Here we are... half way through the year somehow?!? I just don't understand how crazy fast this year has flown by already. It's going to be Christmas before we know it. HA! But seriously, the hot weather is here, and we are planning our second beach trip for late June, I can't wait! It's going to be a good month, but first let's see how awful I did with those May goals! 

May Goals

1 // clean out and organize the laundry room - none of the cleaning I had planned happened but I did do a LOT of cleaning. Mainly organizing clothes for both boys and myself. So that took a big chunk of the month. I'm going to try my best to work on the laundry room and garage now!
2 // clean out and organize the garage (I know, I'm brave!!) - see above
3 // start a monthly workout challenge - I did this most days, and I can tell a big difference. I'm going to switch things up and do something a little different for June and focus on one body part on M-W-F and then do cardio on T&Th. I think it will be good!!
4 // plan a cookout for Memorial Day & Peter's birthday - the massive amounts of rain made this hard to accomplish BUT we did have a great time celebrating Peter's Birthday at Spare Time with our family and friends! 

June Goals

1 // clean out and organize the laundry room & garage

2 // stay on a clean eating diet during the weekdays 

3 // enjoy two date nights with Peter 

Asher // five months.

My happy boy, 

Everyone is so obsessed with our chunky, always smiling, sweet baby boy! I never thought I would have that baby that everyone talks about and shares pictures of, but you sure are cute, and everyone loves your "marshmallow" squishy rolls. I know I sure do love them. I swear I could cuddle and squeeze and kiss you all day long. You love it too. You are such a cuddle bug, and you are starting to give your kisses back. Yesterday you saw Solomon after you both had your nap and he went to hug you like he normally does. You were so excited and wrapped your arms around him and held onto his shirt trying to kiss him. It made me want to burst!! Most of the time you like your space, but you are definitely warming up to the constant hugs and kisses from your brother. 

I also love how aware you are now days. You pay attention to your surroundings and really try to talk to people. Those who see you every few days really notice a difference in how you are holding yourself and how observant you are. We are also starting to see your personality shine and I can't wait to see who you will become. I know you will be such a sweet and loving boy! We sure do love having you around. 

Love, 

Momma

stats //  22.1 lbs & 27.5 in.

eating // if we are out and about he will go a at least 4 hours without nursing, but when we are home he prefers every 2-3 hours. He's definitely interested in food and we are planning to give him some once he's 6 months old!

sleeping // his sleep has been so erratic thanks to that four month sleep regression I think?? I never know what a night is going to be like now and it's getting hard to keep him out of our bed. It's still so natural for me to go get him and bring him to the bed to nurse, and sometimes I don't even realize I do it until he wakes up again to eat. He definitely sleeps better in his crib so I usually end up putting him back at some point if he is in our bed. 

But, even a bad night is much better than sleep with Solomon in his first year, so I'm hopeful that things will turn around and get even better again, soon!  

wearing // still wearing all 9 month and 12 month clothes but some of his pants and shorts are 18 month now thanks to those yummy thighs and his chunky butt. I'm officially washing all of the 18 months clothing so they will be ready when I need them soon. 

He's also moving up to size 5 diapers now, cause the 4 diapers keep leaking!

firsts // worked at HOG Day with mommy and daddy, starting to sit up but still can't roll over, we celebrated my first Mother's Day as a family of four with Asher, & giving kisses and hugs which is so sweet, especially when they are for Solomon.

favorite things // chewing on anything he can get his hands on, smiling at mommy, yelling at Solomon when he's playing to try and get his attention, waking up with a big smile every morning & drinking as much milk as he can!

weekly three.

It has been a busy week full of fun things to do, most of them involving Peter's 35th birthday! We still have a weekend full of fun things to do and I'm excited to enjoy a lot of time with family and friends. The weeks and weekends are starting to feel more and more like summer, and I'm honestly loving it! The hot weather by 10AM, not so much, but the fun things to experience with my guys makes me happy. Happy Weekend to you!!

This woman and her HUGE heart for my family, especially my sweet baby boys, makes me so thankful!!! She is the best Gigi!!

Ice coffee on these warm summer mornings is my guilty pleasure!

& hot tea at night while watching the Americans. It's the best show, and I'm so sad to see it go. This final season has been so, so good.

A Day in our Life // 007

I almost didn't share this post because I realized after working on the details of it all day, (tracking our day and taking/editing photos) that the last time I did one of these was only three months ago. Then I read that post and it was crazy how much has changed. Not just for Asher, but for Solomon, too. We are loving the change in weather and the change in our routine almost daily now. It's going to be such a fun Spring and Summer with these boys!

5.22.18 // tuesday

8:15 - I wake up to silence which is really odd for our house. Normally the sound machine is on high in both Solomon and Asher's room but I heard nothing. I then hear movement downstairs so I leave Asher snoozing on the bed to find that cutie below. When I asked him what he was doing he simply said "I'm working". He also thought it was a good idea to turn off the sound machines before he went to work downstairs. He's such a mess... 

8:30 - after I change Solomon's diaper I check my to do list that I wrote down the night before. I'm so happy I've started doing this again. Even if everything doesn't get finished, (and it almost never does!) at least I have a plan for the day. 

8:35 - I give Solomon some breakfast and go back upstairs to check on Asher and he is laying on the bed looking around. Once he sees me he starts to wave his arms around and gives me the sweetest little grin. I go get his clothes for the day and change his diaper before heading back downstairs.

8:45 - Solomon gets comfy on the couch for a tv show, Little Einsteins is his favorite right now. 

I then throw the load of laundry in the washing machine before getting my coffee.

9:10 - after I change out of my pajamas and put on a little makeup, I go get some cuddles from Asher while Solomon finishes his show. He still loves his swing most mornings and lasted a long time while I was getting ready. I change Solomon's clothes and we get ready to leave and go to Auntie Joy's house for some fun with cousins. 

9:40 - I'm greeted by Jonah at the door like always as he gives me the rundown on their morning so far. This kid always knows how to make me smile!! 

Sophie and Asher have some fun on the floor, and Solomon is excited to see Sophie, too.

9:50 - going to Auntie Joy's house always includes waffles, which makes Solomon very happy! 

10:40 - I lay Asher down for his nap in the guest bedroom and go downstairs to hang out with the boys while Joy get's Sophie down for her nap. As I'm reading a book to the boys in the playroom I accidentally spill my entire cup of ice water which pretty much landed entirely on Solomon since he was in my lap. Poor guy, it was so cold!!! But I threw his clothes in the dryer so they would dry and he got to be a naked batman instead. 

11:50 - Asher wakes up from his nap and Solomon's clothes are dry. Watching these guys running around in their super hero gear will never get old. And I love how Solomon is so obsessed with his oldest cousin Jaden. It's so sweet! 

12:45 - we get home just in time to see daddy going back to work after his lunch break.

We then make a quick lunch before heading upstairs for naptime. 

1:10 - after a quick book, Solomon lays down to go to sleep for his nap. One of the biggest changes in in our life recently his Solomon's awesome sleep habits. He is napping again, usually 1PM-3PM, and he's also falling asleep on his own for both naptime and bedtime. It has been so wonderful for all of us and I'm so proud of him!! 

2:00 - after some one on one time with Asher, he is down for his second nap.

I then head downstairs to watch The Voice from the night before & do my daily workout. My grandma also comes by to say hello and see the boys for a little while. I made us both a shake to enjoy while we wait for them to wake up. 

3:00 - I go to get Solomon up from his nap (I usually have to wake him) and he's excited to see mama. Asher wakes up about 15 minutes later. I'm glad she got to spend some time with both of them and get some cuddles. 

3:30 - after my grandma leaves, Solomon gets to have his daily Star Wars time. We have limited it to 25 minutes a day after his nap. It's a good incentive for him to go to sleep for his nap and it also helps him wake up a little happier. The boy sure does love his Star Wars! 

4:00 - I fold the laundry from earlier that morning while playing light sabers (of course) with Solomon and Asher plays in his exersaucer. 

4:30 - After I'm finished folding the laundry, I sit on the floor with Asher so he can practice sitting up. I also chat with Solomon about birthdays and answer a lot of questions. I really, really love all our conversations lately. It is so funny to hear what he says and how he says it. He also asked for an apple and peanut butter so we share one while Asher plays in his exersaucer again. 

4:55 - I'm trying my best to have some "school time" each day with Solomon so we can work on numbers, letters and other fun things with him. He really loves it too, which makes it a lot of fun for me. I sit with him while  he practices his numbers and feed Asher while we wait for daddy to get home. 

Busy days but I love it so much. Just noticing how much has changed in just a few months makes me want to savor each moment even more, Even if that means I'm up till almost midnight working on this post. It's worth it, and I am so thankful for my sweet family!

weekly three.

Since last week's weekly three was staring Solomon, I thought this week could showcase our baby boy! Today is also his 20th week (which is technically FIVE MONTHS) with us and it's kind of blowing my mind. He has changed so much recently thanks to his fourth leap. It was brutal, but so much happens developmentally during that leap, which explains all the new things he is doing. He wants to sit up even more and can really hold himself well for a little while. Tummy time has gotten much easier and he even likes it a little bit now. His sleeping seems to be getting back on track and I'm hoping it will go back to the normal 6-7 hours chunks of sleep once his little cold is gone. A friend recently said he has such a jolly face, and it's so true. He is such a jolly little guy! I love him & I can't believe he's been in my arms for 20 weeks now. Time is such a thief, right?!? 

All the cuddles and smiles before naptime in his room. Even between coughing and a runny nose, he is constantly smiling. Plus, his neck and chins kill me. 

He has been waking up around 6:30 every morning, so either Peter or I will go get him, and bring him in our room. That's when he has some morning milk in the bed with me and pats my chest or face until I wake up. This is seriously the smile I get to wake up to every morning. I mean, who wouldn't want to wake up that way???? 

Solomon is so all about Asher lately, and I love it. Wanting to hold his hand, kiss his cheeks and hold him more than ever.
I love them so much.

Happy weekend, friends!!

Hard Love.

Motherhood is such a journey and has so many ups and downs. Every mother has a different story to tell and I think that is what makes it so beautiful. How we all have our own connection to becoming, being and growing as a mom. I will never take for granted the blessing it has been to be called mommy. It is hard, it is exhausting, but it is so good. I know that God put me on this earth to be a mom, and I'm so thankful that He has given me two little lives to lead back to Him. They aren't mine to keep, and I have to remind myself of that so often. I'm their mommy, their booboo kisser, their cheerleader, their first love, but most of all, I am their reminder of God's love. I have the very hard job of trying my best to always be an example of what Christ's love looks like for His children. Some days are hard, so so hard, but even in those hard days, I try my best to remind myself that this season is short. Even when it is hard, I know God has given me the heart to love them deeper and harder through it. Unconditional love for my sweet boys. 

Asher's new sweet smile that he just stared to give this week 

& Solomon's constant blur of adventure and fun in photo form. These two make me so happy!

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there who are experiencing the hard love. The ones who yearn month after month to hold a baby of their own, to the mothers who are finished holding but miss those days so terribly bad, to the ones who feel like their arms may never stop holding and are beyond tired in the long dark hours of the night. All of it is so hard, but so good, and we are all women who love deeply in our own way. So, happy day to you!

weekly three.

It was a long week for us but we are so happy the weekend is here. Peter was gone for the first part of the week and we were all VERY excited to see him when he got home on Wednesday night. Now we made it to Friday and I'm so excited to spend Mother's Day Weekend with my sweet family. We already spoiled Gigi this week (or she spoiled us) since we got to hang out with her a lot. I'm so thankful she loves to come over and help us out when Daddy is away. 

The beautiful weather and coloring (with a little wine) on the deck is always nice!

I can't wait till we get some fresh eggs from these girls... 

Solomon not so thrilled about missing the sunglass memo. HA! 

I promise Asher was around this week also, I'm just normally holding him or have him strapped to my chest during the day. 

taking stock 016

new play-doh while brother naps is a lot of fun!! 

Making // smooooooothies. I'm also wanting to make some virgin mojitos like we had in Cancun. 

Cooking // a lot of Fresh Market meals. They are so easy and taste great, too.

Drinking // one La Croix a day, for my treat with lunch.

Reading // my posts from Florida and getting excited for our trip in June!

Wanting // soooooo many pieces from this collection at ikea. 

Looking // forward to Mother's Day weekend!

Wishing // the weekends didn't fly by so quickly. 

Enjoying // breastfeeding finally. I didn't expect to have so many challenges this time around but I feel like we are finally at the sweet spot now! It only took four months... ha.

Liking // the date night list that I've been working on. Date nights are such a treat!

Wondering // how Asher's personality will evolve in the months ahead.

Loving // how much Solomon loves Asher. He is so sweet to him and can't wait to see him each morning.

Hoping // to have a little morning with Peter and Solomon soon. Big brother is due for some one on one time!

Marveling // at all the conversations with Solomon recently, I need to work on a new Solomon Says soon.

Needing // to schedule a manicure for Friday!

Smelling // coffee. I need so much coffee.

Wearing //  pjs all day, at least they are cute & so comfortable!

Knowing // I need to find the energy to workout.

Thinking // about how much easier life will be when Asher can sit up on his own. I hate to wish time away, but this stage is so frustrating for a baby, and mommy!

Bookmarking // birthday ideas for Solomon on pinterest. September will be here before we know it, and he'll be THREE!!!

Opening // new play-doh for some fun playtime with Solomon. 

Giggling // at Friends. Yes, the show... I'm watching it from the beginning for the first time and I seriously love it. It is so FUNNY! 

Feeling // extra blessed and super thankful!!

& that bedhead is definitely due for a haircut!! Gonna try and make that happen tonight after his bath.