A non-kid related post

It's 9:15 on Saturday night. My husband is at a guy's only cookout and both my kids are in bed. So, I figured I would spend a few minutes on the little 'ole blog and maybe write about something other than my kids! 

1. I went back to work on Thursday.  It was actually really nice to get out of the house and have some real adult conversation (and making a little money didn't hurt either). Have I mentioned here how thankful I am for this job?  I don't work much (in fact, I only have 5 days scheduled between now and September) but I really enjoy what I'm doing, have great co-workers, and am so thankful for the flexibility to be home with my boys most of the time but still have the opportunity to work as much or as little as I want.

2. I need a post-baby wardrobe pick-me-up. So, for our anniversary this year Chris told me to treat myself to some clothes. But. the thought of shopping with 2 little ones in tow is not at all appealing. So, I thought I would give Stitch Fix a try.  Heard of it?  Basically you pay a $20 "stylist fee" and they send you 5 items of clothing based on the style profile you fill out. Then, if you keep any of the items the $20 is credited to your account.  Sounded like a good idea to me. So, I filled out my profile and anxiously awaited my box in the mail.  It came yesterday and it was a BUST. Bummer.  I had such high hopes!  I had specifically asked for some summer shorts and shirts but my box included a pair of $98 jeans (there was a time I would have paid that for jeans but not now with 4 people in my family to clothe!), a long sleeve shirt that I actually really liked but it was $58 and obviously not practical in this 100 degree heat wave, 2 shirts I just didn't like, and a $40 necklace. My sweet husband saw how disappointed I was and offered to keep the boys one soon morning so I could go shopping by myself and get a few items.

3. We joined the YMCA!  We went back and forth about it because it's not exactly factored into our budget but we decided last week to bite the bullet and do it!  I have only been once so far to a cycle class with my friend Alison but I look forward to trying out lots more classes!  Running just isn't going to be so easy now because we don't have a double jogging stroller.  So, I'm thankful to have an exercise alternative.  Also, I'm so excited to take Hudson to the pool occasionally. It's important to me that he's comfortable in the water and hopefully learn to swim sooner rather than later.

4. I'm going to Boston in 2 weeks!  Weston and I will be going from Friday-Monday as I'm hosting a bridal shower for my best friend Emily on Saturday. It's been tricky planning the shower long distance but thankfully my mom and another one of the bridesmaids is helping me. And then, I'll be traveling back up in early August with both boys (by myself! on an airplane! eek!) for the wedding. I'm so excited for Emily and can't wait to see all my family and friends at the shower and wedding!

And with that, I'm off to bed!  

Recently {photo version}

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  I sure hope that's true because this Momma doesn't have time to write a thousand words right now. So here's our recent happenings...in pictures.

Hudson often wants to "hold" his little brother. It goes well, as you can see ;)

"Here brudder...want your paci?"

My alma mater sent me this shirt when Hudson was born and I remember thinking it would be years before it fit. And now it does...

We love our playdates with our buddy Gray!

I have recently added putting away laundry to his list of chores ;)

The carousel in the mall shoe store...it may only last 30 seconds but it sure is fun!

The first of many matching outfits...thanks Alison for the hand-me-downs!

Oh my heart...

Someday...

Someday...I will sleep more than 4 hours at time again.

Someday...I won't be spit up on multiple times a day.

Someday...my house just might be clean again.

Someday...I will take a shower on a regular basis (and maybe even dry my hair!).

Someday...I won't listen to my toddler have a meltdown over things like Mommy giving him the Elmo bandaid when he actually wanted Cookie Monster.

Someday...diaper changes won't take up half my day.

Someday...I won't feel like I'm living in survival mode.

BUT...

Someday...my two precious boys will grow up and I'll want them to be little again. So, I'll cherish the hard days because these are days I'll never get back.  The days might be long sometimes but the years are oh so short. Sleep, showers, cleaning...that all can wait. Right now, I'm going to soak up every moment with my boys because being a Mom is a gift and the best job I'll ever have.

One month already!

I cannot believe that Weston is already a month old. It's been a whirlwind of a month. I had some postpartum complications two weeks after Weston was born that landed me back in this hospital for 24 hours after emergency surgery but thankfully I'm mostly feeling back to normal. I have had so much help over the past month- my parents were here for 2 weeks and then Chris took the week after my surgery off because I was not suppose to lift Hudson. So, I really have only been on my own with both boys at home for the past week. Whew, two kids is tough! But, we are surviving and I'm sure we will settle into a nice routine soon. Anyways, here's more about my sweet boy #2:

Measurements: We have a chunky monkey on our hands! At Weston's one month appointment today Weston weighed in at 11 lb 3.5 oz (76th percentile). Hudson was 9 lb 9.5 oz at one month. Weston has grown 2 whole inches and is now in the 81st percentile at 22.5 inches. Hudson was 21 inches at one month. Right now it seems like they will be built pretty differently but who knows. Weston has outgrown his newborn clothes and is wearing either 0-3 or 3 month clothes. I started him in cloth diapers last week but he's still a bit too small for most of them so we are using disposables about 50% of the time until his legs chunk up a bit!

Eats: Weston, just like his brother was, is a great nurser. We haven't had any issues and he has latched well from day 1. He nurses on demand every 2-3 hours during the day. I have only pumped once and Chris gave him a bottle which he did fine with. He refuses a paci most of the time so there are definitely days that I feel like I'm constantly nursing because nothing else will calm him down.

Sleeps: We still have a very sleepy baby on our hands. Weston sleeps a lot of the day but also sleeps pretty well at night. We definitely aren't on a schedule but I do some sort of rhythm to his sleep patterns. I have been trying to have him nap in his crib at least once a day although he's still sleeping in the rock n play at night. He does love the swing which I'm thankful for. The moments that he falls asleep on my chest and I can actually just sit there with him are few and far between because of big brother but I do cherish those moments. At night he sleeps 3-4 hour stretches although he had twice given me a 6 hour stretch! Hopefully those will become more frequent soon.

Big brother update: Hudson does well with Weston for the most part although I definitely see hints of jealousy here and there. Unfortunately we are having a lot of trouble with Hudson's sleep lately. He refuses naps unless someone lays with him until he's asleep. And he wakes up at least once, usually more, times at night. He has a sweet disposition most of the time but we definitely see the "terrible twos" come out at times! He has some pretty bad tantrums and can be downright defiant. He doesn't respond much to discipline at this point but I keep telling myself that it's just a phase and it will get easier. He's had lots of changes lately so I'm trying to show him (and myself) grace.