Our Weekend in Words

We had a lovely weekend, and I didn't take a single picture.  Sometimes it's nice to just enjoy the moment...though of course, I love taking pictures when I can!

Friday night, we ordered pizza for a quick meal, Gavin and Daddy played like crazy boys before bed, and then Jarrod and I cuddled on the couch with some drinks and watched Hangover 2.  Though I didn't think the movie was as good as the first, it was really nice to snuggle and watch a WHOLE movie, meaning we didn't fall asleep!  Riley slept awful that night, though, so I ended up on the couch with her for much of the night.  

Saturday, Gavin had a haircut bright and early, then after nap time, we went over to Adam and Jill's house and had some yummy food and played Dominoes.  That was a lot of fun, too.  

Sunday, we had brunch at Amy and Chris' house.  The food was delicious and it was so cute to see Gavin and Lucas play together.  I love that the kids are getting to a point where they actually play together and not just beside each other.  They had a lot a fun.  Caleb and Riley were super cute, too, sitting on the floor watching each other play with toys.  Good times with good friends!  

After we left there, we made a quick stop at Walmart to return a couple tings.  We also went down the sewing machine aisle, because I was looking at Amy's while we were there and wanted to show Jarrod the one I was looking at online, and he put one in the cart!  I'm so excited for my birthday present.  He just keeps telling me 'you better use it!'  I can't wait to learn how to work it and make some cute things for us.  

Since the weather here has been really nice, Gavin spent time helping Daddy before dinner in the yard, and then we grilled pizzas for dinner.  It was a really nice weekend.  I LOVE our weekends together!

6 Months!

I can't believe you are 6 months old, Riley!  Where did the time go???  This post is going to be picture heavy...they all turned out so.darn.cute.

Riley Savannah is about 16 pounds 3 ounces now, and quickly outgrowing all her 3-6 months clothes.  We've recently upgraded to size 3 diapers, and are happy that we've found Luvs, which have worked the best for her with no leaks!  She's not nursing as much through the day, and is eating lots of yummy food now.  I've really enjoyed making Riley's food; seeing how easy it is makes me wish I had made Gavin's food, too.  So far, she's had oatmeal (ok, I didn't make her oatmeal; I just bought Gerber) avocado, green beans, peas, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, bananas, and apples (I cheated and bought natural applesauce...).  Tonight we're trying pears!  We just tried green beans recently, and they were the first food she didn't really seem to enjoy as much as the others.  Some nights she doesn't want to eat much, others she eats two bowls and still wants more.  We've also been working on drinking from a cup in hopes that one day, I'll be able to do an evening party and it won't be a big deal for me to be gone.  One day...

She's sitting up really well now, and has finally figured out that rolling actually gets her places!  She rolls all over the place.  Yesterday, she made it from her mat to the pack and play while I was in the kitchen.  Some of her favorite toys are her exersaucer, her Fisher Price table, and really anything she can get into her mouth.  She's not really babbling much as far as the da da and ba ba sounds go, but she sure knows how to use her vocal cords!  She's a screecher!  This week, we've also noticed how she is recognizing her name.  

Riley definitely isn't a horrible sleeper, but she also slept better as a newborn and when she was the rock and play in our room.  Since moving to her crib, she's been waking every few hours and I've been going into her so that she doesn't wake up Gavin.  Last night, she finally rolled over in her crib, so swaddling her legs has to stop...which means last night was not a good night, and she ended up sleeping on my chest on the couch.  Brought back a lot of memories from how Gavin and I slept for so many months!  I think her being sick this week has added to the downward spiral of her sleep.  

Apparently the photo shoot bored her because she started eating her toes and then took her headband off!

 We don't really have a routine...everyday is a little different since some days we're home all day and others we're not.  The one thing we can count on is that she will fall asleep while nursing after dinner, and then sleep anywhere from 10-45 minutes before she wakes back up for another hour or so.  It's her nightly catnap.  Baths are still one of her favorite things, and boy does she make a mess!  I get soaked during baths because she kicks so much.  

I'm still in shock that she's already 6 months old.  She's losing the itty bitty baby-ness and turning into a mobile, loud, little girl!

 

Eagle Sighting

Today is Riley's half birthday!  Can you believe it?!?!  But, it's already late afternoon and I have so much to do since I was gone all morning with Gavin's field trip {fun!} so I'm going to edit and post her official 'month-day' pictures tomorrow.  

For today, I want to post these pictures that I already edited.  Over the weekend, a friend of Jarrod's told him about this place that we could go to see eagles.  So, we packed up the car and drove 15 minutes and ended up on this dirt road with cows and barns everywhere you looked.  {That's one of the cool things about living here - 15 minutes one direction and you're at a mall with P.F. Chang's; 15 minutes another direction and I feel like I'm completely lost in the middle of nowhere!}

Anyway, as we get to this dirt road, I asked Jarrod if he knew where we were going.  He admitted he didn't, and said he thought we'd see other pulled over.  I thought he was crazy, and then sure enough, just ahead, we see four cars pulled over and people out with binoculars.  The bad part of this excursion is that Gavin was really excited to see them, but he couldn't.  They were too far away for him to figure out what he was looking at, and I don't think he really got the whole binocular thing.  But, he did get to see them on the computer when we uploaded these pics.  Pretty cool!  It brought back so many memories of being in Skagway (or maybe it was Ketchikan...now I can't remember) on our honeymoon and kayaking around Eagle Island.

If you're not sure what you're looking at, look for white golf balls in the trees (really their heads).

Wordless Wednesday

Oh, Jarrod...

I have to write this story down so we can laugh about it again one day...  We're laying in bed last night watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (gotta love trashy TV with my hubby!) when Jarrod asks me what the traditional anniversary gift is for 5 years.  I told him I didn't know and asked why he was wondering.  His response:  Well, your 30th birthday and our anniversary are coming up, thought maybe I should lump them together for one big gift.  I immediately started cracking up and informed my lovely husband that we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary last April!  We got a good laugh out of it for sure!  


It did get us talking about what I want for my birthday.  I've been saying for a while now that I want a sewing machine, and I think Jarrod finally gets that I'm serious because he asked me this morning if I'd looked into them.  I've also told him that I want the Zumba game for our Wii.  I tried on some clothes this morning at Target, and can't help but think that nothing looks right on me right now.  I'm trying to lose the rest of the baby weight, and I hate spending money on clothes now that will {hopefully} not fit me in the spring/summer.  {I'm down 3lbs in 3 weeks...so I consider that 'on a roll!'} 


Of course, what I'd love is to be able to see my family for my birthday.  Can't wait to see them again!  Hurry up, June!

Daddy's Little Girl

To say I love seeing these two together is an understatement.  

 

Considering Riley won't take a bottle, which leaves all feeding duties on me, and how she's now in a 'mommy phase' and cries when others try to hold her, I'm so thankful that Daddy and his little girl still have a special bond. 

I can't wait to watch it blossom as Riley grows.  I know he's going to take her fishing, camping, and probably try to get her to go hunting, but I also can't wait to watch him dance around the living room and have tea parties with her dolls. 

Daddy loves you so much, Riley-Burger.  And Mommy loves how you light up whenever you look at him.  You saved your first smiles just for Daddy, and it's obvious he still makes you so happy.  

 

 Daddy always said he wanted a little girl, and now he has you!

Annual Client Appreciation Sale

Thank you for being such amazing clients, hosts, and friends!  I appreciate you so much, so in celebration of my 3rd anniversary with Tastefully Simple, we're having a special.  Today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday), any order that you email to me or call into me will qualify for the following special:

Spend $33, and I'll add on a Beer Bread for just 3 CENTS! Spend $53, and pick a dessert of your choice for just 3 CENTS! Spend $73, and you can select any spice for just 3 CENTS! Or spend $93 to select any drink for just 3 CENTS!

Please note, online orders will not be eligible for the special since I cannot edit your order.  Also, orders placed for an ongoing catalog or taste-testing party are not eligible.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

I hope you know how wonderful you all are!  You are the heartbeat of my business, and I thank you for your support.  It's a great time to stock up your pantry!

Have a great weekend!

A Day in My Life

{With 2 kids!}

This is one of my favorite posts to do because I know that someday, I'll love looking back at how we spent our days.  I realized recently I hadn't done a post like this since Riley was born, so it was time to do one!  Brace yourself...two kids just means more pictures to take during the day.  This could get long!  Here was our day yesterday.

4:30am - Up with Riley to nurse, put her back to bed

5:00am - Heard Riley again, so I just went to get her and put her in bed with us

5:55am - Got up to start coffee and found Gavin in the bathroom...he's started getting up to go to the potty by himself now, yet another sign he's growing up. 

 Jarrod's out of the shower, I get in, Riley wakes up

6:25am - Daddy leaves for work.  Gavin eats breakfast and I put Riley on her playmat.

 7:00am - Mommy's ready!

 

Gavin plays Angry Birds...

 ...while I try {unsuccessfully} to get Riley to nurse one more time before we leave.

 We brush teeth, I refill my coffee, and we're all in the car and ready to pull out of the driveway at 7:48am.  On the drive to school, I talk to my mom for a few minutes.

8:10am  Arrive at preschool.  Gavin washes his hands and hangs up his coat and backpack.

 I talk to his teacher for a few minutes.

8:20am - Riley and I are back in the car {she's all bundled up...it's cold here!}

 Time for errands.  While Gavin's at school, we go to the bank, to two different friends' houses to pick up crockpots they're letting me borrow for the open house tomorrow, Walgreens, and Walmart.

10:40am - Got back to school.  I nursed Riley in the car and replied to a couple emails.

 Riley and I went in to get Gavin, and the door wasn't open yet, so I sneaked a picture of him through the window.  He was reading in the library. 

 "Mommy!"  My favorite part of preschool...picking up this cute boy.

 11:15am - Quick stop in Target because I forgot one thing at Walmart.

11:40am - Home!  Time to unload the car.

 12:10pm - Lunchtime.  Gavin had a PB&J, oranges, yogurt, and milk.  My lunch was the oh-so-appetizing combination of the crust off Gavin's sandwiches (I hate to waste it...), leftover meatballs in Bayou Bourbon Glaze, and some orange slices.  Riley tried to eat her feet.

 While I wait for Gavin to finish lunch, I changed Riley's diaper and soaked some bath toys.  I hate bath toys!

 Riley played on her playmat for a few minutes.  I swear I put her in the middle of the mat.

 12:35pm - Family Reading Time.  This is something new we started recently.  I decided that I wanted Gavin to see us read more, so before we go in for a story and naptime, we have ten minutes of 'family reading time.'  We all have a book to "read" until the timer goes off.  Gavin looks at pictures, searches for letters, uses his Tag Jr., etc.  Riley chews on her books.  :)

 12:45pm - One of my new favorite times...Stories before nap!  Riley is usually awake at this point, and with her sitting now, she loves to read with us.  I love their smiles!

1:00pm - Naptime for Gavin.  Riley nurses, and is asleep by 1:15.

1:15pm - Tastefully Simple work...enter parties and orders, conference call with my business coach, set up a Freezer Meal workshop for February, and start a new business account for a local realtor.

 2:40pm - Look who woke up!

 Diaper change for Riley and play time in the Exersaucer while I build Gavin an Angry Bird board and start straightening up the kitchen. 

 3:15pm - Gavin wakes up!  He thought it was hilarious how I was trying to get a picture of the two of us and kept cutting off parts of our heads. 

 Gavin has a quick snack and watches a show.  I finish cleaning up the kitchen.

3:45pm - Nurse Riley and play Words With Friends!

 4:00pm - Run the vacuum, then play Angry Birds one more time with Gavin.

 4:30pm - Start prepping dinner while Riley happily sits in her bumbo seat watching me.

 5:15pm - Dinner is all in the oven!

 I quickly clean Gavin's bathtub and do the dishes from dinner prep while Gavin plays trains and Riley sat with her toys and the Boppy...or at least she started out that way!

 When Jarrod texted me that he was close by, I got Riley in her high chair and Gavin wanted to hide from Daddy under the table.  Riley thought it was the funniest thing ever and just kept watching him and laughing.  

 6:00pm - Daddy's home!  Time for dinner...Riley has homemade peas and butternut squash.  We have BBQ meatloaf muffins, parmesan roasted potatoes, honey carrots, and crescent rolls.

Riley and I played a game of "Close Your Eyes" while Gavin magically made his vegetables disappear.  It's crazy what will get a kid to eat...

  6:25pm - Dishes...Daddy dried, Gavin played cars on the floor.

 6:45pm - Nurse Riley while I watch some DVR'd Ellen shows and Gavin and Daddy hang out.  {Gavin took this picture of us.}

 7:00pm - Riley is asleep on me, Gavin and Daddy are playing Angry Birds {imagine that!}

 7:15pm - I try to lay Riley down while Daddy and Gavin go 'hunting' {made Jarrod's night!}...didn't work.  That was her nightly cat-nap I guess!

7:30pm - Teeth brushing time and stories in bed.  Love these boys!

 Gavin decided he wanted to wrestle for a few minutes with Daddy instead of rocking with Mommy.  Daddy definitely was Gavin's favorite last night! 

 7:50pm - Bedtime for Gavin.  

8:00pm - Nurse Riley one last time, and she's asleep and in her crib at 8:15.  Gavin's still awake so I rub him back for a few minutes.

Jarrod and I straighten up a little, watch the end of an episode of Chopped, and he looks online at some hunting stuff.

9:00pm - We're in bed watching Friends, our nightly routine. :)  

9:20pm - We're both asleep!  Good night...

10:30pm - Just kidding...Riley's up again.  Rock her, nurse for a few minutes, back in her bed...ok, now really good night!