Loving This Weather

It's finally here....spring, or better yet summer, has made it's appearance and we couldn't be happier around these parts!  I make it no secret that I despise cold weather - except to hide in comfy clothes like skinny jeans, tall boots and cozy sweaters - and it has thoroughly out-stayed it's welcome this year.

We were lucky to go on a mini family getaway this weekend last minute and take in the amazing weather - if you follow on Instagram (#mangominivacay), then you already know...far, far too well. Sorry for the overload of pics, but they were too good not to share! More to come on a later post recapping our great weekend away.

As soon as we got home from Kansas City yesterday, we made sure to get outside. C came with me on a run around Lake Zorinsky and we stopped along the way so he could swing in the park and play in the sand! I tell ya, all of the money we've spent on toys and he could've spent three hours playing in the dirt with a tiny, plastic shovel.  Note to all of you future mamas - tupperware, toilet paper, a ball, a long-handled spoon to bang on things with and a plastic shovel...this is seriously all you need and your child would be damn happy!

We are looking forward to soaking in all of this gorgeous weather in the coming months and to introduce our little monster to all of the things this big, bright world of ours has to offer. Bring on the sun!

Just love this little guy

I made a note to pick up some sleeveless shirts for hot days to come.
Boy needs to show off those guns!

"Whoa! Wah-wah!"

Happy Monday y'all!

(That's my Monday, not yours.)  :)

Dreaming of Palm Trees & Stalking Celebs

I can hardly contain my excitement for the sister trip Tessa and I are planning to LA this summer. If you can believe it, we've never - NEVER! - went on a trip together, just the two of us.  We've traveled together plenty over our 31 (almost 32 - she's older, don't forget that) years on this planet, but never just her and I, the two amigas.

Don't get me wrong, we've had fun together. Like here with my future husband, Gavin.

Of course we had to meet him
when I was seven months preggo &
she was looking like her hot, svelte self.

I am just plain giddy as I think of all the shenanigans that are going to take place and the memories we are bound to make. I've never been to LA - yes, me the lover of all things celeb, religious US Weekly connoisseur, chronic dreamer of sunny weather - and I couldn't think of someone I would love to travel with more than her.

The icing on the cake? We are going to see Mrs. Carter herself, Beyonce. Talk about two grown women who will be brought down to starstruck teenager status. I can hear the squealing now.

Here are some of the places I'm going to drag her along to....

Venice Beach * Hollywood Sign * Walk of Fame * Rodeo Drive * Santa Monica Pier * Grauman's Theater

I.Can't.Wait. Seriously, I'm so excited right now as I type about it, I'm not sure how I'm going to make it until June. Yay! :)

This and That

As I'm sitting here typing this, I'm on the couch in a dark room with my coffee and my sweet little man resting against my arm, chugging his milk and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I catch up on emails and blog posts.  Every now and again, when Mickey sings a song, he will get up and do a little dance, telling me to watch him. Then he will crawl back up onto the couch and chill in the crook of my arm - offering me a piece of cereal here and then, only to quickly pull it back and put it into his mouth...and giggle like he's the funniest thing around.

This is by far the time I love the most. Just him and I, hanging out together in the mornings.

Although, this morning was much earlier than his normal morning wake-up time for some reason getting me up at 6am rather than sleeping in until 8am or so. That's ok...I have to work later, so this gives us more time to hang out.

So, what is going on with the Mango's...

• My godson and nephew, Kayden, celebrated his first communion this weekend, so we had a chance to spend time with my family and toast what an amazing little man he's become. Hard to believe he's already 8 years old and truly one of the best little guys I know. He is a great athlete, handsome little man and just has the sweetest little heart you could ever imagine. I'm pretty proud of this little stud.

Kayden Christopher

My loves

• I love getting packages in the mail...and the best one this week was my Tone It Up Beach Babe DVD. Ok, don't laugh. I know the name sounds a bit ridiculous and no, I don't actually believe I'm going to turn into a beach babe (whatever that is) just by doing a few exercises on a DVD. However, I've been looking into Tone It Up for a while and following along with a few friends who have been doing it and I'm liking the results I've seen others get and I'm excited to try it myself

• As you all know we are a baseball family around these parts and can't wait for Cruz to become a left-handed pitcher for a professional team so we can quit our jobs and live off of his success. Until then we will settle for trips with daddy to Ultimate Baseball Academy. This weekend he go to go watch cousin Dom play some ball and then do a little training himself. Look at that stance.

Baseball baby

• I picked up some new running shoes the other day and finally got to use them on an outside run this week. I figured I should grow up and retire my old running shoes that had seen better days, plus these are made for running and are damn comfortable...and the bright colors and reflectors make me look like a speed demon out on the trail. :)

New kicks make me smile

• This weekend culminated all of the work we had been doing to plan the Gambler 1/2 Marathon and 5K in Council Bluffs. I joined the board back in January and have to say it was a fun experience - something I've never done before. It was a bit freezing cold yesterday at 6am when we started set-up but ended up warming up a tad bit. I have to admit it was pretty fantastic seeing all of the support for Boston as well.

The sign says it all...

13.1 miles to the casino....love it

Well, I guess it's time to sign off now. This little sweet thing sitting next to me has just done a not-so-sweet little thing in his pants and it smells something fierce.

Happy Monday!

Baby Number Two

No...I'm not pregnant. Don't go getting any ideas.

It's just that Nick and I have been talking about when the best time to start working on baby numero dos. He thinks we're he's ready. I'm just not so sure.  And since when is he ready? He was the one who six months ago was dead set on us being parents of an only child. Now he's talking like he wants his own little baseball team.

Generally, it's easy to talk him out of things. Or change his focus. His mind works similar to that of a small child at times that if you divert his attention, he usually forgets what he was talking about just minutes prior. In this case, though, he's been bringing it up daily...sometimes even more than that.  And he seems serious.

I, on the other hand, am actually the one pushing back saying it's not time. But when will it be the right time? I haven't been able to answer that. I'm not sure. I wouldn't mind getting pregnant around Cruz's 2nd birthday (which, by the way, is the craziest thing to think about....didn't he just turn one like last week?) I want to enjoy my summer with a mobile toddler, carting him here and there. Going to baseball games, taking trips, swimming with him. I want to enjoy my summer with a cocktail in my hand now and again. Maybe try to go to the lake (which lake I don't know, but there's gotta be a lake we can go to around here), go boating, drink some beers, grill some food.  I want to be able to imbibe in quite a few cocktails on my upcoming sister trip to LA with Tess (more to come about that in a later post). I want to do all of this and more...and not be preggo.

I didn't love being pregnant. But I also didn't hate it. There were definitely things I loved about being pregnant - the movement, the kicks, my body changing, nesting (I got loads done!), knowing I was growing a baby and thankful I was able to, and towards the end being able to park in the expectant mother parking at the mall. But there were definitely things I disliked about it as well - the puking, the aches, sleeping trouble, wedged feet into my ribcage, getting fat, clothes not fitting, not having energy, not being able to drink.

I also can't fathom having two children. It's hard enough with one and a husband, let alone two little creatures completely and totally dependent on us. Fortunately, there will be times when Nick and I can tag team them, but what happens when it's me against them? They will own me. Cruz already does, so I can only imagine how bad this can get.

So I told him we could talk about it after June, hoping it would shut him up. It hasn't. Actually he just brought it up three minutes ago, in this context I think he was joking to try and get a little action (sorry Carol for the TMI!), but you know what I mean.

What do you think? Is there ever a time you're really, I mean really, ready? I imagine that I will always be able to come up with some excuse as to why it's not a good time. Who knows. I guess we will see who wins out in this one.

On another note, we did make an awfully cute kid. :)

Coloring Fun

A couple weeks ago I talked about how Cruz had discovered coloring and it was the coolest thing ever.  Flash forward to now....and it's just not anymore.

We started with the bath crayons (as you can see below) and this kid absolutely loved them, although, I couldn't get him to get out of the tub without a mini tantrum. And I was warned by my friends and family about letting him color the wall and everywhere, but did I listen? Of course not. He was having fun and I secretly hoped he would grow up with some ounce of artistic talent since I definitely don't have any.

So we got him dry erase crayons and a board to draw on. I let him use chalk on my big board. He would color literally for hours and if he wasn't coloring, he was walking around the house saying "colah, colah" until we would get the crayons out.  I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread - it kept him busy, it was fun and I like to color like a child sometimes too, so it was a win-win.

Two weeks later and this is how my house looks...

Fireplace

Side table

Yep. The Cruz storm has blazed in with a vengeance and everything is getting colored on. Sometimes the little punk will just take a crayon, walk with it out to his side and drag it across the back of the chairs in the kitchen!

And when I tell him no (in my stern mommy voice, of course), this is the look I get. Like I'm such a bad person for not wanting every piece of furniture covered in crayon.

Followed by this somewhat scary looking gaze. I feel like he's thinking to himself, "did she just tell me no?"

I'm thinking the chalkboard wall I was going to paint in his room wouldn't probably be such a good idea anymore...

Well Looky Here

If you haven't noticed, things are looking a little different around here.

I was able to partner up with Vanessa from 7 Jaded Creative Services to redesign my little ol' blog. She was excellent to work with. Very timely, prompt, friendly and creative.  And if you must know?

I.Absolutely.Love. It.

What do you think?

Our Favorite Things: Three Months to Six Months

We started getting the hang of things around this time, or at least we thought. Then our kid went and got sick on us AND had to get helmeted up. Even with all of that we learned a ton and found some cool must haves during this time.

• Bumbo - once little man started sitting up, not a day went by that we didn't use the Bumbo. It was great to strengthen him up and perfect to use when we first started feeding him because of the great tray that attaches to it. We used this as our "high chair" for the first few months and also schlepped it to our family and friend's houses. Worked like a charm!
• Puma Track Suit - if you know us, you know we love and live in the Puma track suit. These are the best outfits for running errands, daily life and playing hard core. Pair them with a pair of sneaks and a t-shirt or onesie and you're set! Plus they look like a little guido (I can use this word since my hubs is Italian...lol), just add gold chain. Note: do not, I repeat, do not buy these full price. It's a major rip-off. You can find them for $20 at Burlington Coat Factory, Marshall's, TJ Maxx or Younkers (when they have a good sale). We still rock the Puma track suits to this day. I should probably have some type of stock in them.
• Gerber Puffs - these were one of the first "foods" that Cruz tried. Little fruit-flavored puffs of air..and he loved them. Initially I broke them up a bit, but they dissolve so quickly in little mouths that there isn't much worry of a choking hazard. Puffs were our go-to snacks for months, even mamas like them (at least I did). And they are only like 25 calories for 75 of those little suckers.
• Sassy Mirror - this is a great toy to add to your kiddos toy box. We first found ours after bringing little man to physical therapy for his Plagiocephaly. It was a great tool to use to encourage movement in his neck and get him to work on those neck muscles. Plus, they love looking at themselves in the mirror (why wouldn't they, they are so dang cute) during tummy time. I recommend this for all mamas and to start it early so you don't have a little one in PT, like our babe (if it's preventable, which ours happened in the womb, so it wasn't). Very cool toy.
• Onesie Extenders - I thought I came up with a new invention when little man's onesies stopped fitting length-wise but still fit in the body and I wanted something to extend the bottom buttons.  After looking online, I quickly realized some smart someone beat me to it and already invented it. (Damn!) But I quickly bought some and loved them! The best part about this pack of 10 was that there were different sized buttons so they fit all onesies. Get some, you'll be happy you did and will extend the life of some of your expensive baby tops.
• Carter's Bibs - as he got older, the drool started. Whether is was teething-related or just normal leaks, stuff just seems to spill out of their mouths. We found that the Carter's feeding bibs did a great job protecting his clothes and skin from excess liquid. Make sure to get those with the protective water barrier on the back, otherwise they are worthless and will be soaked in seconds.
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - this little rodent and his pals have been a lifesaver for us. I can remember the first time we found this show on TV - it was a very early morning during his first bout of RSV when I was trying to get him to cooperate for his breathing treatment. Once he saw the bright colors, he was mesmerized and still for the entire ten minute treatment. We've been big fans ever since. And I'm pretty sure the hubs and I can be caught humming or singing the 'hotdog dance' many times throughout our day. My co-workers seriously think I'm bat-shit crazy.
• Trumpette Skater Johnny Socks - we are huge, HUGE Trumpette fans. Not only are their socks super cute, but they fit very well and have the skidders that are key once your little starts walking/standing. Here is another note: do not buy these full price either - $26 for six pair is ridiculous. You can find them discounted on Amazon at times, flash sales at Zulily and at Marshall's or TJ Maxx. 
• Boon Baby Spoon for Plum - we go crazy for all Boon products around these parts. I would love to have everything on their site! The best part? Target recently started  carry a ton of Boon products - mainly online, but you can also track down some items in store. This Boon Baby Spoon rocked when we first started feeding Cruz baby food. It was made for the Plum baby food products and all you do is twist it onto the end of the package, squeeze and voila!...easy feeding. Plus, they clean easily for reuse. 
• Plum Just Fruit Baby - obviously with our Boon Baby Spoon, we needed the Plum baby fruit. Cruz also loved the many flavors of Plum Just Fruit (and truth be told so did I) and we he ate these for months.   They are organic and there are very few ingredients and no fillers. Plus, they are great to throw in your purse and provide a meal on the go. But wait for the 10 for $10 sale at Babies R Us or buy them on Amazon, otherwise they can get quite expensive. 

Well, that's that. Three to six months in the books.  I hope you have as much fun learning about what works for your babe and you as we did! There are so many options and variations of products that it can be overwhelming. I hope this helps!

What Having A Kid Does To You

While having a kid is one of the most amazing experiences ever, there are some things that come along with pregnancy and the changes to your bod that are not so cool....or at least here's what has happened to me and other mamas I know.

• Baby weight - this one is a bit obvious and I've posted my detailed thoughts on this little topic back in March. You will see flab in places you have never seen flab before, but it will go away. Or if it doesn't, you just get used to it and accept it as your new fuller figure. Don't get frustrated over it and let it consume your life, though, because as they say it took nine months to cook that little one, it should take nine (or fourteen as in my case) to get rid of it.
• Baby brain (or Momnesia) - I didn't believe my memory could get any worse, but it did and has remained awful ever since giving birth. I am a scatterbrained mess at times. However, with the overload of information pertaining to baby, lack of sleep and complete upending of your life as you know it, I suppose it's understandable to forget what you went to the grocery store for.
• Living in sweatpants - there were days during maternity leave where I wouldn't see a shower for a full 24 hours. There were days I wouldn't get out of my sweatpants or PJs at all and I considered it acceptable. This never really happened in my pre-baby days, unless I was terribly hungover. So I suppose it was more frequent than I'm making it seem, now that I think about it.
• Preggo mask - this is one of my least favorite after-effects of pregnancy. My sister had it and I've read that it can run in the family, so thanks genes. It's caused by the intense hormone changes that your body experiences during pregnancy and may go away or may not. Based on the fact that I've had it for a year, I'm assuming I'm stuck with this for the long haul and now I need to figure out how to treat it. I've tried skin lightening lotions and they've only mildly helped - I'm thinking I need to see a skin doc. As you can see in the picture below - it's on my forehead, cheeks, the bridge of my nose and my upper lip. I've had to change from a tinted moisturizer to a full-fledged foundation and a different powder, which masks it somewhat. Overall, it just sucks.
• Teeth - I'm embarrassed to say I haven't been to the dentist since having little man...but I have a good reason. After my sister's first kiddo, she had 13 (yes, thirteen) cavities! I am not shitting you! So instead of hitting this potential problem head on, I'm hiding from it until I absolutely have to go. I got a really fancy electric toothbrush from Nick for Valentine's Day (yep, a toothbrush for the love holiday, thanks honey), I floss and I use mouthwash, so I should be good, right?
• Emotional mess - I now cry at everything, no really everything. TV commercials, if the hubs & I have a small feud (like, I'm talking a disagreement over what we're having for dinner), early on when Cruz would cry, a sad story in a magazine, when I'm overly frustrated at work....and I know Nick thinks I'm a crazy person each and every time.
• Inability to squeeze off - I understand this may be a little TMI, but this is one of the most unwelcome effects of pregnancy. It starts toward the end when you are really huge and you find yourself peeing a little when you sneeze, laugh with too much gusto or cough a little too hard. Then, you give birth and you think, ahhh, thank God that won't happen to me again. But it doesn't go away. And the kicker? Your nipples leak, even if you aren't breastfeeding. Just for a couple weeks after, not forever. But still...come on! I feel like I lost a couple of sexy points with all of the aforementioned.

If you're lucky enough to get preggo mask yourself, prepare yourself for these questions...
Is that dirt on your face? What's wrong with your skin?  What's that brown stuff?
It isn't awesome.

If you've had kiddos...what other wonderful things did you encounter? If you haven't had them yet, aren't you now so pumped? :)

17 Months Old!

Someone isn't happy about turning 17 months....

What's New With Cruz:

• Sleeping: he continues to sleep like a rock star at nights, cannot thank sleep training enough! I can remember when we were laying with him each night for a half hour or more until he fell asleep and then hoping he would make it from the couch to his crib without waking up! So glad that's over. Now we tell him it's time for bed, he kisses the parent that isn't taking him, pets Maya, walks into his room and picks out a book or two. After reading he either points to his crib and says "nigh nigh" or we tell him and down he goes. Of course, we are rocking two nightlights in there and some background music as well. Nap time is generally two hours from 11am to 1pm, give or take depending on the day.

• Coloring: his new favorite thing to do is color! We got him some dry erase crayons and a board to color on, which he loves. We have to remind him to keep the color on the board, though, which he doesn't like to hear (see tantrums below). This week I let him use chalk on my big chalk board and he was engrossed in it for about an hour each time he used it. Again, he kept trying to color the wall and the furniture, but for the most part just loved having a big space to color on. I think coloring books will be our next purchase, mainly because his mama loves them and can't wait to spend time coloring fun pictures of Mickey and Goofy with him. (Coloring books are necessary because I also have not a lick of artist ability in my body and need pre-printed pictures.) :)

Coloring fiend

• Teeth:  little man is still pushing out four molars which started weeks ago, fortunately with little to no issues. He did have a run in with fever and lots of drooling and I don't know if he just handles pain well, but he hasn't complained a bit. Maybe that's because earlier this month I allowed him to burn his hand on my curling iron, so that kept his pain-focus. :(  He has four teeth up top and three on the bottom so when he smiles wide, he has this goofy lopsided grin that I just adore.
• Eating: ketchup - or better yet dipping - is the theme of eating this month. He wants to dip everything. Case in point, I was eating a sandwich and chips, he cuddled up next to me, stole a chip and tried dipping it into my sandwich bread. We do find ourselves struggling to come up with new meals every day, but he's a great eater and loves trying new things. His new favorite this month - roast beef and Swiss sandwiches. He also continues to eat fruit well and on the veggie front his faves are peas and corn. And fruit snacks are his go-to treat.

• Tantrums: while he's been a super awesome kiddo this past month (like, I mean, a really good boy) this has also been a time of showing his true colors and bringing out the big-time whining. I hoped we wouldn't get to it so soon, but we have and we've hit it hard. Little man has a stubborn streak and when he wants something, he better get it. If he wants to color on the wall, he doesn't want to be told no. The worst part: he totally plays us. Everyone else, he's an angel. 

Case in point

• Talking: he continues to repeat everything we say and picks up words so easily. "Color" is his favorite word the past few weeks, but he also is back to "cows," which is from his visit to the farm with papa. "Papa, cows,"  "Papa, cows" all day long. He says "hi" to every single person we walk by when we are out and about - it's actually fun seeing how they react. Some are shocked, some are excited to talk back to him and others look at him and turn away (jerks). Other words/phrases that got a lot of use: "hi buddy," "Mii-hee M-ow" (Mickey Mouse), "see you lay-er," "buh-bye" (kid loves going places) and mumbling full sentences, then looking at you like you are supposed to understand what he said and respond. 
• Development: Cruz is still weighing in about 25lbs. We haven't been to the doctor recently so I don't have any other stats to share - I suppose I should get out a tape measure and get his head measurements, but we know it's big, so let's just leave it at that. He is walking everywhere, running when he can, throwing things away, doing yoga poses, climbing on things, jumping on the bed (scares the pants off me) and getting into everything.

Learned the hard way to lock the ice and water dispenser

Happy 17 months, my little monster!

Easter 2013

Family pic after church
(Disregard my wayward hair - of course the hubs & Cruz look great & I'm a mess! And can I mention how model-like C looks with his serious face and oh-so-cute Easter outfit? Can I get an amen?)

Another holiday in the books, but one that was exponentially more fun than last year due to the fact that we now have a mobile toddler as opposed to a little nugget who couldn't even sit up around this time last year. I have to say I was very excited to get our egg hunt on...and after practicing with fake eggs around the house, so was little man. (As you can see in this pic below...)

Don't let this face fool you - that Easter basket was AWESOME (thanks to yours truly)

Of course the weather didn't cooperate, though it could've been worse, so we bundled him up for our outside adventure. Cruz had the yellow and orange eggs and I tell you he rocked it out. He had about 29 eggs hidden and made it until egg #16 before getting bored/tired/uninterested in walking around the backyard, picking up eggs and throwing them in the basket I was following him around with.

Man on a mission

When we got back inside, we changed the boys into their matching PJs. I have to tell you I made a pact to myself when I was early in my pregnancy that I would not dress my kid in matching clothes - matching his dad or matching a sibling. I didn't think it was my thing.  Well, I'm nothing if I don't admit when I'm wrong and booooy was I wrong. These matching PJs were about the most kick ass thing I've ever seen. I mean look at these two studs. AND they have Mickey Mouse playing baseball on them?   Well played, Aunt Morgan, well played. You've converted a disbeliever.

Seriously...who knew matching PJs would be so absolutely adorable??
I suppose the handsome little guys wearing them don't hurt either.

Hope you all had a very happy Easter!

Our Favorite Things: Newborn to Three Months

The first three months for us were the most confusing, rewarding, frustrating, exciting and amazing time. We stumbled much more often than we did the right thing. I was an emotional mess. Nick was a fumbling dad. But we figured it out and found some must-have products along the way.

Newborn - 3 Month Favorites:

• Fisher Price Activity Mat - we loved this mat and made sure to give him time on it often each day. Since they aren't doing much but laying around or being carried around in their first few months, it was great to have a fun little area for him to kick around and check out. I loved this one because even though it's cartoony, it's not too baby-ish and the bright colors are great. 
• Puma Crib Shoes - these are one of my fave items. Little ones are always having to rock socks and not much else, so I loved throwing these on him when we ventured out. Plus, they are very flexible and comfortable on tiny baby feet...and about the cutest thing ever. I've purchased many a pair for mama friends almost ready to pop a kiddo out.
• Tommee Tippee Bibs - we received so many bibs at our shower and I purchased no less than 37 fun ones myself, but after much trial in the early days, these Tommee Tippee bibs proved to be fab. They are super soft, plus they are thick around the neck and catch all the excess milk from his feedings or just all the drool that finds its way out of their tiny mouths.
• Playtex Ventaire - I knew off the bat that I wasn't going to breast feed and as soon as I explained that to people, the recommendations for bottles flooded in. A ton of great feedback specific to their individual children, so after trying out a couple on our own, we went for the Playtex Ventaire. Easy to clean, easy to put together, inexpensive and little man never had any problem with them. I, on the other hand, struggled slightly. Who knew there were different nipple sizes and that after a few months he grew out of the original and needed a wider one and wasn't getting enough milk because of this? Thank the lord for those smart day care ladies.
• Vicks Pure Mist Humidifier - a humidifier is a must and this one has been phenomenal. It makes just enough noise to provide comfort and has a way to add Vicks and poof it in the air should your little one get sick.
• Boppy Pillow - there are so many uses for this thing that it's a must-have. By many uses, I suppose I should clarify that it essentially just props the baby up, but it was great to keep him off the back of his head. You could also turn them around and work on strengthening their neck and, of course, covering it with a pretty blanket and taking oodles of pics of the little guy for the baby book. Plus, the cover easily comes off for washing, should something get on the cover. Yeah, should something get on the cover. Many somethings will get on the cover and most are really gross, so make sure to buy one. 
• Puj Tub - besides the cute name (and you all know how much I love creative branding), the Puj tub is great. During those first few months when you are bathing your child in the kitchen sink, this bad boy is a savior. Easy to fold into bath mode, it's made of soft, comfy material and when you're done you can hook it to the wall of the shower where it will drip dry and is stored out of the way.
• Carter's Sleeper Gowns - Cruz lived in Carter's during his first few months and these gowns were a fave of mine for the first few months. Comfortable, easy to get into when he needed a diaper change and adorable. And, for the mama's to boys, don't worry it seems a bit girly, but once you realize how convenient they are, you don't worry that you are putting your son into a gown. And neither does dad.
• Carter's Sleep & Play - if he wasn't in the gown, you would find him in one of these sleepers. While I wasn't hot on the large animals that always cover Carter's clothing, they had enough sports-themed and less obvious prints that I was able to cycle them through the week. Plus, I loved that they buttoned-up versus zipping, no worrying about zippers stabbing their chin.

Well, there you have it, all of our favorite things during his first three months of life. Hope this was helpful!

Mommy Fail of the Week

I've done some dumb stuff in my time as it relates to my kiddo. Anyone remember me clipping his nail so short that it bled? Or not being close enough to him when he stood up on my bed, lost his balance and tumbled off the side (surprisingly not many tears shed after that one).

But this one takes the cake.

A couple Sundays back as we were getting ready for Disney on Ice, we had a little incident. Usually I'm pretty careful when it comes to my styling tools, their cords and not letting little mister get near them. He knows "hot" pretty well and stays away from things deemed "hot" for the most part. But that day, I accidentally left the cord of the curling iron hanging over the edge of the bathroom counter (at least that's what I'm assuming) and we were in my room picking out clothes, when I ducked into the closet...and he evidently made his way to the bathroom where he pulled it down. Then tried to pick it up by the barrel. And this happened...

I cringe every time I see it.

He cried. I cried. He stopped crying. I continued crying. I felt like the world's worst mama.

Fortunately, he was so much stronger than I would have ever been and didn't really fuss about it. Except to play it in his favor. When he is feeling pitiful, he holds his hand up in our face and says "ow" and then shakes his finger and says "no, no, no!" into the direction of the bathroom.

Aargh, if it's going to be this tough every time he gets hurt, I may just look into getting him that bubble.

What We've Been Up To

As I'm typing this I'm laying in a posh suite in downtown Cincinnati with the TV on, nowhere to be until 10am and no one to worry about but myself. And while I miss little man and the hubs like crazy, I have to be honest and say it's a tad bit awesome to have no responsibility, be here on the company's dime and to only worry about myself for a couple days. Am I a jerk for saying that?

Let me be honest, it hasn't been all roses. I came on this trip wickedly sick. It hit me Wednesday night after a whirlwind week of work (just three days mind you) but in those three days I probably put in about 48 hours...wah wah, I know. Then, I ended up leaving work early on Thursday and proceeded to have the worst bit of stomach flu? Not entirely sure, but all of the gross stuff that you accompany stomach flu or food poisoning once again struck me....hard core.

And now here we are Sunday morning and it's not over. Let's just say this hasn't been the easiest trip. The only positive I can come up with is that I'm not going to come home 10 lbs heavier from all of the insane dining that usually takes place on these trips. Instead, I haven't been able to eat a thing, which includes no ballpark nachos at the Reds game yesterday. I think that's what I'm most sad about...

After all of that excessive detail, let's get onto the good stuff. Like some pics of the kiddo, some hot chicks and my main squeeze. If you follow on Insta these may be familiar to you...if not, great news, it's all brand-new for you!

Little man continues to impress with what he picks up on a daily basis. My recent fave? He's picked up on our "hi buddy" greeting to him. The sweetest was early one morning when I heard him chatting away in the nursery, I opened the door, walked in and he exclaimed "Hi buddy!" I about melted. It was the cutest thing ever.

He also easily picks up the things we do - like getting water from the fridge. It took a couple of times of him getting soaked before we figured out there was a lock on the dispenser....such a life saver. And is this not the cutest pic of him stretching up as far as he can on his tip-toes to do something naughty??

We announced our Stir Cove concert line-up last week and I'm stoked for a summer of badass shows, most importantly the first which is Bush and one of my favorite bands. I have been in love with Gavin for a long time, like since high school, which was longer ago than I care to admit.  My sis and I met him last time they were in town and I was 7 months preggo. Not my finest moment if you remember the "come here often" line I used on him. Really? I totally have no game.

Lots of great weather meant tons of time outside and the park has been our spot. Little man loves him some swinging and I even drug Nick out with us last weekend.

The past two weeks I spent a lot of time at the one of the newest hot spots in Omaha - Louie's Wine & Dive. And by a lot of time, I mean, I was there three times in less than two weeks. A bit excessive, I know, but good times nonetheless.

Much needed Girl's Night Out

Out with the SILs

Date night and if you want a glimpse in our life this is it -
me drinking wine and him texting his friends

Coming soon - an Easter recap. I'm so excited to share the pics of our little egg smuggler from last Sunday!

DIY: Spray Painted Vases

I've been looking to make a change to our mantel decor for some time...I just couldn't find what I was looking for (or hadn't looked hard enough). I wanted something different and fun. And since I've been loving mixed metals these days, it only made sense to go silver and gold.

Spray Painted Vases

Can of Metallic Silver spray paint

Can of Metallic Gold/Bronze spray paint

Gloves (recommend because I had a near wedding ring mishap)

Vases

I had gotten these black/charcoal vases at Pier One years ago, but recently had sent them down to basement storage (where they go to die or wait it out until someone in my family has the next garage sale) and my mom had gotten me these shiny, green green guys for Christmas when I told her I needed something new, but I just wasn't sold on them. 

Enter a trip to Hobby Lobby. I saw some metallic spray paints and decided that would be a fun way to fix these bad boys up a bit. Here is the end result.  A couple coats of spray paint (no primer needed) and I have a new look to the vases I already had. I especially love the way the silver came out.

 And I love the finished product on the mantel.

Next up...what am I going to put in them? Happy Wednesday!