All dinos all the time!

Rylan is really into dinosaurs lately. He has a bunch left over from the Valentines we made for his buddies, and he plays with them every day. He can tell you aaaaaalllllllll about the different kinds, and if it's a carnivore or herbivore, and what it looks like. He's like a tiny Ross Gellar!! 

I decided we'd need a dino project for this weekend. I find that the weekends are much more tolerable for everyone if Rylan has some sort of something to do! So I pulled up Pinterest and in seconds I had bunches of ideas. I settled on toilet paper roll crafts because we go through an insane amount of the stuff & there are always rolls all over the bathrooms. I guess it's too much work to throw into the recycle bin?? Anyway, I saved up a few along with a paper towel tube and we were ready to go. 

I did the cutting since Rylan is just starting to figure out how to use his safety scissors. I found a great template to follow (http://pinterest.com/pin/A7NpagAQwIMAeeCgQ-MAAAA/) but my rolls were a little wider so I had to improvise. Then Rylan started requesting pterodactyls and stegosauruses and I was on my own then!! I did my best, and even though I think they look pretty silly, Rylan loves them. He was playing with them before we had them painted. He even picked up some scrap cardboard and was playing with it as a pterodactyl, which says a lot about his imagination...or how weird these things looked when I finished cutting them out! 

I let Rylan paint his dinos so they aren't nearly as cute as the ones I found on Pinterest. But he was occupied and happy for quite a while and he loves how they turned out. He wants to make all sorts of stuff out of toilet paper rolls now, so I guess I better keep saving them. 

Harlow Jean is 3 months old!

Cliche alert: babies are little for such a short time! Harlow has really brought this point home to me, as she was much tinier than her brother to start out, and spent her first three weeks shrinking instead of growing. Now she is three months old, weighs 12 lbs 13 oz, and is 23 3/4 inches long. She jumped from the 30th percentile at three weeks to the 62nd at 13 weeks! She's gone from wrinkly with extra skin to slightly chunky with a couple rolls. 

acceptably chunky! 

Also new this month: much increased attention from big brother Rylan! He asked to hold her for the first time, and soon after wanted to give her a bottle. This usually lasts just a couple minutes before he wants me to pick her up, but it's so sweet to watch him snuggle her and see how proud he is when he feeds her. I could watch the two of them together forever, if only they would oblige.

 Harlow also decided she wanted to try feeding herself. She's been holding her bottle lately! She can't really do it by herself yet, but she gets her hands up there and grabs on. She'll be able to do it on her own way before I'm ready for her to be able to do it on her own...just like everything else!

Since she's gained more control of her arms, Harlow has also started sucking her thumb. She goes for the right hand every time and it makes the funniest sucking noise. Josh and I were in the car with her earlier today and could hear her sucking away, happy as can be. I'm glad she can soothe herself like this for now, but I really don't want to deal with a thumb sucking toddler. Ry favored his paci once he could pick it up and get it to his mouth, so hopefully Harlow will, too. It's easier to take away a paci than it is a thumb!

Here are some more stats of Miss Harlow Jean at three months old! 

Cute tricks: smiling and even beginning to laugh at us when we talk, sing, and giggle at her; kicking at toys hung from her bouncy seat; starting to reach for toys held in front of her.
Nicknames: I haven't really taken to shortening her name. Josh calls her Har sometimes, which I'm not crazy about. When I text, I'll refer to her as HJ. So far she has the generic, cute-baby-girl nicknames - princess, sweetie, cutie, sister/sissy, etc. I also call her Happy because she smiles ALL THE TIME. The other day we caught her gazing up at the ceiling fan with a huge grin on her face.
Diaper sizes: she's well into size 1 disposables, and we finally starting using our cloth diapers on her around two months old. Those are set on the smallest setting, and if we don't get them tight enough around her waist, they leak a little out the legs. She is in disposables at night for this reason.
Clothes: She is solidly in 3 month sizes, and a few 3-6 sizes fit with room to grow. I packed up all her newborn clothes a few weeks ago, and I think the 0-3 are about to go into a box now. With those cloth diapers, the smaller size just can't stretch enough to snap!
Sleeping: Speaking of night time, she has been sleeping through it! The last time we got up in the middle of the night was June 14th. (Side note: this is why I love having an app to keep track of stuff! It helps me keep track of all the things she does that I would never remember on my own!). She has also started to show us a pretty regular napping schedule. She'll take a nice, long nap in the middle of the afternoon, and shorter naps two or three other times during the day. We put her to bed anywhere from 6:30 to 7:30 and she wakes up between 6:30 and 8:00 the next morning! The newly minted mommy I was back in 2011 is totally jealous of this.
Favorite things: She loves her bouncy seat and swing, being swaddled, white noise (it has the same magic effect on her as it did on Rylan), watching the fan and the dog, the TV, smiling and laughing, her brother, and some of the baby toys, especially the ones that make noise (of course).

Not-so-favorite things: tummy time, gas, getting shots. 

Milestones: Nothing major yet! She holds her head up very well when she's on her tummy, but she hates being on her tummy. She is not quite able to sit up even with support - she kind of flops her head around a little. She hasn't shown any interest in rolling over, even from tummy to back. I thought she might since she hates being on her tummy so much, but so far her anger hasn't motivated her to roll. She is drooling quite a bit so I wonder if she'll get teeth early like her brother. 

new skills: side eye and throwing shade

Harlow is the most awesome baby. We can take her wherever and she'll be laid back and chill, as long as she is fed! It's hard for me not to compare her to Rylan at this age. I want her to be rolling around and grabbing her feet like he was, but she is her own person and I'm just getting to know her. As she grows and her personality emerges I hope I'll be able to dial down the comparisons between my two kids and just appreciate them for their uniqueness! 

June Stitch Fix Review

I signed up for Stitch Fix earlier this month after a shopping trip gone awry. Attempting to buy new clothes is daunting enough after having a baby, and having the baby with you while shopping makes it nearly impossible!

Enter: Stitch Fix! If you aren't familiar with them, and you like clothes, you need to get to know them! Check it out here! You set the frequency of your fixes and each one comes gorgeously wrapped with a note from your stylist and style cards to give you ideas on how to wear each piece. Apparently this has been a thing for over a year. I am so glad I heard about it and signed up. It was so fun anticipating the arrival of my box, trying on clothes that a stylist chose just for me, and putting on a little fashion show for Jish & Harlow! 

I got my first fix today and at first glance, I loved everything! This presented me with a problem, though; having just had a baby means funds are tight! I knew I was able to spend around $60 this time around so I kept that in mind as I tried on my pieces. 

First I tried on the two tees. The high-low tee was SO soft and comfy and it looked super cute with a blazer already hanging in my closet (one BIG perk of Stitch Fix! No icky dressing room lighting or guessing at what you can wear with a particular piece). 

I ended up returning this top since it was nearly $50. I didn't want to spend my entire budget on one top! 

Next was a navy striped tee, which I had pinned for my stylist. I was so excited to see it in my fix! 

I really loved the Corinna striped dolman. I'm a sucker for anything with stripes (I think 90% of my maternity wardrobe had stripes!) and this is a nice lightweight fabric, great for sweltering summers. But again, it was $44 and I ended up returning it. I think for me to keep a top it will have to be a little more special than just a tee. Maybe if I have extra money to burn later on, I'll request this tee again. 

Next, I tried on the Anahi blazer. I knew I'd be sending it back right away because it was $148 and the print wasn't my fave. 

I'd never wear it enough to justify the steep price tag (even though it did look nice with this top I got at H&M last year) and considering my budget for this month, it was an easy decision. I do really want a fun blazer so hopefully Alli, my stylist, will keep trying! 

I also got two dresses in this fix. I need something to wear to Harlow's baptism and my parents' 40th anniversary, both of which happen in July. First, I tried this gorgeous maxi dress.

Man do I love this dress. The color is beautiful, the cut was so flattering and the material was so soft. I mean, I felt like I had curves for days in this dress instead of the rolls of baby fat I normally feel! But for me to buy a dress, I have to be able to wear it to work, too. And when you work with 13 year old boys, you have to tone down the sexy! 

I love the detail on this dress and my girls certainly look lovely but there's no way I could teach in this! At $74, it would be a big splurge. Stupid budget consciousness!! Back it goes, but I'm not happy about it. 

Now I know you're all worried that I didn't keep anything because I'm being so picky about the price tags. But Alli hit it out of the park with her last pick. 

How cute is this?!? Perfect for the two occasions I have coming up, totally work appropriate, and (as Alli pointed out) very versatile! Here I paired it with my yellow Steve Madden flats and a white shrug - teacher clothes! 

And here it is belted and with my favorite heels - I'm ready for a date night with Jish! Who wants to babysit?!

I love how the pleats and the fabric of this dress make it just a touch poufy. I love the chevron. I love that I have three or four different ways to style it already in my closet. It's damn gorgeous, and I felt gorgeous in it, which is so nice to feel at two months postpartum. All that for $68?Sold! 

I am so pleased with my first fix & I think Alli really nailed my style. I think Stitch Fix is a great way for me to infuse my closet with great pieces that are well made and will last me a long while. I'm not disappointed with the prices, either. I realize that well made clothes aren't cheap & I'm willing to pay a little more (just a little!) for things I know I'll wear the hell out of. Each fix starts with a $20 styling fee, which is then applied to whatever you order so I invested a little up front. Then I spent HOURS pinning looks I love to a board on Pinterest just for my stylist. I think that really helped Alli get a feel for what I like. I totally suggest doing the same thing when you sign up for your first fix. Which you're going to do now, right?!? 

Pinterest Projects!

Since Josh and I are both off for the summer, we've kept Rylan out of daycare several times for extra special days with us. I found some fun art projects for he and I to do together thanks to Pinterest! There are some crazy-creative moms out there and I love looking through all their great ideas and then trying them out with Ry. Here is some of his work!

Rylan updates

Rylan has adjusted wonderfully to being a big brother. He loves his baby sister & shows her off to whoever he can!

He's also having a great summer. We went to Deanna Rose, a farm filled with animals, with my uncle & aunt & her sister's family. The kids had a blast! 

We accompanied Rylan on a school trip to the KC aquarium, too. Harlow joined us, although all the watery noises and dim light lulled her to sleep. 

We've also frequented the pool, which he loves. We're working on getting him to put his face in the water and teaching him how to float. I think some swimming lessons are in order! 

Two months old!

Harlow is such a smiley, happy baby. She's been so wonderful! She sleeps through the night now (9:00 to 6:00!!) and eats like a champ. She's been to Deanna Rose Farm, the aquarium, various restaurants around town, and the pool. She likes to sleep on her side and her tummy but so far we keep her swaddled and in her cradle. Once she can roll over, we'll let her sleep in her crib however she wants! She's very strong and holds her head up well. She's hit the ten pound mark and fits into 3 month sizes now, which has effectively tripled her wardrobe! She also moved into size one diapers. Once we finish the box we'll bust out our cloth stash. I'm scouring craigslist for some cute, girly diapers to add to our blue and green ones!

Josh & I are finally adjusted to having two kids even though we still stop & marvel at that very fact! Now that Harlow has herself on a semi-regular schedule, we get an hour or so to ourselves each night. It's amazing! A few weeks ago I couldn't imagine that happening! We are very spoiled by our sweet baby girl and our hilarious little boy. 

One month old!

Once we got Miss Harlow eating well, she settled into a great routine! She started sleeping four to five hours at night. She started to smile around one month old. She prefers to nap in someone's arms but sleeps well in her cradle at night.