stay at home mom

Toddler Happenings

I swear there will come a day, very soon, when I can’t stop talking about the good the bad and the ugly of BOTH kids, but for now my darling toddler hands me enough laughs to keep me busy for days. She literally does too. Jackson is in a super cute stage. He is still an infant so to speak, and cannot do anything on his own. We are close to rolling over, holding his own bottle, and finding his feet. For now though, he is just full of giggles and smiles and loves to be snuggled. Sleeps like total shit but you can’t look good AND be good at things as well right? The kid can jump hard in his Jolly Jumper though, I will give him that.

Little Miss Hallie, well that is entirely different breed. She is so fun right now, that is for sure. On the verge of her full sentences almost making some sense, full of hugs and kisses, and such a Mama Drama. There are at least 14,000 reasons as to why she breaks down crying each day, not all of them warranted by any means. Takes after her momma though, slightly emotional. With all of this awesomeness comes some huge development milestones. Lets start with the big one. The big, messy, brown one. POTTY TRAINING. I can’t do it. I am lacking serious faith on this. I start out with amazing confidence and an hour later she is in the bath tub and I am day drinking. But if it’s white wine it doesn’t really count right? I mean it’s almost a clear liquid, like water. Everyone needs water.

Since today was one of those days where clearly Hallie’s clothes were made of lava and she had to have them completely off or she would be burnt to death, I thought it was a great opportunity to do some potty training. I can already hear the sanctimommies task-tisking that I should be all ready to go ‘all in’ or not at all. But whatever, thought we would roll with it. Hallie spent a full hour running around naked before it was all I could do to get some ‘training panties’ on her. Following that I found four puddles throughout the house and one very happy-to-be-almost-naked toddler sitting in her own poop. Into the bath we go (after of course hitting up the kitchen for before mentioned glass of ‘water’). For the sake of everyone involved here I probably won’t go into further detail but lets just say it involved me scooping things out of the tub. The results of the afternoon…. probably going to delay potty training a little bit longer. I know she is ready. Just ain’t so sure momma is.

Another dragon that appears to have reared it’s ugly head is the picky toddler tummy dragon. She was choosy before but Hallie’s eating habits have quickly become… well quite frustrating to say the least. If I made it or put ANY effort in whatsoever, you can bet your boots it’s on the floor. Or the wall. Or on me. I just thank my lucky stars that she is obsessed with store bought squeeze pouches. I can take a bit of comfort in the fact that she is eating something. It also helps that the child safety lock on her ‘snack drawer’ is busted and I will often walk into the kitchen stepping all over fruit snacks and goldfish crackers. At least she is eating.

I think my favourite part of our ‘challenges’ right now though are the conversations. Though they are muddled and completely confusing to me, they are sweet as pie. Just like that little devil of mine. It is total gibberish but I know exactly what she is trying to say. The expressions that come along with it are priceless too and always put a smile on my face. Usually fits of laughter too.

Cheers Mommas. Another Monday down, and this one for me, was for the books.

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And Another Baby Makes Four!

Well the day finally came! A little bit early but on Monday, July 4th I started having contractions while marathon watching Season 5 of SUITS on Netflix. On Tuesday, July 5th at 1:35am, my baby boy came into the world! Very quickly and furiously might I add.

Full disclosure: I started writing this post on July 7th…. It is now the middle of AUGUST! The absence is a perfect way to show the chaos that ensued having two babies in the house. Sure, have another baby they said. It will be a piece of cake, your second time round, you will be full of confidence and life will be bliss. SAID NO ONE EVER THAT HAS TWO BABIES. I have to stress the baby factor too. Two kids, I am positive, is a complete shit show of it’s own. Babies are in their own realm of insanity. Especially when one is a newborn and cannot ANYTHING and relies on you for everything in this world, down to their breathing. The other is not even two, has entered the tantrum phase early, communicates in her own language, and is what I can only politely call a ‘very free spirit’. Bless that girl and I love her more than anything but she cannot be trusted. Turn your back for one second and she is dancing on cold cuts of salami in the kitchen, covered in chalk and filling up the garbage can with items out of your purse. It’s raining VISA and gift cards in my house whenever she gets her hands on it. One look at that devilish grin though and my heart melts. It’s a good thing I don’t care too much about my sanity because it went out the window long ago.

So the new guy… Old man Jackson! Jackson Leo Hayward is his full name and my oh my, does it suit him. I don’t think he could have pulled off any of the modern and hip names that made the cut on our list. Jackson is modern but the ability to shorten it down to Jack, really depicts his traditional style. He is the oldest little baby I have ever seen and I just love that old man to pieces. He likes really warm baths, warm feet, being cuddled ALL THE TIME, and making strange noises all night long. Boy does his big sister love him too! There are kisses on the forehead every morning, and mama drama tries to help me all day long. Whether it’s getting a diaper (which translates to dumping a bin of diapers all over her room) or taking his dirty diaper to the diaper genie (I am really hoping they all go in there, and I don’t start finding soiled nappies in awkward places in my house!). I know she just means so well so it gets her off the hook of even the worst mishaps. Blame it on that smile! Honestly, it’s all new and every day a new tornado strikes itself right down in the middle of all that is calm. Till I know what the heck I am doing, there is always coffee and wine!

So to keep things fun and simple while I jump back in the blogging game, I felt it would be appropriate to do a little:

NINE TRUTHS AND A LIE!

1.) Every night that I go to bed I am completely terrified that THAT will be the night my sweet baby boy stops his ‘newborn sleeping’ (which is shitty already might I add) and then I will forever be awake. Deprived of precious sleep that I worked so hard to get back (which I never really got back).

2.) Every day with my darling daughter has been testing my patience. No one warns you about how understanding and patient a mother needs to be. Even when it seems that all you can do is lose your shit, you need to come down to that level and try and figure out what the hell they are trying to do/are freaking out about/screaming and crying about. It’s an even bigger mystery when they cannot talk and communicate to you yet and you end up playing charades with your bawling toddler in the meat department at Superstore, trying to identify what on earth she is trying to say or do.

3.) I know for certain the cashier at that same grocery overheard me call my toddler an asshole under my breathe as I picked up all of items off the floor that she had thrown out of the cart upon checking out.

4.) I may have hid from everyone in my house the other day with a glass  of wine in my closet.

5.) I worry non-stop about everyone, even the dog, that they may be feeling left out or not loved enough.

6.) I have heated more food in the oven than I have cooked, but passed off the credit as my own of course.

7.) I am certain the word ‘NO’ has become a permanent part of my vocabulary and it’s actually bumming me out. I need to really think about WHY I am saying it in the first place and how I can redirect this crazy behaviour. Perhaps I need a good parenting book, but who the heck has time to read these days anyways?!

8.) I did not find a dried up chicken tender at the bottom of my purse.

9.) I do not wish every day was Bachelor in Paradise Day.

Can you spot the lie?

First picture as a couple!
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My Old Man Jack! (Pants are from Target, Muslin Swaddle Blanket, Modern Burlap)
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Girlfriend is CRAZYYYYY!
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Just ‘Old Man-ing..’
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The two that steal my heart, day in and day out.
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(When did the toddler start to look like a GIANT!?)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Blueberry Pancakes & Sunshine

The sun was out in full force this morning which meant it really felt like Spring. Not a single dark cloud to threaten the day so we celebrated with some homemade blueberry pancakes. We are total breakfast people so I don’t really need any excuse to whip up a batch of hot cakes. Not to mention, Hallie LOVES them! Add in some fresh blueberries and it makes them even better – more mess! I am not sure what it is but my child needs to make an enormous mess whenever food is consumed. I wanted to share my go-to pancake recipe with you. Easy & delicious!

1   3/4 cups all purpose flour

2   teaspoons baking powder

1/4   teaspoon salt

1   tablespoon sugar

2   large eggs

1  1/4   cup milk

4    tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1   cup fresh blueberries

In a mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and combine with blueberries. Warm your greased frying pan on medium-high heat. Use a ladle to spoon out your desired amount for each pancake, cooking until bubbles appear. Flip to cook other side – usually about a minute each side. That is it really. Time to eat!

So that was our lazy morning. Eating many pancakes, making lots of messes, and getting out in the sunshine. We also snuck in a quick shopping visit to the Carters store – some ADORABLE Spring finds in there right now including a great clearance section. I love this denim top and these eyelet lace tee’s  are perfect for adding some color to winter/spring transitional pieces. I picked up this Fox Sweater for $5, and the best 80’s inspired cardigan, sold out online but shown in the photos below. Can I get an amen for 80’s inspired baby clothes? Hallie pulls them off so well. Girl looks great in bloomers too.

Time to catch the last bit of sun in the backyard before dinner – love these longer days! Thank goodness for black out blinds though keeping a certain someone’s bedtime consistent! Hope you are having a wonderful Tuesday afternoon, filled with sunshine and toddler messes and smiles!

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The Benefits of Childcare

Wow! I am a little lost for words today. I have discovered how productive a day can be when you have childcare! As I may have mentioned previously, my mum has moved up to Kamloops into the suite that we created in the basement of our home. It’s a darling little suite too. Self-contained, all new finishings, really quite perfect. Many parts are nicer than my place! Most importantly, it’s a place for mum to live that is closer to her grand-babies. Lots of boundaries in place for herself and I of course hah! Anyways, one amazing part about having her so close is that I have a very willing babysitter downstairs. I have decided to take advantage of this every Monday so that I can do housework, blog, do Rodan + Fields work, book appointments, keep my sanity, etc. You know, all the usual stuff you need to do on a Monday. Having never really been without Hallie for an entire day, I was not sure how this day would go. Well let me just share how productive I was on the cleaning front! My entire home got a deep clean. A deep Spring clean! My oh my did it feel good too. Being six months pregnant I probably should have taken a few more breaks- I am severely paying for it now at dinnertime. So sore! But my house is spotless and smells incredible. I must have covered almost every square inch with my favourite cleaning buddy, Mrs. Meyers. If you can get your hands on these products I highly recommend it. I used to get my supply at Target but unfortunately, Canadian Targets closed down. I have not seen it anywhere since so if you have any leads, help a girl out! This stuff is the best. It smells amazing, cleans like a damn and is au natural. I have also worked some Honest Company multi-surface cleaner into the mix, especially for all of those baby-accessible areas. You never know when your toddler is going to try and suck on a piece of furniture or window sill. This way I do not have to worry about poisoning her with Lysol. I may not have done much other than clean today but it is going to be so nice to have all this free ‘me time’ on Mondays! So lucky to have Grandma around. Not to mention when babe number two makes his grand appearance. Something tells me I will be grateful for the help then too! So tell me fellow stay-at-home mommas- do you have a day to yourself to do whatever you like, toddler free? If so, what do you do with all of that time? Next week I plan to finish the housework in half the amount of time, and maybe even get my nails done! Happy Monday friends! Hope you too had a productive start to the week.

The real heroes…
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With my spare time I also managed to do up these quick cereal mix jars. Who wants just one type of cereal anyways? In our house we like the variety of mixing a few together! Perfect for on-the-go snacks too in these Mason Jars.
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Hallie not really caring that I just made the bed perfectly.
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Friday Favourites: Newborn Essentials Part Two

Like I said last Friday, I was completing a part two for favourites pertaining to baby boy. As I started looking online at clothing must-haves for him, I started coveting all sorts of ‘newborn items’ and put them together to share with you here. I feel that baby boy is going to be a wise soul. Perhaps even have an appreciation for vintage. Which is slightly the direction I would like to head with his ‘nursery space’ (read: section of my room). But for now, please enjoy these favourites:

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Hot Air Balloon Blanket – This blanket caught my eye instantly on Etsy and it just might be the main inspiration and direction I take for the nursery. It’s still a bit early for deciding but i LOVE it! I also like to support small business owners on Etsy.

Little Bamboo Blankets – These are from West Coast Kids and look fantastic for the warmer months we will be enduring. There is something about the fabric that looks so fresh and breathable. Perfect for swaddling too.

Land of Nod Stuffies – These wise little stuffs look perfect for my wise little man. I love the vintage feel to them and how old-fashioned they are. Everyone needs a cute piglet too.

On The Sea Activity Mat – When I first thought of having a second babe I wanted to do an Under The Sea theme for their room. Part of me still likes that idea in which case this activity mat from the Land of Nod would be great. I love the fabric used, the texture and detail, even the color.

4 Moms Rockaroo – I am proud to say that I am a proud owner of this swing! I recently scored a second-hand one in perfect condition off of Craigslist. I can’t wait to try it out on baby boy. The reviews I have heard for this brand are awesome so I don’t doubt it will be all that it promises to be. That is pure magic of course.

Elephant Tummy Time Mat – I spotted this cutie elephant mat at Toys R Us and it is a great option instead of the Of The Sea Mat. I love the cuddly elephant and there is the option to take away the toys and just have him as an elephant seat when baby is a toddler. Pretty cute if you ask me!

Rubber Bottle Holder – I LOVE this idea! Obviously not when they are first-born but great for a few months old and if they are bottle fed. Hallie was and she was stubborn, always trying to hold her own bottle. I think this would ease a lot of frustration on the baby’s part. I can also say from experience that when they can hold their own bottle, it’s awesome!

Honest Company Diapers – Just keeping in tune with the hot air balloons….. don’t you just LOVE these?! Yes please!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you enjoyed this collection of favourites. Enjoy the weekend!

Hello March!

Well it’s a little out of the ordinary for Kamloops lately but we have a wet and dreary day on our hands today. There was even some wet snow this morning! Come on people it’s March! Yep, March 1st. I can hardly believe it. Spring has finally arrived. Well except for the crap weather today; I feel like I am back in Vancouver, honestly.  just took a look at the weather app though and looks like the sun is back tomorrow. Just as well because we had a taste for it on the weekend and need back outside in that sunshine stat!

This week has started off busy and slow a the same time. It was month end yesterday for my side business with Rodan + Fields so I was busy trying to wrap up any sales that I could. The hard work paid off as I made my first promotion with the company and hit Executive Consultant Level for the month of February! Yay for me. Of course a new month means a new start so the hard work must continue. I have some exciting things going on for the business though this month including a girls night out and a girls night in spa-party! Should be a great turn out for both! Month end magic was all the craze last night but fizzled off quietly this morning of course. Combined with the weather, it felt like a day to stay inside, keep warm with coffee and donuts, and get in lots of snuggle time with my little girl. She has been sleeping through the night and getting up at 7am (as opposed to waking up once at night and sleeping in until 8:30) so we had a long morning of playing and watching Paw Patrol. There is something about that show that really zones this kid out. Read this article! It is bound to give you a good chuckle about those crazy pups. Not even going to pretend that I don’t sing along to the theme song. With these new-found sleeping habits of hers, she has also been NAPPING! It’s crazy. This is what all of you lucky moms brag about, a child who naps consistently at the same time every day for the same length of time, every time! I must say, it has its perks. I get a lot done in that time and sometimes, even get a bit of shut-eye myself. It is a bit strange though having to stay home all afternoon when we would usually do whatever we wanted. Both work for me though, no complaints at all here.

Since it is a relatively quiet start to the week, we are taking advantage of that. I am taking many moments to sit down with a cup of coffee, plan our month ahead activity wise, and finish up my meal planning for the month. I think a discovered a thing or two last month when I completed the ‘month of meals’ challenge. Even though I had the meals planned out and was completely stress-free when it came to dinner decisions, I still went over budget and made too many trips to the grocery store. This month I plan to avoid those mistakes and most of all, save some money! Feeling pretty positive but it is only the first of the month. I see my darling hubby has already made a large dent into the cheese allowance I bought for March! Maybe I helped…

Things are going to get busy near the end of the week too as I leave for Vancouver on Friday. Grandma is moving here and I am taking the bus down to keep her company on the drive back. I can’t believe it is already time for her to move in downstairs! Hubs has been working on the basement suite since September and it is finally almost finished. It looks amazing too! Many aspects about it are much nicer than the level we live on! I do hope she likes it. Most of all, she will love being so close to her granddaughter. Oh and grandson on the way! We are close, my mum and I, so I am hoping we have no issues in establishing our boundaries. Fingers crossed it is a smooth transition and everyone is happy with the new living arrangements. It will be pretty fun to have her here though. We already have a craft fair booked to take part in and HUGE plans for the backyard garden. So many things to look forward to – all you can do on a rainy day like today!

Looks like I am missing out on some serious stuffed animal playtime now too so I am going to say goodbye until Friday. Friday Favourites For The Boys coming then!

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Valentines Day Fun

Valentines Day is this weekend! The holiday of looooooooove! I have always loved this holiday. Not that I have ever had an over-the-top, full of romance day…. Before I met my husband this day was definitely NOT one to look forward to. In fact, I would often make a cocktail date with other single girlfriends and get way too intoxicated on wine. But Henry and I have had a few good ones now for sure. For the life of me, I cannot remember last year’s Valentines Day. Hallie would have been four months old so perhaps I was still in sleep deprivation HELL and not able to recall all, or many for that matter, moments. It’s also very close to my birthday so perhaps it was overshadowed by that. Who knows?! One thing I do know that it was a day where we celebrated our commitment to each other in our marriage, something we try to remember to do as often as we possibly can! I would say daily but life gets in the way, let’s be honest. This year, we will be visiting family in Grand Forks for the weekend so we will be spending Valentines Day there. Won’t be a very romantic day between hubby and wife but I am determined to make it a great day for everyone, babies included. Hallie is still too young but she has noticed the abundance of hearts in our home, and even assisted in making Valentines this afternoon. Girlfriend definitely has a thing for arts & crafts, just like her momma! Now if she would just behave on our shopping excursions to Michaels…

Have you taken a look on Pinterest for Valentines related pins? So many cute ideas! This Reeces Pieces idea would be perfect for my husband as he LOVES those chocolates to bits and pieces (see what I did there?!). I am also LOVING this decor idea with the branches and tiny pink hearts. Bit late now and I do not have any spare branches on hand, believe it or not, but a next year craft for sure! Lastly, these hearts are just cute to boot. I don’t know what I would do with them (maybe assemble a garland over the fireplace?) but I think they would be super fun and easy to make. Aside from a few heart garlands and some festive bouquets, my house is on the minimalist side for V-Day decor. Shame on me, better luck next holiday! What sort of decor have you selected to celebrate the loooooove?

Though today was supposed to involve road trip prep and packing, Hallie and I spent most of the day cuddling, trying to get rid of our annoying colds. Hers more than mine unfortunately. FYI, when your child is not feeling well, maybe avoid giving them milk… It’s a real treat to have a curdled, cottage-cheese like liquid hurtled all over you as soon as you change out of the last shirt she spread her breakfast all over. So much for avoiding doing laundry before we leave! Poor kid… Despite that incident, she was mostly all smiles for the day. It’s amazing what Curious George can do. Between cuddles, I managed to get some serious baking and card making done. We made DELICIOUS strawberry shortcake cookies with chocolate chips (recipe here), home-cooked sweet potato for Hallie’s dinners this weekend, and cheese and chive scones with a melted butter glaze. YUM! They were intended for the drive up but I promise you they won’t last. As far as card making went, Hallie and I made Valentines for daddy! She contributed by ripping up pieces of pink paper for hers. It was so much fun! I think we have definitely started a new tradition of making our own Valentines versus buying them. Which also makes me curious about Valentines Day traditions. Do you have any that you repeat every year with your husband or family? I would love to start a few! Looks like I have something else to search for on Pinterest….. !!!!
Have a wonderfully romantic Valentines Day weekend everyone!

COOKIES!!
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First time @ making scones…. Filing under easy and delicious!
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Valentines Day Card Making – courtesy of Pinterest ideas of course!
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Manic Mondays

Ah Mondays….Seriously though, don’t you just want to start the day over sometimes? Even if the sun is shining, Mondays sometimes have a gloomy cloud hovering over them. I named that cloud Murphy, for Murphy’s Law. Anything that can happen, will usually happen. When it does, thank god for deep breathes, counting to ten and Starbucks drive-though. This morning consisted of a few mishaps. First off, thanks to my darling hubby’s snoring, I did not get even remotely enough sleep. It’s also quite common when you wake up in the middle of the night, your mind will race over EVERYTHING that worries you at that time. I must have spent over an hour at 3am just thinking, and contemplating, and worrying about things I had no control over. Especially in the middle of the night! I think the lack of sleep was making me nauseated so I popped a Gravel- thankfully it has a dual purpose of knocking you out! Next thing you know, the whole family has slept in and we are now running very behind. I made it out the door in record time and scored a really good parking spot at the swimming pool. As I tried to carry our swim bag, Hallie and my coffee to the parking pay station, I managed to bop her poor head on the pay station and spill coffee all over myself. Thankfully the little knock didn’t seem to phase her but I was sure soaked and upset. The swim lesson was great, probably our saving grace of the morning. Upon getting changed I discovered I had brought a diaper bag that contained ZERO diapers. Cue me begging another mom in the group for her size 2 diaper; Hallie is a size 4. I prayed for no poop explosions as we wrapped up our errands and headed the heck home! It may be small stuff, and in the grand scheme of things, not important at all. But sometimes, every now and then, shit just feels like it is never going your way. Thank goodness no major tantrums entered the realm of the morning. My sweet girl seemed to be oblivious to all these ‘mom problems’ and gleefully carried out the morning with a smile on her face. I love that girl. I hope you are all having a much better Monday! Though it seems to be picking up. You can’t really complain after an afternoon of baby snuggles on the floor watching Mickey Mouse Club & Curious George. Not to mention the impromptu kitchen dance party after lunch. My daughter LOVES hip hop. She is a total gangster… Happy Monday friends! Now here are some fun photographs that are unrelated to this post, but I simply had to share.

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Hubby finally finished some wood for me to hang as a shelf on my Anthropologie Brackets! Also a great Rodan + Fields display area!
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The importance of saving money…
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What do you do when your baby finally takes a nap? Why you make a Valentines heart garland for her bedroom for of course!
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Bump Progress! On the left, I am pregnant with Hallie at 20 weeks. On the right, that is me NOW and bump is almost the same size… 15 weeks! Bump number two proves to be growing a lot quicker.
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Who Needs To Nap When There Are Cookies 

Ah Mondays…. I remember that in every professional position that I have ever had, Mondays are always one for the books. It’s hard to shake off the weekend and get your head back in the game. Now I find that being a mom, it is no different. Mondays are hit or miss. Sometimes they rock, sometimes they are disguised as satin himself in the form of my darling little girl. This Monday my friends, was one of those days. Of course by DAY, I mean it all started at three am. I think we were awake from three until six and that also included momma attempting to sleep on the nursery floor for a good hour. There was no pain, no hunger and no wet diapers, just a whole lot of playtime dance party fun. For one. Eventually at daybreak we both drifted off to sleep, HARD. My sweet husband woke up with her somewhere around eight and I continued to sleep until ten. Bless his heart. We somehow managed to make it on time to our Tiny Tunes sing along at the library at ten thirty when the insane behaviour continued. Rather than adhere to the rules of sitting in a circle and happily sing Incy Wincy Spider, my little angel preferred to scramble around the room, steal other baby’s toys and hide shoes. If I wasn’t so tired it would have been comical but this momma was slightly sleep deprived! I digress…. We arrive home only to discover that nap time is not in the cards for the day – someone is opting out of nap time. Instead a giant sh#t occured – one of those ones where you reach over to discover ONE LAST WIPE on hand. I refasten the mess so that I can run to the other room and grab reinforcements. Upon my return I find my sweet little girl with her hand firmly jammed in the side of her diaper, twirling her poop in a sleepy daze. I can’t help but think this situation really could have been avoided. Once all cleaned up, the only thing I feel like doing is making cookies. Gooey chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. So that is what we did. I made cookies and Hallie made a giant mess of toys in my kitchen. On the plus side, I discovered a fantastic recipe! Rather than talk about yumminess in the same area as poop though, I will include a post and pictures next for the next time you have one of those ‘Mondays’ and need a cookie break. Cheers to the week ahead friends!

Some cuteness to redeem herself…..
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Adjusting A Baby To Big Changes

For the first time in a couple weeks, I actually have a few moments of silence in our new home. Hubs has gone to the hardware store (this outing seems to happen daily when you are renovating) and Hallie is down for a nap, against her wishes. (more…)