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Monday, September 28, 2015

Pinterest Reno

Puff and I struggle daily with the decision on whether or not to move or to invest in The Bungalow and make it larger. I am pretty sure my indecisiveness trumps the whole "do we want a second baby" dilemma by like twenty million times. I am stalking real estate daily, contemplating other neighborhoods, and searching for comp sales whenever possible. Just in case. On the flip side, my Pinterest page is covered with pins eluding to the fact that we may renovate.
 
If we did stay here, what would we do? Well, the plan in my head involves finishing our current attic space to house a playroom and a guest sleeping area. Then turning our current laundry area into a kitchen pantry and appliance area. And creating an addition with a master suite (with a GIANT walk-in closet) and a laundry room. Could I live through a renovation? That's up in the air. Anyhoo... thought I would share some of the ideas I've got floating around in my head. (All photos found on Pinterest)
 







 
 
Can you tell I have a pretty distinct style? One that is not currently reflected in my home? Thank you garnet couch. (Which I hate, but hides toddler stains and baby spit-up pretty magically... so it shall stay for at least a few more years!)
 

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Healey 14:52

Photo is copyright of Rushing Life
 
This week, Healey went on her first vacation!!! I'll update more on that in a separate post, but she did so well. She was a champ in her car seat, slept great, was able to hang with all our running about, and besides a massive blow-out diaper at a restaurant, she was a total travel rockstar! You know that makes this mama proud! And excited about future trips! 

She has gotten herself on a pretty normal sleep/eat schedule, which I love. It's happened pretty naturally, but she has a bottle shortly after we get home each evening and then another one around 9pm for bed. She goes straight down to sleep and has been sleeping most nights until 4am before she wakes up. She has her bottle and goes right back out. I know she's not taking huge long naps at daycare, but it seems to be working for us, so I'll take it. Getting up once a night and then right back to sleep ain't nothing to bitch about! Yes, she still sleeps in the bed with me, but I don't mind since she is on the other side (where Puff used to sleep.. LOL) until her bottle. After that, she usually is wiggly unless I snuggle her. But I not-so-secretly love it, so I'm fine with an hour or so of cuddles each morning. I feel like it's such a blessing I get to do some co-sleeping, since I wasn't sure I would get to with her being the second child.

She is just starting to get a little more friendly with the idea of holding a toy. Mostly she's content to play with a dress she's wearing or a bib, or to gnaw on a blanket/burp cloth/lovie. I can't wait for her to start wanting to play with toys. Although I'm sure her big sister isn't too keen on that idea! 
 

Monday, September 21, 2015

Healey 13:52

(This photo is copyright of Rushing Life)
 
My sweet, sweet girl. She is doing great at daycare. She is being a sweet and chill little sister when Bimmer wants to paw all over her (and hug her way too tightly). She is only waking up once in the middle of the night to eat. But at 4:30am she always wants to cuddle. And I'm happy to oblige. I have no idea where the time has gone... I think she'll be sitting up on her own before too long! I just love her more than words.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Table Rock

OK... Confession time. I tried to post this sometime last week, but I was having trouble uploading photos, so I gave up. Then I started back to work and I'm just a wee bit overwhelmed with all of life these days. So I thought I'd give it another shot... and the pictures STILL wouldn't upload. So, ya know, you're just going to have to forgive me.

Back in August, Puff and I took the girls on their first trek to the mountains at Jones Gap. (You can read about that trip HERE). After it was such a hit with Bimmer, and felt like old times for the grown-ups, we decided we wanted to head back that way one more time before summer was over.

(insert pic at overlook)
 
This time, we opted for Table Rock State Park. We had been there years ago (when I was pregnant with Bimmer) and attempted a fairly moderate trail. Puff always griped that we never finished the loop, since I wasn't comfortable climbing across rocks while 30+ weeks preggers. So we thought maybe we would try it again with the girls. As you can see, Healey was thrilled...
 
(insert pic in car)
 
The first part of the hike, from the welcome center/visitors station/check-in doo-hickey place, the first part of the trail is actually several trails all running together, that branch off after a little while. This stretch was great for me carrying the baby and for Bimmer to be able to do her thing.
 
(insert pic with girls)
 
There were also pools to stop and check out, and had it been super hot, it would have been a great place to chill out for awhile.
 
(insert bent over pic)
 
However, this time we opted to go toward the RIGHT when the trail split (we had gone LEFT last time) and it started to go pretty straight up hill, pretty quickly. Between my extra weight with Healey on my chest and Puff having to occasionally carry Bimmer, we never even made it to the first trail intersection. I found out later that Puff had lied (or omitted information) about the trail... telling me it was an "easy" trail that shouldn't take any more "than an hour" when really it was listed as "moderate" and was 2 miles long... which going up hill with two kids, wouldn't exactly be a day in the park.
 
I was content with what we attempted and Bimmer had fun and Healey got some fresh air. Next time, we'll know better. Or I will know better to do some more research before taking the girls out. Next summer, Healey will fit in the backpack, so Puff will get to carry her!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Healey 12:52

Such a tough guy :)
 
Healey started school this week. I was a bit of an internal mess, but didn't actually shed any tears. It helped that she was so content with the teacher when I handed her over. Here's hoping that since she is a little big younger (Bimmer was 7 months when she started daycare and that was rough to watch her cry when I left each morning) she will be a total rockstar.
 
She has become quite the little chatterbox this week. Or well, compared to what she had been. She still can't get a word in edgewise with a father and big sister who never shut up. (Yes, I'm the quiet one in this family! Believe it or not!) When she's alone and in a happy mood, she just loves to chat. You talk to her and then give her a second and she'll start to make noises back at you. I can't decide if she is going to always be chill and quiet and let Bimmer run the show, or if one of these days she's just going to bust out with being a wild child and give us all a run for our money.
 
This week, we also put her in her Bjorn facing forward for the first time. Her little neck isn't quite 100% wobble-free yet, but she's pretty close. And she loved being able to look out and see stuff, versus being forced to stare at my chest. It's also a lifesaver for those times when you just can't push a stroller... like our excursion to NC to go apple picking. (More on that in an upcoming post!) Hard to believe it's true, but my little girl is growing up!
 
P.S. This photo is copyright by Rushing Life, even though I didn't have time to watermark

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Quit Growing

This morning, my house is eerily quiet. As in, the most quiet it has been since I don't know how long. I've got the TV off and both girls are at school. Yup... today was Healey's first day at daycare. She's been there an hour, and so far, so good. I've not even cried yet! But since my little one is such a big girl today, I thought I'd share some of the professional newborn photos we had done back in June. Hard to believe I go back to work tomorrow and this was already almost 3 months ago! Where does the time go???





Friday, September 4, 2015

Healey 11:52





This is the last weekly photo before Healey starts daycare and I go back to work. I swear these have been the fastest weeks of my entire life. I am having mixed feelings about going back to work, but I know that being a SAHM is not in the cards for me. And that's OK. I just have to keep telling myself that it's the quality of time, not the quantity, that really matters with the girls. I am still a good mom, even if I am a working mom.
 
Healey is such a sweet baby and I am so madly in love with her. My favorite thing about her these days is her smile. It always starts with her face just lighting up and her smiling with her eyes. (Tyra Banks would be proud.) Then it starts as a lopsided smile and you can sometimes see her one little dimple. Then her entire face just gets consumed in her smile. Her eyes squint and her nose scrunches up. Lately, she even has been making a sound when she smiles that big... a precursor to a laugh, perhaps. I know a sweet baby giggle isn't too far off.
 
She loves to be laid on her back (when she's not tired or hungry) so she can just kick and wiggle. She is hell-bent on sucking on her hand/fingers sometimes. It's adorable to watch her try to get her hand in her mouth. Her aim isn't quite there, so sometimes she gets her hand up to her eye and then her arm slowly inches down her face into her mouth. You can see how proud of herself she is sometimes when she gets her thumb in her mouth just right. Since we've nixed the pacifier all together (hooray!!!) her thumb is what she's got to work with.
 
Girl still doesn't have any interest in holding toys, but she doesn't get as mad if you put one in her hand - she just drops it immediately. She loves to sit on my lap and play peek-a-boo. She loves to be held where she can look around and check everything out. One day, I had her in my lap and she was straining to turn her head to find the television. What can I say? Girl loves her some "Dexter." (Which I did finish, btw. I've never binge-watched a show before - I think I will recap that in another post.)
 

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Big Week, Big Girl

Last week was a pretty big week for Bimmer - even if she doesn't quite realize it.

First off, she officially moved into the K3 class at her preschool.



 
So far, I like her teacher. But Bimmer always does better in a smaller classroom, and her K3 class has 15 kids. I got a note home her second day about Bimmer not making wise decisions and not listening. Hopefully the threats of taking away any TV time at home if she's bad at school will work!
 
She also finally started her dance class!
 

 
I was very proud of her in that class. We can watch via closed-circuit TV into her classroom and she appeared to follow directions and participate appropriately. Hard to believe I'm going to be a "dance mom" and spend every Friday night in the studio between now and the end of May 2016. But so far, she loves it. And that's all that matters.
 
Get your twirl on girl!
 
(P.S. All photos are copyright of Rushing Life - even though I didn't watermark them this entry.)