We went to Peter's sister's house for Thanksgiving this year and it was the first Turkey Day I have spent away from home. We usually do the two families in one day kind of thing, so it was kind of nice to relax and enjoy one meal, instead of fitting in two. I definitely missed all the southern casseroles at my Mom's house but the new baby love made up for it, I think. We have a new boy in the family that is only three weeks old! He and Solomon are one and a half months apart, I can't imagine the memories that they will create together!! They are going to be best friends and I love it! 

Some appetizers while we wait for the food!! 

Guac and stuffed grape leaves, two of my favorite things! 

We had fun switching babies around and loving on all the boys!

A perk to being at an Italian's house for Thanksgiving, baked ziti!! 

And don't let my plate fool you.... I had a serving after I finished my plate!

Trying to get a picture in the big mirror in the living room... Valentino didn't really understand, ha!

But I do love this shot that I got of us. His confusion was pretty cute. 

The newbies in the family, so sweet!! 

Hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving!!!! We all have so much to be thankful for!

Taking Stock 008

Happy almost Thanksgiving people!!!

I thought it would be fun to share a Taking Stock post before the holiday season is in full swing because they are fun and I enjoy looking back at these!

Things are busy around here and we are gearing up for Turkey Day tomorrow & all the fun filled days that follow until New Years, so... here's how things are going lately.

Making // time to clean.... always cleaning
Cooking // mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving this year
Drinking // coffee, hubby makes the best coffee
Reading // my Christmas shopping list for the day after Thanksgiving
Wanting // to soak in every moment of this holiday season with our first baby
Looking // forward to meeting my latest nephew tomorrow
Wasting // groceries, fresh produce always goes bad before I can finish them
Wishing // i could sit and watch the parade tomorrow morning but we will be on the road
Enjoying // the voice a lot this season, so many amazing singers
Liking // the cold weather 
Wondering // which stretchy pants I will wear for tomorrows feast
Loving //  our family Christmas card this year
Hoping // for safe travels for this years thanksgiving
Marveling // about God becoming man for my sins, this season is so special
Needing //  to find the perfect stocking for Solomon, I think this one wins
Smelling // yummy fall candles
Wearing // comfy pjs and fuzzy slippers
Following // a schedule is not so easy these days
Noticing // how wrong I was with my motherhood plans, it's honestly pretty funny
Knowing // the days seem long but the weeks are short, so bittersweet
Thinking // that we will want to host Thanksgiving one year soon
Bookmarking // the crate & barrel catalog for Christmas decorating inspiration
Opening // the attic for Christmas decorations sooooo soon
Giggling // at the way Solomon talks back to Peter, it is so obvious he loves him so much
Feeling // thankful

Have a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend!!! 

100 Days of Happy, again // pt. 6

51// dinner date with my mom

52// baby boys first hotel stay

53// coming home to daddy's love

54// burgers and fries 

55// healthy and yummy oatmeal

56// long hot shower & air drying hair during naptime

57// starbucks christmas coffee

58// my cute little lunch date

59// the sweet way he holds my hand

60// chocolate ice cream and baby feet

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5

Sights + Seats // Craft & Vine

I had heard so much about this lovely little place since Peter has been traveling to Augusta for a while now so I was excited to give it a try last week when we were in town with him. My favorite kind of restaurant is definitely the "farm to table" style that has become so popular. The quality is so great and the prices aren't super crazy, a win-win! Craft & Vine was definitely a win in my book!

I also love places that aim for the tapas size portions so you can share them and try a bunch of things. We met our friends Allen and Brooke at Craft & Vine so it was fun to test some drinks and food with them! The waiter had Brooke and I with the description of the deviled eggs. BBQ Chicken, YUM! 

The drinks were all so great, I love a good cocktail and any bar that puts a lot of thought into their drinks makes me happy. I had sparkling apple drink with a great spicy fall twist and Peter enjoyed a black manhattan for the first time. The guys had rabbit wings (while we had our eggs!) and I also died over the most delicious beet salad!! It was full of arugula, crunchy sweet beets, grapefruit slices, & pistachios. Man, just typing all that out makes my mouth water, it was so dang good!!

Peter has also raved about their wood fired pizza and the great crust. We shared two different pizzas that were very good. The crust was crunchy and the sauce was so good. I picked the "Trenton" pizza because I will choose anything that involves pork meatballs!

Then the dessert.... oh man. I usually turn down dessert but then this thing called pregnancy happened to me and I don't think I can ever turn it down again. Especially when it involves peanut butter. Peanut butter is definitely the way to my heart. This vanilla pot de creme was topped with a crunchy homemade fluffernutter. I honestly don't know what a pot de creme is but it made my heart very happy. 

I know we will be visiting this wonderful place again in the near future thanks to another work trip!

I'm also looking forward to trying the other restaurants in the Frog Hollow Hospitality Group, soon!!

traveling with daddy.

One of the many perks of staying at home with Solomon are the fun times when we don't have to stay at home! Peter travels a lot for his job and we are lucky enough to go with him if it is close by. This week he was working in Augusta and I thought it would be fun to come and meet him for the last part of the week. Taking it easy and working our way up to one full week away, no need to push it. Yesterday was our first day away while daddy was at work and it was so wonderful. We woke up and had breakfast together and then Solomon and I had a slow morning of naps and snacking in the room. Around lunch time we ventured out so I could find some lunch and walk around for a bit since the weather was so nice. 

By the way, this is the difference of Solomon at night and the morning. 

He is such a happy boy in the AM! 

The left was Wednesday night when we arrived.... 

the right is on our way to breakfast yesterday morning.

what naptime in the hotel looks like, thank God for this amazing stroller!

 view from our room, and a sweet boy ready to go see the town!

More fun from Augusta next week with a Sights & Seats at a super yummy place!!

Have a great weekend!

Pregnancy Post // Fourth Favorites.

I've always heard that the fourth trimester was a real thing and let me tell you, it is! I wanted to share some of my favorite things that helped me with this last trimester. You need some help when you are tired and learning how to become a momma to a new baby that is also trying to figure out this big world. Here are the things that made that transition a lot easier broken down in a few categories.

1 // Seventh Generation Diapers

By far the best diapers!! These things are the most leak proof for Solomon. I know every baby is different but these are the best for us. We are going to start the adventure of Cloth Diapers soon but I'm not quite brave enough yet... 

2 // Ava Anderson Baby Wash

This stuff smells so good and I love that it doesn't have any bad chemicals in it. I secretly want to use it for myself, ha! It definitely makes bath time at night a lot better and Solomon seems to love it also. 

3 // Honest Baby Powder 

This powder is a life saver when it comes to diaper rash. Solomon was getting some bumps from all the little rolls of fat around his diaper but they went away once we started using the powder. It is so light and airy also, he always smiles and giggles when I put it on which is pretty adorable. 

4 // Honest Baby Wipes

I have tried the Seventh Generation wipes since I love their diapers way more than Honest diapers but I decided to go back to the Honest wipes. They are are so soft and remove everything so much easier during a dirty diaper. I also love that I can use these to wipe Solomon's mouth or face if he spits up because they are fragrance free. 

5 // Honest Sanitizer

I really love how this product smells and how soft it leaves your hands. We have the big pump bottle in our living room for guests and we use it after diaper changes. I also love to keep the little bottle in the diaper bag for when we are out of the house. 

6 // Honest Baby Oil

After 2 months of using so many different products this has to be my favorite. We use it after his bath every night and give him a little massage which he loves. I am excited to try the Ava Anderson baby lotion since I love that bath wash so much but I know I will continue to use this oil at the same time. I was surprised I didn't like the Honest baby wash but this oil is a keeper for sure!

 

7 // Reusable Bed Pads

Since we are co-sleeping these things are super helpful at night. I can lay one on the bed under me and Solomon so I can feed him without worrying about leaking or him spitting up some. I can also sleep better knowing that he won't have a leaky diaper on our sheets or mattress. We also use one of these in the car and on the living room floor for diaper changes & they have saved the car/carpet many times. It makes life a lot easier since you can just pop these in the washing machine and hang them to dry. 

8 // Sound Machine

This baby is a life saver for sure! I don't think I can sleep without it now, so once Solomon is in his room, I might need to buy one for our room. It cuts out so much noise and I love the "brook" option for sleeping. It sounds like a calm creek flowing through our room and Solomon seems to sleep best with that sound also. It really helps with nap time and sleeping more soundly at night. 

9 // Portable Sound Machine
I didn't realize how helpful this little thing was until we had that hospital stay and we needed something to help cut out all the sound. When we were heading to the ER I grabbed this sound machine for the car ride so we could try and sooth our sick baby, but I wasn't expecting to use it the entire weekend. The only bad part about this product is how quickly the batteries die, but it is worth it. 

 

10// Motherhood Nursing Tanks

Normal nursing tanks aren't a huge deal and you can buy them from anywhere so you won't have to spend a ton of money on them like at Motherhood BUT this kind is awesome!! It has full support like a soft bra and cups to help with shaping. I love the regular tanks for around the house but when you are out in public it is nice to have the bra fit for clothing but still wearing a tank under clothes.

11 // Water 

I believe this is the most important thing for good milk supply, hands down. I can tell a huge difference on days that I don't drink enough water & I can also tell how much my supply is boosted when I drink a ton. I try and drink one full glass of water while I'm nursing but that isn't always possible. I've also noticed it helps to have a big glass of water first thing in the morning before my coffee. 

12 // Soothies Gel Pads

Yes, Yes, YES! These are my favorite! There's nothing like the instant cold feeling on your sore nipples. Just being honest. I could tell a huge difference with the pain of nursing in the first couple of weeks when I used these. 

13 // Placenta Encapsulation

This was probably the one thing that made people look at me like I was a crazy person but I truly believe it made a big difference. There isn't a ton of research to back this up, but my doula gave me the contact for the woman who can do this in my town and she only charged $150, so I thought it was worth a shot. They say that taking the pills can help with postpartum depression, milk supply, energy, and a bunch of other things. Those three were the most important to me. When you think about the first trimester and all hormonal changes that happen, it is mostly because of the placenta forming. Then when you have your baby and deliver the placenta, all those hormones leave your body and you can have a lot of reactions. By taking these pills you give your body a easier transition. There have been times when I felt super emotional for no reason or super tired after a long night of feeding on demand and I'll take one of these pills and within the hour I feel back to myself. It might be a placebo effect kind of thing but I don't care, for $150 I will take it! 

14 // Meal Baby
Our church small group was so kind to set this up for us and it made the first few weeks of parenthood so much easier. It was nice to know that we would have a full meal delivered to our house every other day. We didn't have to think about groceries or cooking, just open the door and see a friend with their arms full of food. That is a wonderful blessing and we are so thankful for those who signed up and made our nights a little easier. The website is super easy to use, also!

15 // Caryn's Sore Boom Sitz Tea
Caryn was my doula and this stuff was a life saver!!! She and my mom made these frozen pads with herbs when I was in labor at home so when I got home from the birthing center I could use them. After having a baby you are pretty sore, raw and may feel like you are on fire at times so these frozen pads helped so much with pain. I would use them after a hot shower at night and go to sleep with one om and wake up feeling like a new person. Of course that was only a little rest before the next feeding but it was so helpful. They also put the same mixture on some nursing pads and froze them for those really sore days. The ingredients and directions are below. Also, you can order the ingredients HERE. 

Ingredients:
Arnica Flowers
Lavender Flowers
Lady's Mantle
Heather Flowers
Jasmine Flowers
Chrysanthemum Flowers
Comfrey Leaf
Directions:
In early labor bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1/2 bag of herbs, cover and steep 1+ hours. Strain tea and place in air tight container. Place several sanitary napkins/nursing pads flat on a cookie sheet, leaving wrapper under pads. Spoon tea over each pad until saturated and freeze. Refrigerate remaining tea. Tea can be used in peri bole, sitz baths or bath soaks. Frozen pads can be applied for 20 minutes. After soaking or using pads, air dry boom for at least 20 minutes. Discontinue use if irritation occurs.

What are some things that helped you with the 4th Trimester?? 

I'd love to hear about them!

Annual Shopping Trip.

For the past several years, my mom and I, have been taking my grandma on a shopping trip around her Birthday. It started as a trip to Charleston but last year we went to Georgia for the first time and had a wonderful shopping adventure at the North Georgia premium outlet! My grandma decided she wanted to go there again this year since we had so much fun last time. It is such a great way to get a head start on all the Christmas shopping and have some girl time. We were all happy to have a little man with us this year, of course! 

There aren't very many picture opportunities when you are shopping till you drop all day long but back in the hotel was a different story. After a day of sitting in his stroller or in my sling, he was more than ready to lay down on the bed and hang out. I was thinking about last years trip and how I was hoping to be pregnant by this years trip. I went shopping and bought some maternity clothes for my friend Katie and I said a little prayer in hopes that I would need some soon. It's so sweet how God answers those prayers, even quicker than we expect, sometimes. 

So glad to have such a sweet and cute shopping buddy!