listen to "All About That Bass" again.  

I also had my spa day, I was there four entire hours for a massage, facial, manicure & pedicure!  I really didn't even know what to do with myself.  I never do things like this EVER, which was made very clear when the sweet girl doing my facial asked me when I had one last & I had to respond, "my last pregnancy".  I think she could probably tell by the shape my skin was in. ;)
It really was so relaxing & the best way to re-energize, I feel like things like that are so hard to spend money on or to carve out the time for, yet ultimately, so worth it.  So honey, if you are reading, maybe we should make this a monthly thing?!

A little more about Waverly this week, she is turning into quite the character lately.  She gets smarter by the day, has totally figured out how to negotiate & is pretty damn good at it.  She keeps trying to extend her bedtime, we will be sitting in her room ready to put her down when she will say "I need to tell you something", over & over again.  She goes into so many random stories & we can't stop cracking up, I know she loves putting on a show for us.  Cake pops & popsicles are by far her current favorite foods, she will say "hooooow about you give me a cake pop & then I will say cheese?".  Such a smart girl.

Moccasins

On the agenda for the weekend, a few birthday celebrations & hopefully getting lots of progress done on the nursery space.  I have my eye on this pillow (thanks, Elise!) & have recently started brainstorming bedding!  I also am so excited to get the girls some new headbands from Sadie Sky Boutique, my friend Jess just redesigned her website & introduced many new products.  Finally, we recently picked up this dress for Waverly to wear on Valentines Day, I can't even believe how close it is!
Wishing you all a very happy long weekend!
XO

Our Playroom & Other House Projects

It's been a while since I have updated on what we are currently working on around the house, I thought it would be fun to share some of what we have been doing & what is on the list for the next few months ahead!!  I've mentioned before that we bought our house as a foreclosure, we fell in love with the "bones" of it but knew we had a lot of work ahead.  We (mainly my hot handy husband) are constantly working on updates, we have accomplished a lot so far but of course, still have LOTS of work ahead.  It will most likely be complete around the time the girls are in college. ;)

 Our house is four bedrooms, I remember thinking it was huge when we bought it & wondering how we would ever fill it up.  Fast forward to now, some days I feel like we are already outgrowing it!
Of course we have our master, Waverly's room (you can see it here), plus an office & a playroom.  With a new baby on the way, we decided to keep the playoom & get rid of the office (or kind of try to combine the two), and to put that room in the former office.  That meant we had to completely redo the playroom, but it made sense since the old playroom (the new nursery) is closer to us & farther from Waverly, hopefully making the chance of the new baby waking Waverly less likely.  Fingers crossed.

  So we recently just finished the move to the new playroom, it is so funny how simply moving it to another space made it that much more exciting for Waverly!!  It has always been her favorite room in the house, but she loves it more than ever now, it is almost like her toys have been reinvented because they are in a new place.  Total win!!

Before we found out that baby two was a girl, I was obviously nervous about how feminine this room is & knew we would have to update it.  If we have a boy one day, we will definitely have to change things around, but of course by that point we will most likely have to add another addition to the house as well. ;)

It is still a work in progress, I want to add some more fun prints to the walls plus we plan to add a chalkboard wall like we had in the old room.  A list of sources from what we have in there now is below!

Also on the agenda before nursery design can really begin, cleaning out that room that will be the new nursery, it has now just become a really large pile of things we need to find a place for.  And first & foremost, officially transitioning Waverly to her big girl bed, which we still keep putting off but really need to do, especially now since she will be passing down her crib to her little sister!!
So many fun changes, ones that I am beyond excited for & overwhelmed about ALL at the same time!!  I hope to be sharing some of our progress soon! :)
XO

Sources:  TeePee, Kidkraft Kitchen, Garland, Basket, Poms, Storage Bins, Rug, Easel
*The table was a gift from my mother-in-law, handmade with fabric from our wedding. :)

20 Weeks

We are HALFWAY THERE!!!  Part of me feels like I have been pregnant forever, then the other part of me cannot believe how close we are actually getting, & is slightly freaking out over everything we need to do!  Mostly though, we are getting more excited to meet this little lady everyday!

Size of Baby Brickner:  A mango, getting bigger!

Maternity Clothes:  Oh yes, all maternity pants or leggings but really trying to make non-maternity shirts & dresses work.  I am always on the hunt for anything stretchy or cute cardigans that I can wear after she is born.  (The dress above is from Zara last season, non-maternity, I love it so much pregnant or not!). 

Best Moment This Week:  Waverly is going through a phase where she insists on me rocking her every night to sleep, we used to read a book before bed but lately, she would rather turn off the light to have me rock her in the chair with a blanket covering both of us.  It is obviously (more than) fine by me, by far one of my favorite times of the day!!  The other night, while we were rocking, she put her hand on my belly & said "baby sister", which she does sometimes, but overall, is not really that interested.  Then she asked so many questions about her, where she was going to go when she got here, when she would be here, & what she would do.  The absolute sweetest, the thought of these two little girls together could literally make my heart BURST!

Miss Anything:  Are you allowed to miss something that hasn't happened yet?!  Kind of on the same note, I have had lots of thoughts lately on cherishing these last moments with Waverly as an only child.  As over the moon as we are about adding to our family, & as much as I know we are giving all of us, a small part of me will miss her being an only child.  I am sure these hormones aren't doing me any favors. ;)

Movement:  It's still so random when I feel her lately, sometimes after I eat & then other times only at night when I am laying down.  I sometimes freak out when I haven't felt her, but need to remember that she is still so small!

Cravings:  Finally craving some healthier foods, the french fries I had at the beginning no longer are very appealing, thank goodness.  Salads & fish sound so, so good!!

Queasy or Sick:  Not much nausea, some cramping which I think (& hope) is her growing in there!

Looking Forward To:  Our big ultrasound this morning!!!!  My mom & sister are coming, which is so much fun because they have never been to one with me before!  Crossing my fingers for a healthy baby, & counting down the minutes until we see her sweet face again! :)

And in celebration of a big milestone week, a look back on the belly's growth so far!!  It has definitely popped, it's hard to think what it will look like 20 weeks from now!

Enjoy your week!
XO

New Year, New Favorites!

Happy Friday!!  We are so ready for the weekend around here, I am hosting a shower for one of my best friends (& her baby girl) tomorrow, then it's spa day Sunday, plus lots of family time in between!!  In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to share some of my current obsessions, the start of the new year brings so much goodness & there is LOTS to love out there right now. :)

1.  Gap's baby & toddler spring line is totally killing it, has anyone else fallen in love with it like I have?!  Obsessed would be an understatement, the yellow & neutral colors speak my fashion language!  I have my eye on lots for both girls, especially this dress for Waverly Maye & this one for her little sister.

2.  I seriously cannot stop organizing or getting rid of things around the house right now, it's that time of year, right?!  We are currently in the planning process of lots of house projects, there is so much to do before baby girl comes in five short months!  First on the list was to organize our playroom, I used these totes to get all of Waverly's toys in some sort of order.  I swear I have a basket/tote addiction.

3.  One of my "resolutions" for 2015 was to get Waverly off the iphone, her addiction had gotten out of control & to the point that she was texting more people in my phone than I was. ;)  We went cold turkey, it was hard but she is doing really well now!  I am still letting her use the ipad, we downloaded lots of new apps & she loves them!  Some of our favorites are PBS Kids, Elmo 123, & the Coloring Game.   

4.  It is soup season at our house, we love to make soups this time of year since they are so easy & last a while!  I had a major fail last weekend, I attempted to make a pasta fagioli but instead made a bowl of mush. I accidentally turned the crock pot on warm instead of high, which apparently makes a really big difference. ;)  I am looking to redeem myself this weekend with this soup recipe, fingers crossed!

5.   Much like the rest of the country, we are FREEZING here in VB.  We got a few flurries the other day, but other than that, are crossing our fingers for some real snow.  I feel like if it's going to be this cold, we should be rewarded with the pretty stuff! :)  In the meantime, we are dressing in layers upon layers, this Gap leopard coat my mom got for Waverly is a definite favorite & I have my eye on this one (on sale) from Zara for both girls next year!

6.  Oh, Valentine's Day, we are already so excited for you!!  It is definitely one of our favorite holidays & we are really looking forward it this year.  I ordered Waverly this chair backer to give her some goodies soon, I can't wait to hang it February 1st!

Wishing you all the happiest (& warmest) weekend!
XO

Our Weekend

I thought I would document our first weekend in 2015, I think I am still in denial that it's back to reality around here so I am holding on to that two-week break for as long as I can. ;)
As part of our fresh start to the new year, the one in which we give ourselves some grace, my husband decided to take a day of his own on Saturday before my spa day on Sunday.  While I crave family time, especially on the weekends, I thought it would be good for all of us.  So he went hunting, probably trying to get as much manly time in as possible before it's three girls in the house, while Waverly & I had a day all of our own.

We had a mall date in the morning, then went to the grocery store for some soup I was going to make for dinner.  Waverly is so talkative these days & always cracking us up, I have so many favorite comments from her but this one goes down as one of my favorites.  The sweetest older man was bagging up our groceries, he had a long white beard & glasses, she looked up at him & immediately yelled, "Mommy, it's SANTA!!".  I could have died, a little because I was nervous about how he (or the rest of the store) would react, but everyone just laughed.  Mostly, I was so proud of her for actually liking him after all their less than happy encounters over the holiday season. ;)

We also spent some time jumping on Waverly's new trampoline!!  My parents got her it (similar here) for Christmas, she is obsessed & I know it is going to get lots of love in our future.  She begs me to go out there even when it is freezing, I can't wait until the spring when we can really spend some time on it!

Sunday was my spa day, I had really gotten used to the idea of it, so it was a total letdown when I walked in & found out they had to reschedule because of sicknesses.  All is well that ends well, I have an appointment for next Sunday & Plan B was a trip to the zoo with Waverly & the hubs!  We had some random warm weather, it was absolutely perfect.

Hunter Boots

I'm not going to lie, heading back to work Monday morning was a little more than painful.  A few tears were shed rocking Waverly to sleep Sunday night, they probably had something to do with these pregnancy hormones, but I really hate leaving her after so much fun together.  Yet as always, it's way easier after you actually do it, & I am already looking forward to next weekend!
Hope you all had a great start to the week! XO

19 Weeks

 Size of Baby Brickner:  An heirloom tomato!

Maternity Clothes:  My mom got me lots of comfortable maternity clothes for Christmas, pjs & long-sleeve tees, things I desperately needed after squeezing into my old ones for so long but that I just hadn't given into buying yet.  It has made such a difference!

Best Moment This Week:  This was my second week off work & it was so much fun, we had lots of quality time with just us girls which was so very needed!  I know these moments with just Waverly & I are numbered so I am cherishing them so much right now.  Also, exciting news, baby girl has a NAME! :) We are going to wait to share until she is born, even with our families & friends, which I know is annoying but we want to keep something a surprise & also, want to meet her first to really make sure it fits!  We pretty much had already decided both a boy or a girl name before we even found out what we were having, but still went back & forth a little, so it feels so good to make it official & to call her by name!

On a side note, picking a name early was important to me, since we went through Waverly's entire pregnancy without officially deciding (which stressed my already crazy pregnant self out!).  Long story short, we went into labor with two names, one I liked more (Waverly) & one my husband liked more.  I really had no idea what was going to happen when she was born, I seriously wondered for months if we wouldn't be able to agree & would have to bring home a nameless baby girl. ;)  Then I was in labor for 48 hours (yes, two days), & at the VERY end, my sweet husband looked down at me & said, "honey, name her whatever you want".  And that's how we named Waverly Maye! :)

Miss Anything:  I have gone from crashing in the bed at night exhausted to some major pregnant lady insomnia.  It's at random hours of the night, I think because I can't get comfortable or have so much on my mind!  So I miss sleep.  A lot.

Movement:  Yes, lots, more everyday!

Cravings:  We had the best New Years Eve dinner followed by the best New Years dinner, one was salmon & the other steak.  Delicious!

Queasy or Sick:  The cold seems to finally be behind me, for the most part, so feeling good & excited!

Looking Forward To:  Organizing & purging!  I am always this way at the beginning of a New Year, it's just multiplied since we are getting ready to add another person to our house!  We did LOTS of cleaning out over my break, the nursery is on it's way to being empty enough to start decorating but we definitely still have lots of work to do.  It might be an issue though, getting rid of things really makes me happy, I am the polar opposite of the show "Hoarders" & probably throw things away way too easily.

Lastly, the biggest thank you to Firmoo, the cutest online company that sent me over these glasses (similar here) to try!  They are non-prescription, I don't usually wear glasses, but always love a fun accessory & was so impressed by these.  Firmoo had lots of options & they were great to work with! :)

Hope you had a wonderful first weekend in 2015!

XO

Happy 2015!

Our New Years celebration was more low key than ever this year, just the way we like it! :)  We went to an early dinner with friends, it was us & two other couples, two of my best friends who are also both expecting (girls!) over the next few months!  We ate lots of delicious food, especially us pregnant mamas, who then were the DDs for our husbands on the way home. It was so much fun & the best part, we were in our pajamas by nine, yet somehow managed to stay awake to see the ball drop at midnight!

On New Years Day we spent lots of time relaxing with Waverly Maye.  We ate lots of cupcakes & wore fun tiaras, had a fancy dinner at home, then snuggled up to watch some football way too late into the night.

On a more personal note, while I typically try to stay away from resolutions, I do appreciate this time of year as an opportunity to look back, reflect, & think ahead.

As we move into 2015, more than anything, I want to slow down & learn to give myself a break.  I tend to be really hard on myself, it has always been my nature but lately, it has been the worst & I have been noticing it more than ever. While during weekend nap times I know I truly need to rest, I can't get the one million things I need to do out of my head & force myself through it.  The couple of sick days I took off since getting pregnant were spent resting (a little), in between taking advantage of the extra free time by getting things done around the house.  Which is probably why my sickness lasted three weeks. ;)  And I am definitely one of "those" moms who gets the WORST mom guilt anytime I leave Waverly if I am not working, so truly, I don't do it.  The other day I was at the mall attempting to try on a pair of shoes while also talking Waverly out of pulling every shoe down from the display, when I realized I really can't think of a time that I have been at the mall alone since she was born.

I do realize that especially now, as we get ready to welcome a new baby to our family, it is more important than ever to give myself some grace & also, to accept help, without feeling guilty about it.  For my own sanity which in turn, will make me a better mom to my girls.  I am kicking things off this weekend, my husband surprised me with a full spa day package for the new year & scheduled it for this Sunday (since he knew I wouldn't do it on my own!).  Honestly, it initially made me sad to think about all the fun I would be missing out with him & Waverly while I was gone, but I am really excited & know it will be good for all of us!

Lastly, HAPPY New Year to all of you!!  Wishing you the best year of health & happiness!
XO