rain dances...

Labor day weekend was a birthday weekend for me!

it was such a gift to have the hubs home a little more than usual.

Friday night we celebrated with my family, Saturday we cooked out with friends.

i took more pics in the past few days than i have in months... this is a little sad, considering i need to be so much better about snapping photos on a daily basis...

but at least we caught quite a few special moments on film for my big 2-7!

this post isn't about that though.

more on birthday/labor day celebrations later.

here in the Queen City, Friday night showered us with rains.  torrential rains.

Asa's seen rain, but we rarely get more than a sprinkle around here, so it's never been enough for him to notice anything more than a few drops on his cheeks.

my whole fam and i were over at my sister, Gretchen's, place and decided to step out on the front patio to get a better look...

 i knew a nasty storm was a brewin', so while it was just rain,

i snatched my little boy up for some rain dancing!

the moment he felt the water pouring down his face, he was squealing and spinning in circles with his hands stretched out to catch the drops.

we were drenched in seconds.

every little bit he would pause and stand still to take it all in, then get right back to dancing.

once the thunder started rolling in, it was time to get dry.

Gretchen put one of Uncle Justin's t-shirts on him. 

{there's almost nothing cuter than a little kid in a giant t-shirt}

the 3 minutes that i spent with my Ace, dancing in the rain, were some of the very best minutes i've shared with him so far.  

Justin was giving Bellamy a bottle at the time and missed the fun.

each night at bedtime, before we turn out the lights, we talk a little.  that night, as i was describing the details of Asa's and my romp in the rain, i started to cry...

it really was the sweetest thing.

and it made me realize how quickly they grow and just how precious every second is.
so, here's to hopin' the memories just keep gettin' sweeter!

photo reel...

{this is him begging to go out for more}

happy hump day, y'all!

a day in the life...

my man truly is the 'jack of all trades'.  so, he works a lot.  a lot. 

when he's not buying/selling, fixing, towing cars and trucks, he's selling houses... and outside of this, his phone pretty much rings off the hook.

this is hard for both of us sometimes, but i know

i'm truly blessed to have such a strong, hardworking, ambitious man of God.

he's pretty dang easy on the eyes too ;)

while hubs is off payin' the bills, i'm holdin' down the fort.

an average day might look something like this >>

the babies wake around 8 and Asa joins us in bed for some morning toons.

Justin sticks around for a little to give Bellamy her bottle while i try to pull myself together in a matter of minutes {because they're won't be time for this later}.

it's not long before Justin has to head out the door... i have a little pout, he passes off the babe and gives a quick smooch, then he's gone.

the kids and i putz around upstairs for a bit {if they're both happy, i'm doing laundry/cleaning the bathroom/doing my hair}.

9:15 or so, Asa's hungry for  breakfast and Bellamy's going down for her first nap.

after breakfast, Asa and i read and play until Belle wakes around 10:30.

she eats around 11 and i may or may not turn on some toons for Asa while i nurse.

by noon, Bellamy's fussing for another nap and i'm putting some lunch together for my boy.  he eats, i lay her down, he's finished and he runs a muck for a bit while i clean the kitchen.

at 1pm Asa goes down for his nap and momma gets {maybe} 30min to an hour of quiet time... usually spent eating my lunch, picking up toys, folding laundry, changing out of my pjs, and possibly catching a few winks myself.

Bellamy's usually up by 2 for her bottle and Asa's soon to follow by 3... he gets some fishies and juice to hold him over 'til dindin.

right about now i start thinkin' about the fact that there's {around} 3 more hours to entertain the kiddos before daddy gets home'... sometimes i despair a little and other times i'm optimistic.  it really depends on the babies.

if Asa got some good rest during his nap, he's so much fun this time of the day.

we usually go outside and throw the ball with Blue for a bit before Bellamy lies down again at 4.  i hold the girl and he throws the "ba".

once she's down, i make sure Asa's got his cars and some books and start to think about dinner {probably something like spaghetti, baked chicken and veggies, or just sandwiches... that's all i got, people!}.

Bellamy's up by 5 and by the time i'm done nursing her, {on a good day} daddy's walking through the door.

i finish up on dinner and we all sit down to eat.

music's playing while we talk about our days.

Bellamy sits in the middle of the table in her bouncy seat to get in on the fun.

once we're all done and the kitchen's cleaned, it's time for a walk.

we load the kiddos up in the double stroller, leash up Blue and head to the Creamery in downtown Concord for some icecream {or, in my case, sorbet}.

then we're home again and it's time to put the babies to bed...

we're pretty good at tag-teamin' it for this.

i get both of their bottles ready while Justin heads upstairs with Asa to get his jammies on.

I give Belle the first half of her bottle while Justin finishes getting Asa ready, then we switch.

we all pray together, Justin takes Bellamy to change her into her jammies while i brush Asa's teeth, lay him down, and sing 'lalalu'.

i finish giving Bellamy her bottle, lay her down, sing the same to her and she's out.

hubs and i take a deep breath and crash on the couch for the next hour or two watching anything from 'HOME by Novogratz' to 'Pawn Stars' to 'Planet Earth'

now there's always some not so great days thrown in the mix... the kids are especially fussy, Justin doesn't make it home 'til 9pm, i haven't showered let alone gotten into 'normal' clothes all day, we have chicken nuggets and easy mac for dinner... 

and there's grace for those days.

there's also exceptionally wonderful days... the kids are ridiculously happy and take fantastic naps, i take a long shower and blowdry my hair, we have a play date with Kristy and Colt {or another dear friend}, the hubs gets home early, and dinner is delicious!

but, as long as most of our days are somewhere in between, it's all good.

also, something that's made a world of difference in just the past week...

i decided that i would work really hard on expressing pride in my man, building him up, and letting him know how much i appreciate what he does for our family.

and he realized that quality time with the fam was a major priority and decided to leave work at the door for at least a couple hours when he got home... returning phonecalls, answering emails, and finishing paperwork once the kids are in bed.

so there it is.  i've been meaning to write this down for myself lately and thought, 'why not share'.

hope everyone's having a lovely holiday weekend!

we're gearin' up for my birthday cookout around here... yay yay!

eat, sleep, and cars...

cars... it's what Asa's livelihood depends on these days.  a boy after his daddy's heart.

from the moment we step downstairs in the morning 'til his head hits that crib mattress at 8pm... cars.

getting him to pause for meals, naps, and diaper changes has become such a chore!

a huge part of me loves to see my boy growing and figuring out what makes him tick.

it's also been a giant help when it comes to nursing... his new friends lightening mcqueen and tow-mater are enough to distract him from wanting to crawl into my lap and on top of Bellamy.  and, an added bonus >> i don't have to resort to turning on the toons!

the downside >> tantrums have been thrown into the mix a little more lately :/

you know, when i've gotta snag the car for meals and naps.

as i'm typing, Bellamy's snoozing and Asa is taking tow-mater for a drive underneath our dining room table. up, around and through every chair.  sometimes Blue gets in on the fun... he fills in as a freeway for the cars when the rest of the house doesn't make the cut... "vroom vroom, beep beep" up his back, down his head and off his snout.  Blue just sits there.  it's precious.

{i've gotten some footage of it, but can't seem to figure how to upload it onto my blog}

some days i just sit and watch him.  i laugh to myself when he lines them all up and pushes them one by one through the candlesticks as if it's a tunnel... praying he doesn't hear me, cause then he knows mommy's watching and suddenly he's not so attentive... he jumps up and decides that he might like to terrorize Lady {our siamese cat} instead.

of course this obsession makes his daddy proud.  Justin, who eats, sleeps and breathes cars... all kinds, but Ford Classics, in particular.

Asa's even got a t-shirt from Lucky Brand with the "Geniune Ford Parts" emblem on it.  love it!

a lot of my days, lately, look like this.  i think i'm starting to find a balance between the two kiddos... a routine of sorts.  and if the highlight of it all is getting to watch my boy's imagination unfold while he "beep beep"s around with his little cars, that's alright with me!  in fact, it's perfect.

Bellamy and bottles...

today, i decided... i'm okay with this.

it's been pretty hard {emotionally} to not be nursing every time, but it's pretty amazing how much happier she is after a bottle as opposed to the breast, sadly.

i've also quite liked taking advantage of the 'break' that a bottle gives me.

while Justin or {insert friend or family member here} feeds her, and after i pump, i try to take in a little extra time focusing on my boy.

so, it's not as bad as i anticipated.  i can do this.

i have a baby milestone app on my iPhone that i like to check {for funsies} whenever Bellamy accomplishes something new... 

i feel like mommas have milestones too... i always get so anxious whenever we switch something up... i.e. giving her a bottle for the first time.

next, we'll be moving her out of our room and into the crib.. and this weekend, we're leaving BOTH babies with Justin's mom to go out on Friday night. panic!

it seems silly, i know... i just need to take a couple deep breaths.

here's to a new day!

one last thing.... if you don't have plans this Friday night, i'll see you here!

the dairy {allergy} fairy strikes again...

i'm talkin' allergies here.

Bellamy's taking after her big brother, Asa, in more ways than one. 

she has an infant allergy to dairy protein :(

a small part of me is happy to have found this out... i needed answers as to why she writhes in pain after feedings and when she's trying to poo.

i can't count the amount of times i've cried these last few weeks because i couldn't fix it.

when Justin would hold her as she cried, it didn't seem to phase him... apparently he has some happy place he goes to mentally that mothers or i just don't possess.  

i decided to cut all dairy out of my diet about a week ago, before we had any diagnosis.

it seemed to help a bit, but only really just take the edge off.

so, our pediatrician referred us to a  pediatric gastroenterologist.

her appointment was this morning and Justin took her so i could spend some QT with our boy {it hasn't been just me and Asa since Bellamy was born}.

they examined a stool sample and found traces of blood in it, indicative of a dairy allergy.

we found the same with Asa, but his was very obvious... changing a diaper with bloody poo can be a little scary for momma.

so, although i'm no stranger to the changes that have to be made to accommodate this pesky little allergy... it won't be any easier and a diet without cheese is just plain terrible!

since i've eliminated dairy and Bellamy's still struggling, we're gonna try a 50/50 approach.

i'll alternate every other feeding with breastmilk and alimentum formula.

breastfeeding is such a beautiful thing... an amazing bond that i've been blessed to have with both of my children and i'd really hate to give it up.  i'm not near ready and i don't think baby girl is either.  Asa weened himself around 10 months, b/c i was pregnant and my supply depleted significantly.  we don't plan on having another as close as our first two are, so Bellamy's in it for the long haul... hopefully. 
all things considered, we're beyond thankful to have two beautiful, healthy, growing babies.

thank you, Jesus! 

Justin just called and said he'd be working late... which kinda stinks, considering i count the minutes from the time he leaves every morning 'til he walks back through the door.

i guess i'm saving the delicious home cooked meal for tomorrow night... tonight, we'll have chicken nuggets.

casual summer style for a nursing momma..

i can't say this is the beginning of fashion posting for me... 

but, being a nursing momma can be hard sometimes when it comes down dressing yourself for the day.  i want to be able to nurse conveniently and somewhat discreetly without sacrificing my love of style.

so, i thought i'd throw together a few simple examples of what my day to day might look like.

{however, don't be fooled... some entire days are spent in my pajamas. and that's okay.}

take it away, polyvore...


1} a button-down for easy access, paired with minimal jewelry and an over-the-shoulder satchel
2} a flowy top can also serve as a cover!
3} maxi dresses are the way to go... no hassle!
side note : these days, if i wear a necklace, i keep it simple... if not, just amp it up where bracelets and earrings are concerned...

i've got some 'splainin to do...

it seems i've been violently shoved off of the blog train!

there are quite a few culprits... 

they are :

1} the mean little devil known as acid reflux that keeps stealing my baby girl's joy.

2} the fact that most days it's just me and the kiddos 'til whenever daddy gets home...

they're rarely sleeping at the same time (i'm working on this with miss Belle) and when Justin walks through the door, it's time for some QT.

3} when i do have free time, there's laundry to be done, dishes to be washed, floors to be swept/mopped, rugs to be vacuumed, meals to be cooked... the list goes on. (this is not me complaining)

4} i don't have a laptop... if i want to do anything significant on the web, i have to steal away to our desktop computer that sits downstairs in the corner of our dining room.  

i can pretty much do everything from my iPhone (i.e. emails, facebook, google, instagram, shopping, etc.), but have you ever tried blogging from one... not the best.  also, when i do finally get the chance to sit down at the computer, i've usually only got enough time to upload and edit some photos.

5} i'm hormonal.

i'm typing this with mini breaks every 2 minutes to soothe Bellamy, and Asa's at my feet playing with the printer.

i know, it's only 2 kids. it's been done before. my mom did it and her's before her. and i know i've got it easier than a lot of other mommas.

i just need a little bit longer to wrap my head around things and figure out what sort of dynamic works best for our new family of 4.

a little grace.

i can't count the amount of times i've thought over the past few weeks 'this needs to go on the blog' , let alone 'i need to be taking pictures of this' or 'i should call so-and-so to catch up for a bit' or 'i can't forget to write that down'

so, this is me sortin' out my priorities and saying... i'll do it when i can.  whether it's 4 times a week or once every 2.

hopefully, i can catch up on things before another little munchkin is on it's way into the mix ;)  ha!

i truly do love this little life i've been so blessed with.
really working on taking the bad with the good and making the very best of it all!

Bellamy's Nursery...

just arrived home from our beach/mountain excursion this morning...

post on that later.

for now, a lot of you have been asking and the finishing touches are FINALLY in place..... 

here's our baby girl's cozy little nest! 

we love it and hope that she will too!

picked up 2 antique prints (one boy, one girl) at a yard sale for the kid's doors

framed cross-stitch i found at the Metrolina antique fair

"a bell is not a bell until you ring it"

along with a couple sweet etsy prints

toy box/bench >> junk store find, painted.

and, my wonderful MIL sewed up some pillow cases with my extra fabric

vintage rod iron dress form... found here for one heck of a deal and painted.

bought this chair 5 years ago at a yard sale for $5, found the ottoman at a junk store for $10 and had them reupholstered.

lamp and table found at the Metrolina antique fair. painted the table.

storing pacis, hair accessories, and whatnot in mason jars.

Jenny Lind crib, borrowed and painted gold.

crib bedding... a mixture of handcrafted and craigslist finds.

yarn ball mobile crafted by momma... was a bit more difficult than it looks, but turned out perfectly!

ikea floating shelves, accessorized with old and new.

ceiling medallion, painted gold

antique bird cage wired for lighting and hung with crystals.

changing table was a craigslist find. painted and adorned with Anthro hardware!

we had to take the door off of the closet to allow for the shelves, so a curtain it is!

two of my favorite stories as a girl!

antique mirror from Metrolina antique fair... hobby lobby letters.

Lofty Larks Wallpaper from Anthropologie

this project was truly a labor of love!

Justin was resposible for the construction of things... wallpaper, cornice boards, bead board, painting, caulking... you name it!

i stepped in for everything else.

really, it all started with the wallpaper and the vision stemmed from there!

the days are running together...

it's been such a challenge for me to find some LaLaLu time lately...

my little sis, Kathleen, is keeping my little guy busy for a few, so i've been afforded a small window of time before i get back to my day.

thanks, Aunt Kath!

this is my day in a diptic nutshell :

>>our packing list for the spontaneous trip we're takin' to the coast (leaving bright and early tomorrow a.m.)

>>the kids bag is ready... now for the hard part... me.

>>laundry, laundry, and more laundry.

>>took a little time for some updates in baby Belle's book... she was 1 whole month old yesterday!

since we didn't get to take our yearly beach vaca, due to our little beauty's arrival... we're taking it now!  headed to Garden City 'til Saturday and then it's off to Asheville for some family time with Mimi and Poppy (Justin's mom and stepdad)

This past weekend :

 on Friday night our dear friends, the Celettis and their precious boy, Colt, hung at our place and brought some delicious Cappriccio's pizza along with them.

after dinner we all walked up for icecream at the Creamery in downtown Concord.

it was pretty perfect.  we don't have many friends with kids... let alone boys that are close to Asa's age, so he was loving it!

I met Kristy through a mutual friend last September and she's been such a huge blessing in my life ever since.  i'm beyond thankful for that girl!

on Saturday morning we swung by a Chick-fil-a drive thru for breakfast and headed out to a yardsale in South Charlotte... i picked up a few cute things for my sister's new nest and some corduroy overalls for Asa.

after his morning nap, we ventured over to Huntersville to Discovery Place Kids.  it's only been open since October and i've been waiting 'til Ace was big enough to go and really enjoy himself.  

it gets my recommendation for sure!  they thought of everything! they've got fire trucks, race cars, submarines, boats, grocery stores, playhouses, water tables, play gyms... you name it! i'd say it's great for kids anywhere from 16 months-5 or 6 years old.

Asa's favorite, by far, was the water table... and the submarine.

{side note : not sure Saturday is the best day to go. we really did enjoy ourselves, but probably won't do it again... it was PACKED!}

on Sunday, my mom's parents came into town for lunch at Five Guys and to spend the afternoon.  it was Bellamy's first time meeting her Great Grandpa (Grandma came to visit in the hospital).

oh, and leave it to my Grandpa Sullivan to spoil Ace with some candy before lunch.  i let it slide for this special occasion ;)

i sure hope you guys enjoyed that sweet little gift of 80 degrees and breezy this past week... i'm not quite ready to say goodbye to summer, but just give me a few more weeks of this hot hot heat!

HAPPY MONDAY!

routine schmoutine...

so, this weekend... while it flew by (once again) was a taste of perfection.

Justin didn't have to fit in any work and we hardly had an agenda.

there was country cookin', there was swimmin' and sun bathin', there were Starbucks swing thrus, there were walks, there was icecream, there were naps... love all around!

it was Saturday evening in particular though that set this w/e above the rest.

you see, our little family life revolves around a pretty set routine (for the kiddos, at least) and when Justin and i want to have our fun, we get a sitter.

however, not much of that has happened in the past few weeks... for obvious reasons.

so, after our little man's afternoon nap, we decided a date for the whole fam was in order.

to Southpark it was. (we barely ever get to that side of town)

California Pizza Kitchen is one of our faves... Avocado Eggrolls, Cobb Salad, and Sicilian Pizza... in that order. YUM!

also, Justin's Father's Day gift was going to be a mini shopping spree at the J.Crew outlet on our beach vacation, but since little sister decided to make her debut a few weeks early, that didn't happen.  so after dinner, it became a family affair to get daddy a couple handsome new duds... it didn't hurt that they were having an additional 30% off of sale items.  (they had TONS to choose from... if you hurry, you might still catch it!)

now, remember that routine i mentioned... well, Asa's bedtime is between 7:30 & 8 every night, but this night the little hand was rounding its way up to the 9 as our Southpark fun was coming to an end... and we still had a 45 min drive ahead of us.

what's so wonderful about this is that Asa AND momma kept their cool... no pressure to get home, no worrying about whether he'll get enough rest, just living in the moment and loving it.  i made a decision.  i stepped outside of my little routine bubble and i'm so glad i did. 

of course, by the time we got home Asa was on the verge of a mini meltdown, but he's fine.

every once in a while, it's okay.  we were livin' on the edge.

let me just say, Justin and I are pretty layed back when it comes to just us, but a schedule is what works for us as a family.  we like it.

actually, i'd love to hear some momma feedback on a daily schedule with two babies.

Asa's still on two naps a day (i'll take it while i can).  i'm wondering how the transition to one will go.

and then, there's Belle... she's still too little for any kind of real routine, but maybe in the next month or so.

what works/worked best for you??

Bellamy's whimpering for mama... time to get some sweet newborn snuggles in!