Reading, Watching, Listening, & Cooking

Reading: I haven't read anything since Drew has been born. I've really wanted to find a new, good book, but that just hasn't happened. Most nights - true story - at 7:30pm, I finish pumping, take my glass of wine up to bed, watch something silly and light (ie. sisterwives or Real Housewives), and fall asleep at about 8:35pm. I have a list of books I really want to read, but....... ........ ...... hopefully this summer.




Watching: Let's be real....I'm actually watching a lot of Chuggington (which is actually very cute, on Netflix).

I've also been really happy to see my old favorites Sister Wives and Counting On. And I'm EAGER to see the next season of Southern Charm 

Listening: I'm really enjoying Dax Shepard "Armchair Expert". The Kristen Bell episode had me actually laughing out loud for a majority of the time. It's long, but enjoyable. I read about the podcast on Cupcakes and Cashmere and have binge listened since.

Cooking:  This taco salad was SO good (Natalie called it cauliflower rice taco bowls). I used this recipe from Natalie's blog as a jump start and made a few substitutions (no cauliflower rice + carrots). We topped the salads with some corn tortilla chips and a jalapeno ranch dressing ....it felt both decadent and light.

 

Weekend Recap

Why is it that weekends just fly by? 

And I was SO ready for the the weekend by the time it showed up. 

We started transitioning Drew into her crib this week and while she is getting there, it has included lots of short naps and lots of crying. 

We ended up throwing together leftovers on Friday night and after the kids went to bed, I made a martini. 

I ended up having such a headache I couldn't even drink it. I think I was just worn out.

Saturday the weather was crap, but after coffee and breakfast in bed (thank you Joel), I hopped on the treadmill and got in a quick workout before we lounged around the house Saturday morning. 

I have the itch to start planting but the weather is not cooperating for the foreseeable future so it's going to have to wait. One of my favorite Instagram accounts (@darby613) posted this plant and I'm hoping I can find it at our nursery and use them in a few spots in our yard. Has anyone had success with Bridal Wreath Spirea before? 

During nap on Saturday I snuck out to get a car wash and pick up some wine, and then we met friends at Crystal Lake Brewery (clearly our favorite) for happy hour.

We all ventured back to our house and picked up BBQ from a new spot here in Crystal Lake called Moontime Smokin' Que. 

It was BEYOND good. A new favorite for sure.

Sunday morning, Joel took the morning shift and I got to sleep in a little and have my coffee in bed which I look forward to all week. And then something really amazing happened.....I booked my solo trip to Los Angeles!!!! I'm ringing in 30 with my girlfriends for a long weekend in May and I couldn't be more excited!!!!

Then around 9am, I took the kids to my parents so Joel could workout and get some work done in peace and quiet.

My mom has been dying to get Leo to watch Moana with her, so while they were watching, I snuck out for a quick run, and then we just hung with my parents for the morning.

Moana not Maui

Joel whipped up an awesome Lasagna dinner for us and friends - and I decided to spectate with a mimosa. 

We had been using our dining room table as a command center while Drew was a newborn, and while it was really nice to have an area on the first floor, it's been really nice to get my dining room back.

 

 

Joel has Good Friday off of work so I'm pretty pumped that we are going into a short week! Cheers to Monday!

Five on Friday

 

and yes, her hair is too dang much! It sticks straight up no matter what you do, feels like duck hair, and is truly the cutest thing I've ever seen.

::: 1 :::

I suppose I'm a glutton for punishment but we've started to transition Drew from the swaddle and the rock and play to the Merlin Magic Sleepsuit and her crib. It's.....going. I know she will get the hang of it but we're adjusting as of right now with lots of crying as we fall asleep (like upwards of 40 minutes) and one middle of the night wake up session where she just needed to be held by daddy for 30 minutes. Here's hoping by next Friday we're back to regular sleep patterns!

::: 2 ::: 

My favorite weeknight dinner this week - greek chicken pitas. SO good! I use this recipe to marinade the chicken and then just add whatever toppings we've got. So easy and a crowd pleaser for all.

::: 3 ::

:

I'm on the hunt for a new patio couch and table set but haven't found the perfect one yet. I might drag Joel to target this weekend, my mom recommended Lowes, or I may go the really lazy route and just blindly order something from Wayfair or Amazon.We are going to stain our patio this year and I really want the bench ready to go by the time that is done so we can start enjoying that space. We need to have a screen door installed and the weather to cooperate but I'm ready to start filling my planters and sprucing up our outdoor spaces. 

And I'm kind of loving the black and white thing....We have a few green chairs we need to work with, but I think black and white would do well and then as I get sick of it (as I inevitably will) can easily add in pops of color. 

::: 4 :::

 

Speaking of outdoor spaces, there may be a play house in our backyards future. I really think Leo and Drew would have tons of fun with this for years to come....my sisters and I used to play in our "fort" growing up constantly.....Think Joel can build it by Easter morning??

::: 5 :::

 I've clearly got summer on the mind - and since I've had Drew - have had a constant carving for Chardonnay. The same thing happened after I had Leo. I have no idea why, but it just has never tasted so good! My favorite bottle has been this. It's buttery enough, super easy to drink, the right price point ($12-14), and overall has been my favorite weeknight drink! 

Drew - 3 Months Old

 

 

1 month ::: 2 months :::

 
Weight: No idea for this month but I would assume around 11lbs

Clothes: You are pretty solidly in 0-3, and have some room to grow in them. The onesie in the picture is actually 3/6mth but for the most part 3mths is where you are sitting.

 

Nicknames: Drewbie, Drew Drew, Sloopy

Sleep: You've held steady and proven to us that you are a great sleeper. I would say 5 out of 7 nights a week you are sleeping well into the 6:00am/7am time frame, with the occasional 4/4:30am feeding. We have decided you will get a pony.

 

 Naps are getting a little more into the two solid naps a day with a lunchtime cat nap and a happy hour cat nap that you absolutely HATE but you can't get from 3:45-6:45pm without one....even though you seriously try.

Schedule: We've fallen into a nice little rhythm this month. I stopped obsessing about it for the most part and just like that, it fell into place.

6:30/7:30am- Feed, up and I also pump after this feeding for 10 minutes

8:30am-10:30am - nap

10:30am- feed

10:30-1:00pm - play/cat nap

12:30/1:00pm - Feed

1:30pm-3:30pm -Nap

3:45pm- Feed/play/bath

5:00pm-5:45pm- Cat nap (we attempt)

6:45pm-Feed and bed by 7:00pm

Health:  We are SO thankful for your perfect health

Crying:  You are LOUD. You go from zero to sixty fast, but for the most part, are easy to please.

 

Feeding: This month, out of the blue, you decided you don't love the bottle. We're having more success with it this past week, but yowza it was a bump in the road. You've been taking a bottle everyday since you were born basically, so it was very strange that out of no where you decided you hated them. We're working through it because you don't have much of an option. 

 

In the bottle at night time you take down almost 6.5ounces and during the day seem to be around 4.5-5.5ounces or take about 10/12 minutes to nurse.

 

Likes: You have started to love people this month and really like to engage with us which has been such a treat! You've spent a lot of time in the Boppy Lounger, you love taking a bath, you love music, your sound machine and to be moving!

Dislikes: Being tired or hungry, or being forced to take a nap around 5:30pm. You wail when you get strapped in your miracle blanket and then you REALLY wail when you are set down in your rock and play, but after about 3-5 minutes, you are able to put yourself right to sleep.

Milestones:  You are a rolling machine girlfriend!! At 12weeks, 2 days (on St. Patrick's Day!) your dad and I were watching you play on our bed and you decided to show off your moves. As soon as you figured out how to do it, you haven't stopped. Sometimes when you roll and your head hits the floor it startles you and you scream, but two minutes later I'll plop you back on your tummy and you will roll again!

You're just about the cutest smiler, I thinkkkkk you want to start laughing, you track items perfectly and you are starting to grasp objects when I set them near you.

Places You’ve Gone:  We are still not out and about at our normal pace, but we're slowly getting there. Our "safe places" are still Crystal Lake Brewing and Barnes and Noble so we venture to both of those spots each week.

 

Postpartum: Mentally I'm really feeling more like myself this month which has been very nice. It's taken some work and the first 6 weeks were really tough but I'm coming out of the fog and feel like I have a grasp on things much better each week. I keep telling people that each day I realize I'm not pregnant, I don't have a newborn, and its not winter makes me want to do about 8 back flips!

Physically, I've got about 12/13 pounds left to lose and it's pretty slow going. On the weekends I'm trying to get about 6 miles of running in and then on Wednesday's I'm able to sneak in a workout while Leo is at his grandparents, but I really need to commit to a carb free diet to see some actual results .... it's just a matter of starting.

Leo: I love nothing more than watching Leo with you. Last week I was putting the laundry basket upstairs and you were sitting in the boppy lounger and Leo was playing a puzzle. As soon as I got upstairs, you started to cry and Leo ran right over to you and said "don't worry, mama will come back". I almost burst into a pile of mush right then and there.

Weekend Recap

 

SUCH a glorious weekend. From start to finish, it was really perfect. It started off a little early with one of my best girlfriends JJ coming to stay with us on Friday.

We decided to hit up our favorite spot, Crystal Lake Brewing, for happy hour. They make it so easy with kids - it's loud, they provide games and coloring books, there's lots of open space to use your stroller and you can bring snacks galore! And when the fun stuff runs out....bring an ipad.

We ordered pizza, and once we got the kids to sleep we made martini's and play a few rounds of Rummy. 

Saturday morning, Joel whipped up an awesome and indulgent breakfast, and then once Jenna left, I got in a run to try to work off all the pizza and breakfast (gonna have to figure out this post partum weight loss situation here soon). 

When I got home, I prepped our St. Patty's day dinner and Joel took Leo out for a run with a pit stop at the park so they were both happy campers.

 

I snuck in a nap while the kids were sleeping and then Joel's parents came over to cheer on the Vols.

 

 

 

Sadly, it didn't end well for us (and my bracket is now shot to shit), but it was a fun evening regardless.

 Sunday started off pretty slow but by 9 I was finally able to sneak out for another run.

 

After my run, we took the kids for a long walk to the neighbors tennis court and just ran and played outside which was lovely.

After lunch, I snuck out during nap time to Trader Joe's and Nordstrom Rack and of course only found things for Joel and the kids (post partum issue see above.)

After naps we took a beer outside, went for another walk, played on the swing set and just enjoyed the lovely weather.

 

I ended up making a pretty indulgent dinner for us. Last week my friend Mallory posted a recipe from Chrissy Tiegen's cookbook, and it sounded so good to me - Jalapeno Tuna Casserole. 

It makes a ton, and it's really rich, but it was good and the perfect Sunday night dinner to cap off the weekend!  

 

Five on Friday

::: 1 ::: 

Ohhhhhh right when you think you've got it figured out, they send you a curve ball, don't they! Sweet baby Drew has decided this week to petition against bottles. She has taken one bottle of pumped breast milk everyday since she was about a week or two old, and out of no where, just decided that she wanted to put up a fight. We've tried everything, and honestly, we're not that overwhelmed by it (#secondkid), but it's annoying. She eventually takes it, strangely seems to take it best from me, but I'm really hoping this is a phase that passes fast. 

::: 2 :::

We hit up Barnes & Noble twice this week. It's my favorite spot to go to when it's cold in the mornings because Leo loves it, they have a Starbucks, and if you get there right when it opens, it hasn't been overrun with too many kids yet. 

 

::: 3 :::

 I turn 30 in just a month and a half! I can't even believe it! I'm really excited for my thirties, but I'm just not sure how to welcome them in. I've thought about doing a bowling party (seriously), maybe taking myself to LA to visit my girlfriends, or going with the family up to Wisconsin for a long weekend. 

::: 4 :::

Drew is officially 12 weeks yesterday, and I feel like we are coming into our groove. We're getting out more, I can predict our days a bit more, and I feel more like myself with each passing week. Spring is flirting with us, and I just feel like I have so much more of a handle on things (mentally mostly) than I did the first 8 weeks. Some days I just want all of the "praise hands" that I'm not pregnant, its not winter, and we don't have a newborn anymore. 

::: 5 :::

We're going reallllll wild with St.Patty's Day this year. I'm talking outfits, food, and beer. And that's coming in the form of cute clothes for the kids, corned beef in the crockpot, and maybe a drop of food dye into a beer we will have at home.