Weekend Rewind!

Happy Monday!  I'm linking up today with Tami from Little Moments Like This for Weekend Rewind.  I really am happy it's Monday today because this is my VACATION week!  My vacation officially started on Saturday and it was so nice to be able to spend the day at home with Brandon and Anniston.  Brandon and I really haven't spent much time together with Anniston since he's been home- I had to work all last weekend and I also worked the late shift 3 nights this past week in order to pay back my co-workers for closing for me while Brandon was in Tulsa.

Saturday was Brandon's day to "sleep in" so I got up with Anniston that morning.  I really didn't mind- she's been doing much better at sleeping and I kind of enjoy getting up early (when I've gotten a substantial amount of sleep during the night) so I can get a few chores out of the way before our day begins.  Anniston and I played, I did the dishes, cleaned her bottles, put in a load of laundry- and all before Brandon woke up at 7:30!  Brandon and I had a date night planned for Saturday night.  Bebe and Papa (Brandon's dad and stepmom) kept Anniston for us.  We had dinner and went to see "The Lucky One."  The movie was great (the book better) and my husband was a trooper for making it through a chick flick without complaining!  It was nice to get dressed up in normal clothes that aren't either scrubs or workout attire.  Here is my "outfit of the night."

top: J Crew; white denim jeans: J Crew; ballet flats: J Crew; bracelets: J Crew, Target, Accessory Auctions----can you tell I LOVE J Crew?


Sunday morning was my morning to sleep in so I was feeling good when I got up.  I squeezed in a quick 2 mile run before we headed out to Target and Costco.  We rarely shop as a family so this was a real treat for us.  Anniston was able to sit up in the cart for the first time and she had so much fun people watching.  My mom and dad came in town that afternoon and while they were playing with Anniston, Allie and I went biking.  It's been a long time since I've been able to bike (being pregnant and all!) so it was nice to get out on our magnificent greenline and soak in the sun!  Mom and Dad brought Anniston a little outdoor swing and slide set and I think she liked it!

That evening we went to eat at Swanky's- one of our favorite taco shops here in town.  When we arrived, Anniston had worked up a good little surprise in her diaper for me.  I don't know what it is about going out to restaurants, but if she's ever constipated I know what to do!  Seriously- it was everywhere- on her bloomers and on the carseat!  Thank goodness my mom was there to help me in the bathroom to clean her and the carseat up!  We still had a fun time and Anniston was in a great mood after that!  What a great weekend to kick off what is sure to be a fun week!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

1.  I'm my loving that my husband is back in town.  It's so nice having some help with Anniston again so I can have a little break.  I think I see a date night in our very near future- yay!

2.  I'm loving this "Week in the Life" photo book idea.  I found this on Pinterest and I think I'm going to try and do this next week.  I love how this captures your day to day activities and moments rather than the big and special events that always get documented.

Source: tellyourstoryeveryday.com via Kelly on Pinterest

3.  I'm loving my sis's awesome photography skills!  She just keeps getting better and better.  And I do love that she "practices" on Anniston.  Here are some from the other day:

4.  I'm loving that my vacation starts on Saturday!  I have an entire week off!  I'm going to work on some projects, start organizing my ideas for A's birthday party, spend some quality time playing with Anniston, have a date night with the hubby, and probably take a little bit of time out for me as well.  I might get a pedicure, a massage, a spray tan- who knows?  I can't wait!

5.  I'm loving my jogging stroller!  I've taken A out in it to actually jog several times now.  It was harder than I expected.  Yesterday though I ran 2 miles without stopping- and that included going up a hill!  She loves it as well.  She likes to people watch while just sitting back and relaxing.  I'm so glad I got one of these strollers.  It gives me no excuse not to get out there and run since I can take Anniston with me.

6. And lastly, I'm loving this pin from Pinterest.  So true.

Source: memebase.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Play Dates

I had yesterday and today off work and Anniston and I have been two busy girls!  We had a checkup yesterday morning for her ears (everything checked out great!), made a little trip to Target (with a very large bill), and then headed out to see my friend Emily and her two daughters for our first play date!

Emily and I graduated pharmacy school together and I am so glad we have kept in touch through the years.  She has a 2 year old (Olivia) and a 4 week old (Ava).  We had so much fun catching up!  Miss Olivia is so cute and at such a fun age.  She showed me her room and her toys and told me that she is a big help with Ava.  Little Ava is a such a doll- and so tiny!  I didn't know how well the "play date" was going to go with a 4 week old, a 6 month old, and a 2 year old but we did really well!  Anniston was in a good mood and Ava slept most of the time!  Here are a couple of pics I snapped:

This morning we had another play date with my friend Amanda and her 10 week old, Bridger.  And I forgot to take pictures!  We had fun hanging out at our house and playing.  Every time Bridger would cry Anniston would stare at him and raise her eyebrows as if to say, "Whatcha crying for?  Be happy!"  This afternoon we had Anniston's 6 month check up and shots.  Allie went with me since Brandon is still out of town.  Anniston did great with the shots- she only cried for a few minutes. She weighed 19.7 lbs and was 26 in long.  Our doctor was very pleased with her stats and development!  Yay!

A at the doctor- she loves the paper sheets they lay out on the examining table!

On another note- Anniston is now mobile!  She's not crawling just yet but she has figured out how to "scoot" backwards and turn herself a complete 180!  I cannot leave her alone for a second!  We have a pretty big playmat that covers the entire center area of our living room.  I can put her at one side and within a matter of seconds she can be on the other side about to roll or scoot off of it!  She can even get herself up on all fours and a rock back and forth.  Then she gets frustrated that she can't go anywhere!  This all happened practically overnight!  I can't wait for Brandon to get home (he comes back tomorrow!) so he can see her do this.  I sent him a video the other day showing him what all she can now do and he was amazed that this all has happened since he's been gone.  She also reached for me when I held out my hands to her tonight for the VERY FIRST TIME!  I cannot express how excited this makes me.  I've been trying to get her to do it for weeks and Brandon always laughs at me when she doesn't do it.   I can't wait to show him when he gets home!  She did it several times tonight while Aunt Allie was holding her and once when she was in her exersaucer.

We sent Daddy a little message yesterday and he LOVED it.  He told me later he showed it to all his coworkers!

I am SO glad Brandon will be home tomorrow night.  While I missed him so much, I am also glad Anniston and I got some one-on-one time with each other.  I have had so much fun with her these past two weeks and have enjoyed getting her all to myself.  I've also missed her more than usual when I'm away from her at work.  I think we have bonded on another level since Brandon has been gone.  Nevertheless, I will be SO READY to see my honey tomorrow night!

Baby Essentials- Anniston's Favorite Things (0-6 months)

I've seen a few other people do this and I love reading what they find to be must haves for their baby.  Everyone is different and I found that I agreed with some things and disagreed with others.  It's interesting to see such diverse lists out there.  I thought I would do my own because, hey, it might be nice to look back on and reference for baby #2!  I'm grouping the first 6 months together for the first post.

Bright Starts Infant Activity Mat

We loved our tummy time during the first 5 months or so.  After that this wasn't enough space for her to play on.  We are about to put this up and I've ordered one of the bigger playmats with the interlocking pieces.  I can't wait to put it down so that Anniston will have plenty of room to roll around and play with her toys.

Tommee Tippee Bottles

When breastfeeding didn't work out so well we went in search of a bottle that was good for acid reflux and gas, since she seemed to have problems with these the first couple of months.  I know Dr. Brown's is a very popular choice, but we decided to go with these and I think they worked pretty well.  They have a vent in the nipple to help with air flow which, in turn, is supposed to help with gas and colic.  We are still using them now.  They are a little on the expensive side but we use our coupons at Babies R Us and watch for when they run a 20 % off discount on Tommee Tippee items.

Medela Pump in Style Breast Pump

I exclusively pumped for the first 6 weeks and I am so glad I had this pump.  It was amazing!  My sister gave it to me as a baby gift at one of my showers.  I loved this pump- actually pumping though was a different story!  Ha!

Pacifiers

Anniston would take the soothie pacifiers for the first month or two.  After that, she lost interest in them.  She seemed to need something to suck on in order to satisfy that urge but she didn't like any of the ones we tried.  I FINALLY found one she would take.  Actually, her babysitter is the one who found it (gotta love her!)  Of course, it is so hard to find the Playtex Binky pacifiers in stores.  I have to order most of them.  I think she likes this one because of it's straight nipple.


Graco Pack n Play

We decided against buying a changing table for her nursery because I wanted to go ahead and buy furniture that could grow with her instead of buying something that we would only get a little use out of.  I bought a pack n play that had a changing station attached to it.  I LOVED this.  First of all, I set this up in a corner in our living room and it was very convenient to change her diaper there instead of having to go back to her nursery every time.  We still use it now.  I love that it has a place for her diapers and two compartments to keep diaper changing essentials close by.  Now we use the pack n play as a play yard and she loves getting in there and rolling around with her toys.  Also- this isn't the exact one I have, but I do have a black and white damask print to match the decor in my living room:)

Fisher Price Snugabunny Swing (aka the Magic Swing)

I cannot express my love for this product enough.  It is truly a MIRACLE worker.  Anniston absolutely loved this starting from about 3-4 weeks on.  This is the only way I could get her to sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time during the first couple of months.  She still uses it.  The wiring got messed up in ours about a month or two ago and I about had a panic attack.  I couldn't get it to turn on!  Thankfully, my mom had also bought one to keep at her house, so she gave us theirs.  Whew!  It's going to be a sad day when she outgrows it!

Pampers Baby Dry Diapers

A friend told me about these super absorbent diapers when Anniston was about a month old.  I had no idea they even made these!  I love these for night time use.  They absorb more so she doesn't get as uncomfortable when she wets in the middle of the night!

Zip Up Sleepers

Anniston wears these to sleep in at night.  I only buy the ones that zip up- not the button down kind.  I cannot imagine trying to line up the snaps in the middle of the night while you change a diaper.  Surprisingly, these are hard to find.  It baffles me.  When I do find some, I stock up in several different sizes!

Fisher Price Rainforest Jumparoo

A LOVES this.  She loves to bounce so this is perfect for her!  I love the sounds and the activities that come with this.  Great product!

Munchkin Soft Tip Spoons

I found out real quick that A is picky with her spoons.  These are her favorite because of the soft tip.

Baby Genius Favorite Nursery Rhymes

Brandon and I can sing every song that is on here.  That is how much we listen to this.  The songs are great.  The graphics- kind of cheesy.  It alternates between a cartoon and live filming.  It's weird and at first I couldn't see Anniston liking it.  She LOVES it.  She smiles when we turn it on and she hears the music.  She giggles when mommy and daddy sing along with the DVD.

Snap n Go Stroller

This stroller has been awesome for us.  It's lightweight and small- perfect for strolling around the mall and in stores.  I have hardly used the stroller that matches our carseat.  It's just so bulky and hard to get down aisles in stores.  I wish I had just bought this and my jogging stroller.

So there you have it!  These are just a few of the things that we could not have lived without!

Happy 6 Months Anniston

Baby girl,

You are half a year old!  I cannot believe it- time really does fly by.  You have learned so many new things this past month and are starting to be able to express your wants, needs, and emotions.  I think you become more beautiful with each passing month and I love you more and more each day- if that's even possible!

You reach for everything in sight- and it goes straight to your mouth.  You even try to put things that are way to big for your mouth in there!  You drool constantly and it gets all over everything- your toys, your clothes, and even me!  I think you started teething a bit during the last week before your 6 month birthday.  You really started to gnaw on everything you put in your mouth and love your teething rings- especially when they are cold!  You are rolling over like a lightening bolt!  You have been rolling over before now but sometimes you would get your arm stuck underneath you and it would make you mad.  Now you have got it down and you do it so quickly! You can sit up better too- you topple over after a few minutes if you don't have any help or support.  You lose your balance if you try to reach for a toy or look up at something.  You sit up so well in mine or Daddy's lap though!

Your favorite toy is your keyboard that Kay Kay bought you.  You love to hear us play music and you always try to put it in your mouth- but it's way too big!  I try to give you smaller toys made for going in your mouth but sometimes you don't want anything but your keyboard!

You still love your jumparoo and your Baby Genius DVDs.  Your favorite songs are "I'm A Little Teapot", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", and (crazy enough) "We Are Young" by Fun.  I don't know why you like that song so much, but every time I put it on and sing you laugh and smile and kick your legs.

You had a rough week during this past month.  You got sick with your first stomach bug and also had tubes put in your ears.  More on that here. You were brave though!  You are in a few 3-6 month clothes still but mostly have moved up to 6-9 months.  You are still in size 2 diapers but we have moved up to a size 4 in your overnight diapers.  I think you weighed about 17.5 lbs when you had your tubes put in.

Mommy and Daddy had their first night away from you (and it was overnight) since I started back to work.  Kay Kay and Poppy kept you at our house while we went on a little trip to Tunica.  We had a lot of fun, but you had just started getting sick that morning and I was sad to be away from you when you didn't feel well.

You were eating 6 bottles of 4 oz each with a morning and evening meal for the first couple of weeks. We had cut out the overnight bottle and you were doing so well.  Then you got sick, had tubes put in, and we took a couple of steps backwards.  That's ok though- I wanted you to be comfortable when you didn't feel so well. The last week and a half or so of the month you decided that you wanted to wake up (for good) at 4 am most mornings.  One morning you woke up at 3:30 am and didn't want to go back to sleep!  We've had a hard time getting you to sleep past 5 am the past couple of weeks. This means Mommy and Daddy have been going to bed earlier!

You eat your baby food so well!  You like everything I have fed you except green beans.  We have tried them several times and you make faces and it mostly just comes right back out of your mouth.  Bananas are your favorite fruit and carrots are your favorite vegetable.  We started giving you a little bit  of apple juice (watered down, of course) to help with your bowel movements every now and then.  You love it!  We have tried a sippy cup several times too- sometimes you do really well and other times not so much.

I can't wait to see what next month brings us.  You are so much fun and I feel so lucky to be your Mommy.  I love you Anniston!

Supermom

I don't think I've quite made it to "supermom" status yet, but I've sure been giving it a go.  This past week has been busy, hectic, fun, and crazy all at the same time.  Seriously- I don't know how single moms who work full time do it.  I've been a "single working mom" for a week now- and I've still got one more week to go!  It's possible I will be a zombie by next Friday.  That's when my husband comes home from his two week training course in Tulsa, OK.  In all seriousness, it hasn't been that bad.  Anniston and I have a lot of mommy-daughter time and I love it.  Here's a run down of how this week has gone:

Brandon left late afternoon on Easter Sunday.  A and I spent the afternoon hanging out with Brandon's dad, stepmom, and cousins.  We did reasonably well on sleep Sunday night (aside from the fact that 4 am was her wake-up time.)  I got 6 hours of sleep anyways and felt pretty chipper all day at work.  After picking A up from Kristi's we went on our first real jog!  She's able to sit up in the jogging stroller now and she absolutely loved riding in it.  She squealed and talked and enjoyed all the scenery.  We made it 1.5 miles without stopping.  I was pretty proud of myself- pushing my chunky monkey for 1.5 miles was hard- especially uphill!

Tuesday night after work we took it easy just playing around the house and relaxing.  I've had to be creative on ways to keep her entertained while I get things done around the house.  I was in the kitchen that night trying to make pasta salad to carry to work the next day and I had put her in her exersaucer so she could watch me.  She was starting to get fussy and squirmy and the only thing that made her stop fussing was for me to sing "I'm A Little Teapot" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" while dancing around the kitchen.  So here I was trying to cook, clean bottles, and pack her bag for the next day all while singing and dancing around the kitchen.  Who needs to run for a workout- I was exhausted after all that!

Wednesday night my mom came in town to pick her up for me and hang out with us that night so I could have a little break.  I went for a nice, relaxing 3 mile run. I honestly don't know how I mustered up the energy but it felt so good afterwards!  That night Mom played with Anniston while I folded laundry, did dishes, and cleaned up around the house.  I was so thankful she came down so I could get a few things done!

Thursday night I worked the late shift, so my mom picked A up and kept her until I got off work.  I really like working different shifts throughout the week- it gives variety to my week.  I had switched around with the other pharmacists so that I would mostly open these two weeks since Brandon was out of town.

This past week was my three day weekend- my favorite week!  I had promised Allie I would be her assistant on a photo shoot for one of my technician's little girl.  I took A on in to Kristi's that morning so I could actually help her without having to worry about Anniston.  The photo shoot went so well and was a lot of fun.  Afterwards, I took a bit of "Kelly" time before picking Anniston up.  Allie and I ate brunch together, shopped a bit, and scoped out the Botanic Gardens for some photo shoot ideas.  I was missing my baby girl and was looking forward to girls night in when I went to pick her up.

Saturday my mom and grandmom came in town to hang out with us for the day.  Anniston was in such a great mood!  She laughed and squealed at my grandmother and I had so much fun showing her all of Anniston's new tricks.  She took a good, long nap in grandmom's arms and I was able to clean out and organize her nursery.  I also made a trip to Target and Carter's that afternoon while they watched her for me.

Although Anniston and I have had fun spending some one-on-one time with each other, I ready for my husband to be home!  I had formulated a list of things to do once Anniston went to bed each night this week- things like organizing my pictures, ordering a collage of the Easter pics, blogging, etc.  But by the time she goes to bed my brain is mush and I'm useless.  I have only had enough energy to catch up with my mom and sister on the phone or lie in bed and watch tv.  Most nights I have been in bed by 9 pm.  Next week is going to be just as crazy- we have some play dates planned, A's 6 month shots, and a check-up with her ear doctor.  Whew!  Sorry for the long post- I'm making up for my lack of posts this week!

Happy Easter

Friday morning we were up bright and early for a very special Easter photo shoot with my fabulous and very talented sister, Allie.   We had been planning this for weeks and I was giddy with excitement.  The photo shoot went so well.  Anniston did decide to have a rather large poopy about 10 minutes into the session.  I was able to save her dress, but her brand new white ruffle bloomers (with monogram, I might add) were unable to be saved.  She was in a pretty good mood, and it only took us singing a couple of rounds of "I'm a Little Teapot" to get to her grin from ear to ear.

I am so thankful I have an awesome sister who takes time out of her day to do this sort of thing.  She claims she still has a lot to learn and just wants "practice."  While that may be true, I personally don't think it gets much better than this!  So thank you, Allie, for spending the time to capture Anniston's first Easter with us!  We are so grateful.  

Fahion Friday- A's Favorite Places to Shop

I thought it would be fun to do a Fashion Friday focusing on some of my favorite places to buy clotes for Anniston.  I absolutely love shopping for my sweet girl.  It's sometimes more fun to buy stuff for her than me!  I've discovered a lot of cute websites and have been very pleased with most of my purchases.  Here are a couple of places that we love to shop from:

1.  Ruffle Butts- I'm a huge fan of ruffled bloomers and this place has adorable "ruffle butts" and swing tops.  I think they are so fun and easy to wear.  Prices are not too bad, either.  Here is A in her grape ruffle butts outfit:

2.  Carter's- I love all the cotton tops and leggings they have.  These are our go-to everyday outfits for Kristi's (our babysitter).  They are cute, not too expensive, and comfortable.  We have a Carter's that recently opened here in Memphis, but I also buy them at Macy's as well.  Here are some of my favs:

3.  Target- I have been very surprised at the quality and styles of baby clothes at Target.  I don't know why- I'm a huge fan of Target clothes for me.  They are super cheap, so I don't feel guilty if she only wears an outfit a time or two.  Here are a couple of outfits that we scored at Target that A currently owns:

4.  Ragsland- I recently discovered this website a couple of months ago.  I just bought A's first outfit from there.  It's a little more expensive but it's a great place to buy from for a special occasion outfit.  Here is what I purchased:

5.  Smocked Auctions- I know everyone is tired of me talking about my Facebook auctions but I can't help it!  Maybe it's the thrill of the auction.  Who knows.  They have great deals on smocked dresses, bubbles, and swimsuits.  I like smocked dresses for some occasions, but I'm not one to buy a lot for her to wear all the time.  I do, however, LOVE bubbles!  This isn't the exact one I purchased, but it's very similar:

I also have bought several new spring outfits from Spoiled Sweet- a local children's boutique here.  This is where I bought her crocheted sun hats and her Easter dress came from.  They are very expensive, so I try to limit my purchases from there.  Same goes for Blessed Be The Name and Kelly's Kids- both online boutiques (unless you can find a trunk show.)  As far as headbands go, I buy them all from Etsy!  A couple of my favorite sellers for A's headbands are:  Ava's Tutu Cute Boutique, Baby Hair Delights, Two Little Wrens, and Sweet Avalyn Boutique.  I have also bought a fabulous assorted color package of interchangeable headbands from The Hot Polka Dot.  I love them because you can clip whatever bow or flower you want to them and it looks like a completely different headband!

I love dressing my little girl and buying adorable outfits for her!  If any of you have recommendations on any other cute places to shop, please let me know!  I love finding new shops!