Five on Friday!

[one] it's a....  GIRL! 

We found out about a week and a half ago that we are expecting another sweet baby GIRL! Last weekend we did a low-key gender reveal for a small group of family and friends who were already gathered to celebrate Steve's 30th birthday. Did you guys know that Krispy Kreme makes gender reveal donuts?! Well, they do, and they were amazing! It was so much fun and I'm so glad the secret is out now so we can openly say "she" and "her!" Still working on a name. :)

[two] birthday celebrations

As mentioned above, also over the weekend, my husband turned THIRTY. We kicked the weekend celebrations off with a sudden broken refrigerator ;) but by Sunday we had a brand new one installed in its place. 

I didn't want to do anything too over the top for Steve because he's just not that guy -- I knew that he'd truly prefer to eat a good burger and spend time with his family (I love him). So, that's exactly what we did! On Saturday we had about 15 people join us for dinner at one of Steve's favorite restaurants and everyone came back to the house for cake, coffee, and gender reveal donuts afterward. On Sunday, his actual birthday, we did a lot of relaxing and Carrie gave her daddy a 3 hour nap as his gift (best gift ever!). We then headed out for another yummy dinner at Steve's absolute favorite burger place. All in all, a great weekend!

My mom also had a birthday mid-week this week and we will be celebrating her tomorrow with more cake and more family time -- two things I happen to enjoy immensely. My mom is truly so much of my heart and I always look forward to spending time together.

[three] TV binges

We got Netflix about 2 months ago now and I have already gone through all three seasons of Orange is the New Black (season 4 coming in June!) AND just finished season one of Parenthood. I know I am so behind the times on both shows but they are both so good (and SO different, ha). I've enjoyed diving into something other than reality TV - it's kind of like having a good book in the winter. :) Can't wait for Fuller House -- I definitely teared up during the promo. Any other good shows I should add to my "to watch" list?

[four] potty training

I think I mentioned this before but we are - I think - ready to potty train C. Well, she's more ready than I am if I'm being honest. ;) She's been showing so many signs lately, the latest of which is stripping off her clothing and diaper in her crib during naptime. Yesterday when I went to get her, her little nakey self pointed to her diaper and said "no more diaper, big girl underwear." Well, ok then. If you have tips, experiences, recommendations - PLEASE SHARE. I am pretty much clueless in this department! 

[five] happy valentine's day!

To be honest, we have just about zero plans for Valentine's Day... and I don't mind! I got Steve some chocolate and might have dropped some hints about a candy or two that I've been craving. ;) Ahhh, being pregnant over Valentine's Day. I plan to make heart shaped pancakes and then we'll all spend the day together. Do you have fun plans this weekend?

TGIF! xo

BOY or GIRL?

A couple of days ago, at 17 weeks and 4 days, we found out the gender of our second child! We went to the same 3D ultrasound place that we had gone to with Carrington since we had such a wonderful experience the first time around. If you're not familiar with these types of places, they're non-medical ultrasound "boutiques" (I'll call it that for lack of a better word!) that offer a variety of packages for all stages of pregnancy. One of their packages is called the Jack and Jill and is for women who are 17+ weeks pregnant and want to find out the gender of their babe! Steve and I knew we wanted to find out again this time, and we choose to do it this way instead of at the 20 week anatomy scan because the atmosphere is so intimate and relaxed. Seriously... there are candles burning, soft music playing, soft lighting and comfy seating, and you get 15-20 minutes of nothing but gazing at your sweet baby in 2d, 3d, and 4d. We got to see this little one moving all around (seriously - this one is wild!), hiccuping, and of course find out whether we have a HE or a SHE on the way! :)

This picture is from 17 weeks on the dot, and I'll be 18 weeks tomorrow. It's flying by SO fast this time around! I documented with pictures and chalkboard updates WEEKLY with C, and this time around I've taken just a handful of pictures and have only shared this one so far. I like to think that it just reflects the fullness of the life that we will be welcoming our littlest into -- an active, busy older sister, lots of friends and family to visit and have fun with. 

So, here's the update as of 17 (almost 18) weeks! What do you think - boy or girl? We'll be announcing this weekend!

How far along? 17 weeks 6 days (17 weeks exactly in the picture above)

Size of the baby? About 5.5 inches long and the size of a bell pepper.

Gender? We know... and can't wait to announce this weekend! :) 

Showing? Yep! And have been since, oh, 7 weeks. Ha!

Maternity Clothes? I switched over to maternity jeans and leggings really early on because, well, why not? They are so much more comfortable! I'm still wearing mostly regular tops with a few maternity tanks thrown in.

Sleep? I had been waking up at least once a night to use the bathroom, but I'm back to sleeping pretty normally now... with my beloved boppy pillow, of course.

Movement? Yes! I started feeling little movements so early this time... 14.5 weeks! This one's a mover and a shaker.

Food Cravings? Fruit! And still very thirsty and downing ice water regularly.

Anything making you sick? No, thankfully!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood? Happy, if a little tired... and so excited to know the gender and to start really planning.

Best moment this week? Definitely seeing our baby in action (those hiccups were seriously adorable) and finding out the sex!

Challenges/strange moments? C has been a bit of a challenge this week -- typical 2 year old stuff like a few tantrums, lots of emotions and moods... so that's been tiring, especially being a little extra drained to begin with.

Looking forward to? Celebrating Steve's 30th birthday this weekend!!! Seeing our friends and family and revealing the gender of baby #2! 

Happy, happy Friday!

Easy, Fun Toddler Activities for Snow Days

Happy Tuesday!

Since we've been "stuck" mostly indoors for a couple of days now due to the snow, I thought I'd jot down a few easy and fun ideas for keeping little ones happy and entertained when going out isn't really an option. Emphasis on easy because, sadly, I am no Pinterest momma! So these are some things we've either actually tried and had success with or are just self-explanatorily (is that a word?) easy. :) 

1. Bring the outdoors in! Get a tub, bowl, big tupperware, etc. and fill it with a few cupfuls of snow from outside, then position a few of your kid's favorite (waterproof) figurines in it and let their imaginations do the rest! C loved helping Anna, Elsa, and the Mickey Mouse gang play in their own snow.

2. Cut a few sponges up into different shapes, dip into paint, and let your child create some new art for the fridge!

3. Bring a couple of toys that might typically be "outdoor" toys inside. We brought C's cozy coupe into the living room (after brushing off the wheels) and because it's in an environment she's not used to seeing it in, it's breathed new life into the ol' car!

4. Spread a blanket or sheet out on the floor, grab some tea cups and small cookies, and throw a tea party! Don't forget the best part: talking in a British accent and, of course, pinkies up!

5. Dance partyyyy! This is one of our personal favorites. ;)

6. Bake up some treats - rice krispy treats, sugar cookies, just use whatever you have on hand.

7. Gather some family photos from around the house and create a family photo book -- then have your child go through the book naming each member of the family, from mom to grandma to aunts and uncles.

8. Make a DIY stamp out of a toilet paper or paper towel roll -- just fold into a heart shape (or whatever other shape you'd like), tape into place, and have your child dip one side into paint to create their own stamped picture.

9. Blanket forts. Obviously. :)

10. Play dress up -- both of you! Put on your fancy dress and shoes and let your son or daughter get all done up, too, whether it be their favorite superhero costume or princess dress. The most mundane of tasks just feels more fun in sequins.

We are finally getting outside tomorrow for a workout class in the morning. Thursday we may hit up the indoor trampoline park, and Friday we plan to check out a local drop-in art class for toddlers. We're coming for ya, civilization! 

SNOW!

Yes, just another snow post! 

This weekend our existing plans went out the window (I was bummed to have to reschedule one of my best friend's birthday dinners, as well as an annual mother/daughter tea with my mom and her friends/their daughters) as we watched inches, and eventually feet, of snow fall! I am so not a winter person, I'll admit it. But there's not much to do about the weather, so we bundled up, rented movies, made hot cocoa, and made the most of it! ;)

Friday I snuck out before the storm because I realized I had exactly ONE diaper left for C (mom of the year!), so we headed to Target in the morning. Ohhh Target. The place I go for a box of diapers and leave with no less than three toddler outfits and a bunch of crap treasures from the dollar spot. Maybe it was the impending snow and my need to think Spring, but I couldn't resist scooping up these summery outfits for C!

I mean, I would probably wear that dress on the left and the romper on the right and proooobably the bathing suit too. Another gem I found was in the dollar section: super cute (non-food, although I'll probably sneak a few Hershey Kisses into each bag) valentines for kids -- tiny heart slinkies with little tags to go along with them! I picked up two backs of heart-print bags to tuck them in and called it a valentine win at $5 total for 16 unique valentines.

Saturday we woke up to lots of snow, which called for a yummy breakfast: french toast with fresh fruit and cinnamon sugar, and of course some iced coffee. Later in the afternoon Steve went out to shovel so I dressed C (seriously the most exhausting thing ever, getting a toddler ready to go out in the snow!) and we headed outside with him. We only lasted for about 20 minutes -- the wind was crazy! C seemed to be enjoying making snow balls and snow angels until a strong gust of wind blew a pile of snow into her face, at which point she calmly stated "otay, i all done," turned on her heel and beelined for the house. I almost died. Girlfriend knows when she's had enough (kind of like her mom!)! 

On Sunday we headed outside again and this time spent an hour outside playing! You can tell from the photos just how deep the snow is. We wrapped up the weekend with a homemade dinner and some Orange is the New Black (I know, I'm so behind the times). It ended up to be a relaxing weekend. 

Now to tackle the week! :)

About last week...

Well...it's been quite a week over here! Over a week ago C and I both came down with colds and they've lingered and lingered. We had several plans this week (play dates, work out classes, brunch) that I was really looking forward to -- we had been stuck inside long enough! But I ended up cancelling all our plans when it just didn't seem like we felt well enough to get out, and I didn't want to expose anyone else if we were still contagious. It seems like everyone we know right now is sick with something! Go away, winter germs!

Speaking of winter, after weeks of mild weather, it has officially arrived here in the Northeast! It started blizzarding overnight and is completely covered out there! One of C's favorite books is "Biscuit's Snowy Day" and when she woke up and saw the snow this morning she immediately proclaimed "Carrie's snowy day!" :) I can't wait until it calms down a little so we can get out and play!

I had all the best intentions this week for some more interesting posts, but clearly that didn't happen. There's always next week, right?

Happy weekend and stay warm!

Five On Friday

Happy Friday! It's been a long week here. C came down with a cold on Monday and I followed shortly after. Of course (and thankfully), it hit me harder than it hit her as usually seems to be the case. Being pregnant + chasing after a toddler + being under the weather does not a fun combination make! But we all seem to be doing a bit better now and hopefully a relaxing, restful weekend will wipe it out completely. :)

Today I'm linking up for Five on Friday -- this is, apparently, a Carrington Elle edition! 


[ONE] This past Saturday C had her first "All by Myself" dance class! We had done two 6-week sessions of "Mommy and Me" dance prior to this class, and then the dance instructor emailed me and asked if we'd be interested in trying the "All by Myself" class since C was old enough and seemed to be doing well. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed as I actually love attending the class with her and witnessing her tiny dancer self up close and personal. But she did SO well all by herself last Saturday, and I still creepily watched through the glass door. ;) Here's a blurry picture of her holding hands with some of the other dancers. Be still my heart.

[TWO] We've been going through a bit of a nap-strike phase around here, and it's rough. C has always been a good sleeper and this is throwing me for a loop. I'd like to hang on to naps for quite a bit longer for several reasons: 1. She's just over 2, and I don't feel like that's old enough to give up on naps yet. She's constantly on the move and she needs that mid-day rest! 2. Since I work from home, her nap time (usually about 2 hours) has always been important for me to squeeze some uninterrupted work time in. I think this is just a phase and my gut tells me to just keep being consistent, so that's what I've been doing. Anyone else go through this around age 2?

[THREE] We toured a preschool yesterday. PRESCHOOL! What?!?!?! Considering C won't be attending until this fall, it seems crazy early, but apparently you have to start the whole process early to get your pick. This parenting stuff, I tell you - crazy sometimes. We went with my girlfriend (whose daughter is C's BFF) and all toured together and the girls had a BLAST. It put my mind at ease and got me excited for fall. And the thought of a little, tiny backpack - I can. not.

[FOUR] I received the "Mother's Line a Day" book for Christmas and have really loved it. Do any of you have it? It's very simple, but sort of genius: it has a few lines for each day (for five years) where you can write a memory, thought, or something sweet/hilarious your kid said. I love this concept, because the thought of filling a complicated baby book or journal is just not in the cards right now, but it allows me to still hold onto the most important memories from each day. You can find it here. 

[FIVE] I'll leave you with these two. C crawled up next to Layla and snuggled into her, pet her, saying "awww ee-la, i mish you. good guwl, ee-la." I love them.

A Fresh Start

Happy (belated) New Year! I can't believe that another year has passed and now we're already halfway through January. 

So, let's jump right to it! Why a blog? Well, it's something I've always wanted to do. And, in fact, I've attempted to blog every single year for about 5 years now (you can scroll back through some of my embarrassing posts -- but please don't!). Blogging is sort of a natural fit for me. I've kept a journal consistently since I was in third grade, though I'm down to writing about once a month now. Writing, planning, documenting, sharing what I love and seeing what other people love: it's all perfectly in my nature. 

Now, being pregnant with our second child, I truly want to commit to a space where I can share our lives, both with family and friends who might be interested (or live far away), and also for me to look back on someday. In addition to documenting the every day stuff, I hope to explore and share some of the other things that make me happy: food, travel, home, shopping, some of my work, and words that inspire me. But definitely expect a lot of thoughts about motherhood, some deeper stuff, and, yes, belly photos. If that's not your cup of tea I understand completely. :)

So, to start off, I thought I'd share a few goals for 2016. What are yours?

1. Start a blog and post consistently: half a checkmark already!
2. Work smarter, not harder: the truth is, I already work really hard -- but not always really smart.
3. De-clutter: we will be moving sometime this year, and de-cluttering now will only help with that process when the time comes. It will also be beneficial for my sanity!
4. Give back: volunteering is something that's important to me, and when life gets busy with kids and other things it's easy to let this go. I'd love to teach C the value of helping others from an early age.
5. Prioritize myself, too: guys - I'm getting greys. I put on a few pounds prior to getting pregnant and I can't remember the last time I treated myself to a pedicure. I'd like to focus on taking care of myself a bit more this year.
6. Get financially fit: I like to think that we're already pretty financially responsible but I'd like to organize and tighten up some areas: you know, college funds, retirement plans, life insurance, all of that boring but necessary stuff.
7. Take a trip -- or two or three: with the financial thing said, I think saving up for a couple of trips where memories are made and experiences are had is a solid investment.
8. Try something new: maybe a cooking class, maybe submitting an article somewhere to be published, if something interesting pops up I want to go for it.