Tantrums happen...

It's been a while but I feel like what I posted on social media today was worth repeating.  Especially when I realized that not all my friends & family are on Facebook or Instagram... 

So, I came over here and dusted off the cobwebs, stretched my fingers, and dived in.

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Our {mini} Journey

When Oliver entered this world, he really had a great shaped head. To the point where people would compliment his head to me and asked if I had a c-section and shocked to hear I didn't.

As Oliver grew he started developing a flat spot on the back of his head.

My sister and even a colleague would say things when I showed off photos of my son. 

"Does he always look that way?" "Try to get him to look the other way."

I didn't even notice it much until they said something and I looked back at the hundreds of photos I took of him in that day.

{NMS: New Mom Syndrome}

Here are a few examples:

I started to become obsessive over his spot; stressing over getting him to look the other way, doing stretches, engaging him in more tummy time.

At his four month checkup, the nurse didn't think his spot was extreme. She gave me a referral though in case I wanted to take him anyway.

I already over exaggerate at times, and other people didn't think it was a big deal,

so I decided to wait to see if it would start to correct itself.

At his six month checkup, there has been slight improvement that I saw.  But when the nurse saw it, she highly recommended I now take him to the consultation.

The mere thought of Oliver in a helmet upset me so much.

What if he's uncomfortable?

What if he sweats profusely?

Does he really have to wear it while he sleeps?

What do I do if people stare?

We went to the consultation at Cranial Technologies and I was amazed by the technology they had.  The images of Oliver are shown here:

Oliver was diagnosed with plagiocephaly, which is a fancy word for a flat spot.

The head shapes for the first two years of life, so our window was small, and if we waited longer, he'd be in the helmet longer, due to the growth of the head slowing down.

They considered him moderate and did recommend treatment.

He's estimated to be in it for 3-4 months.

I knew this would happen and it devastated me.  I felt as if I should be blamed.  I felt as if I ruined his shape by not doing enough tummy time.  And, here I was adding another chore for myself - Washing the helmet daily, alongside exclusively pumping, prepping bottles, and making baby purees. 

However, studies show that it starts in the uterus. And, the whole "sleep on their back" to try to prevent SIDS, along with the car seat, rock n play, crib, and bouncer, they are laying on their heads excessively.

I much rather be in this situation than losing him to SIDS. 

SIDS still terrifies me, but not as much as when he was younger. 

When we picked up the helmet, I was excited to fix this now, but I was extremely embarrassed, too.  In fact, I didn't want to share it with social media, or anyone for that matter.  

I kept thinking, "How can I keep this a secret?"  It was so silly of me.

 

The helmet has grown on me tremendously, especially after we had it decorated.               It also helps when he accidentally bangs his head on the floor or with an object,  which is quite often. We're a month and a half down already and I have seen huge improvements. This is at our six week checkup: He does wear it for 23 hours a day - One hour off for cleaning the helmet and giving him a bath. He adjusted to the helmet immediately.   He hasn't changed at all and it hasn't held him back on any milestones. I still get uneasy when some people stare - I can't help but wonder if they are staring at him or staring at his helmet and wondering what is wrong.   The Mama Bear in me wants to come out and scream at times, but I don't. I know I would be looking, too. Especially since my nephew wore one, too. However, since we've had it, we've had so many people who knew what this was because their child/grandchild wore it, too, and the conversations we would have made me smile. And, of course, he gets compliments on his 'Sully' style all the time. Knowing we're already six weeks down makes me happy!   Our {mini} journey will be over before I know it and I know I'll miss the helmet once he graduates.

Rainbow Baby

I read something this morning on Instgram and felt the need to share this...

As some of you know, I went through this and for anyone else who has been or is going through this, I thought it's a great reminder for what's to come...

"Rainbow Baby, the beauty that comes after a storm, is a description lovingly used for babies that are born after a miscarriage, still birth, or infant loss.  For women who have experienced a loss, conceiving a "rainbow baby" doesn't make them forget the loss, take it away or diminish it, but it does give them hope for a new chance at motherhood."

Oliver is our Rainbow Baby.

Boy, oh Boy!

February 3rd, we found out we are expecting a precious little boy!!

During my first trimester, I had a small hunch it was a boy.  And, for fun, I took the Chinese Gender Predictor during this time and it stated it was a boy.

Weeks later, Matt and I upped our fun games and looked up some old wives tales.

All of them said, "girl"! :)

It cracks me up that 80% of them were incorrect for us, but it was so much fun playing along anyway.

I'm excited to bring a boy into this world that we will work on being dapper, respectful, romantic, act on chivalry, and be a complete gentleman.

Reflecting back on that night; there were so many emotions...

Going in for our ultrasound I was on my tippy toes... I was so nervous!  I didn't want to spoil the surprise; I almost didn't want to know...  And just seeing our baby, again, made my heart skip a beat.  And I giggled at the fact that he was a dancing machine that night and wouldn't let the ultrasound technician capture a photo of his leg. 

(I hope he has his daddy's dance moves!)

Seeing and hearing his heartbeat made me melt... I beamed and just as my first ultrasound, it felt like an out of body experience. 

As some of you know, we didn't have the technician tell us.  We had her place it in an envelope.

We had plans to go to Lou Malnati's for the big reveal.

The same Lou Malnati's where Matt proposed and where we had some of our wedding photos taken.

My sister came up with the idea and she was the second person

to know what we were having.

                       

When we arrived at the restaurant, we anxiously waited.

               There were too many times we wanted to tear open the envelope and take a peek!

We were on our best behavior, though.

My sister snuck off to the bathroom and decided to take her time as I sat with my fingers tied in a knot as I waited for her return..

She decided to take some selfies and even a video selfie...  

(I love her!)

She came out with my new favorite shirt under her jacket.

It was truly sweet and Matt and I are ready to stock up on bow ties and suspenders.

 And, yes, I already started shopping...

Here's some photos of us celebrating!

We cannot wait to meet you Oliver!

Casual Sunday

Yesterday was such a beautiful day!

Matt and I had big plans and I couldn't wait to get outside in the sun.

We were going to do some Mommy & Daddy shopping.

I decided to head out in something comfy.  Especially since earlier this day, 

I was finally taking down our Christmas tree...

(I know, I know!)

We have no idea what we want or what we need or what is good and what isn't good...

So, we started out at Buy, Buy Baby since it seems like they may have the biggest selection.

{Outfit Details}

Heart Maternity Top: Old Navy (gifted) / Jeans: Kohls / Olive Booties: Merona for Target (purchased off Instagram) / Gray Sweater: Daisy Fuentes for Kohls

As we browsed, I realized I'm drawn to all the neutrals... Grays, creams, and whites especially!

And, if there was color, it was all the pastel colors.

(Is Spring here yet?)

Come on, we already look like pros!

The fun will continue today as we head to Babies 'R Us.

We've been there a countless of times when we first found out, but I wasn't drawn to much...

I will admit... We went to Target yesterday (so I can get my ICEE, of course!) and I may have bought the most adorable, little coat on clearance...

Katy met up with us and if it wasn't for her I probably would have left without it...

Then, she told me the magic words, "You can always return it!"

Well, if that's not the best advice I've heard all day, I don't know what is!

So, once we find out the sex here in February, and the coat doesn't work, I'll simply take it back.

Let's have some fun:

What do you think we're having; boy or girl?

Cravings:

ICEEs

Dunkin Donuts Strawberry Frosted

Dunkin Donuts Jelly Filled

Bacon

Tomatoes

Watermelon

Cereal

More recently:

Grapes

Celery

Why Maternity Clothes Rock

A few years ago when my friends were starting their little families, I was included in many shopping events involving maternity wear.

After seeing how expensive the clothes were, I made a vow to myself that I would not buy any maternity clothes except for my shower and/or photoshoot.  I told myself I would wear a belly band my whole pregnancy and simply wear my regular clothes.  

Well, I'm a hypocrite...

I haven't spent a lot of maternity clothes, don't worry...
And, I've been scoring them on clearance, too!

In addition, luckily I am blessed with some amazing moms, who I consider some of my closest friends!  They have lent me or gave their maternity clothes.  

After trying on a few, I've quickly became a fan.  They are oh so flattering!

Before we were expecting, I was considered a little overweight for my height/weight ratio.
I knew this...  I went through a lot last year and having my desk job definitely doesn't help...

I was (am) nowhere near where I wanted to be when I will only expand in the next nine months...

As I started showing, I tried getting away with wearing my regular clothes...
But, they just looked frumpy and as if they shrunk into itty bitty pieces...

When I slipped into a maternity top, I was instantly astonished by
the length and the way it slimmed me.
This made me a happy girl.

In fact, the dress I'm wearing today I snatched at Old Navy this past weekend for half off (woot!)
 I grabbed the smaller size, knowing this would fit me now,
but I wanted to find a larger size so I can wear it more frequently.

Tip: Always try to buy a size up!

I found the size up and carried on to the fitting room.

I tried the smaller size on, felt good, a little tight in some areas, but definitely doable.  I decide to slip into the larger size to compare and found myself thinking, 'What the heck?'
It was huge in the chest and tight everywhere else...
I was so confused until I looked a little closer... The larger size was not maternity.
I giggled to myself and realized even more so how much maternity clothes
actually help my new size and shape.

Close up of the print:

I'm still mixing and matching my clothes with my (now) maternity clothes to keep the spending down and it's been working out okay.

To any mommy-to-be's out there, here's some classic maternity pieces that are staple when your carrying your bundle of joy:

Bootcut Jeans:  I wear these constantly and they are so comfortable!  I stuck with a dark wash and they are seriously my favorite pair of jeans!

The Classic Tank:  I have an H&M and Liz Lange for Target white tanks.  I wear them under just about everything!

Classic Long Sleeve Tees (if your pregnancy falls in the colder months) :  And I prefer the rouching on the sides - I have a solid pink one and a gray and black striped one as shown below.

Black Slacks:  I couldn't even zip up my old black pants... I knew I had to invest in something more fitting since I work in the office/business casual setting.

Accessories:  These you probably already have.  Best way to spruce up your bump is layers, layers, layers.  Maybe not so much on your belly though. :) 

I've been layering up with scarves, chunky jewelry, and skinny belts!    

There's no need to spend a fortune on maternity clothes, especially when you are only wearing them for a small amount of time...  Score the deals, find ways to mix up your old items (think open cardis and button downs), and stock up on the classics!

Nursery Ideas

A couple of days ago we heard our sweet baby's heartbeat {again}.

The second time around was much better than the first.

Matthew recorded it off his phone and I cannot tell you how many times I've listened to it!  

The sound just melts my heart!

And, if your friends with me on Facebook, you'll know Matt compared the heartbeat to Knight Rider.

I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!  

As silly as it was, it just made me fall in love with him all over again.

And, in just a couple of more weeks, we'll find out if it's a Baby Boy or a Baby Girl!

Once we find out, we can really start tackling the nursery!

I've had my girl nursery planned out for over a year now, thanks to Pottery Barn Teen.  I swooned over Emily & Merrit's design pieces and I was sold!  I know some of the pieces may seem "grown up", but I love the vintage feel to it..

And, we'll brighten it up with mints and peaches to break up the space.

{Image Source: PB Teen, PB Kids, and Google Images}

We'll use teapots, bunnies, dear, unicorns, pumpkins, apples, anything you can think of to pull from all our favorite fairy tales!

I actually love the idea of using teapots as a piggy bank. 

I stole this idea from IG User: inlovewithvintageshop and already scored some from thrifting.

{Don't worry, I'll be using them in my own bedroom, if it's not a girl.}

However, the boy... The boy has been a bit tough.  We settled on Disney's Monster's Inc., but after swooning over my girl's inspiration, I just couldn't do it...  I wanted to keep the vintage feel going... 

Last week, I brought up the idea of doing Disney's Up! and fell in love! I have always pictured an Up! nursery theme for a girl, but after pulling some symbolism, I'm squealing over here!  I don't know which one I love more!

{Image Source: Google Images}

We'll definitely play up Carl a bit more here.

Of course, we'll need a printout that screams, "Squirrel!", too.

{It's one of my favorite parts!}

I only hope my ideas play out well when we actually start putting the room together.

Tick tock, February!!

That's a Wrap!

Well, 2014, you and I didn't always see eye to eye...

We started off on the wrong foot...

A lot of heartache happened before a lot of good happened...

But, with every heartache, there was a light at the end of the tunnel...

First, we lost someone...

Then, we had a blessing in disguise, but that was taken from us as well...

There were some tough times... But, during the healing process, we welcomed home a little puppy we call Abby.

She has filled our lives with joy, laughter, and unconditional love.

As the year progressed, we purchased our first home!

This only added onto our stress and heartache... Our process took about a total of four months for what we thought would be a simple transition since we were purchasing the home from his parents...  We were so thrilled when it was finally over!  We feel like such "grown ups"!

We went to Disney, only to catch a bug when we were down there...  This definitely took a lot of my energy.  For a trip I was really looking forward to, it wasn't quite as I was hoping for.

(All in all, I couldn't have been happier to spend quality time with our family.)

Well, our year came in a full circle...

The week before Halloween, we found out we were expecting, again!

We kept the secret in long enough and now we're eager to share it with the world!

::My Very First "Bump" Photo::

::Our Growing Family::

 ::My Announcement on Social Media::

"Shhh! Don't tell Santa that Mrs. Claus stole his suit! She needed something a little roomier now that she's carrying Santa's Little Helper! Coming to the North Pole June 2015!"

We started 2014 with this song:

Ed Sheeran: Small Bump

We're ending it with this one:

Garth Brooks: Mom

2015, I cannot wait for you to arrive!  You have a lot to offer us!!

Coffee Shop Cozy

Day 10 of Style Me May is probably one of my favorites!!!

 *Coffee*Shop*Cozy*

These three words alone are some of my favorite pass times!  

Putting them together just makes my heart sing!

I was channeling my niece's birthday party with this outfit.  And, my master retreat makeover.

(which will hopefully be undergo sooner than I thought!)

The day I took these photos it was super gloomy and rainy (as I'm sure you can tell).

Putting these pieces together just perked me right up!

Who says clothes can't make you happy?  

When I slip into certain colors, it changes my whole outlook for the day.

I dress how I feel.  In most cases : happy

I think I need to find "happy cleaning clothes", because my cleaning clothes just bring me down, which then makes me curl up on the couch and in turn become unproductive.

 Anyway, Matthew and I have made a few big decisions these past few weeks...

We found a house!

Well... What I really mean is we are buying the house we are currently living in.

It's not our dream home, but our dream home seems a bit out of reach at this time and we don't want it to swallow us whole.

We feel very smart about this... We feel this is a great investment and BONUS : We don't have to move! 

(I hate moving!)

We're already in talks of what we'll do to make it our own.

For those of you who do not know, we're renting my in law's home.  

Which, in return, is Matt's childhood home.

They have offered this home to us so many times, but we always declined.  

Now, with the house market continuing to increase, they presented us with an offer we just couldn't refuse.

It will be nice to say we'll finally be homeowners!

It will also be nice to finally start "living" to the fullest extent!  

(In reality this means we can get a puppy!)

I've been waiting for a very long time for a new puppy.  Some of you know this story very well.

I'll be excited to add a new addition to our little family.

We won't be jumping the gun right away though...

Because we have booked our trip to Disney! 

 {Source : Google Images}

::cheers::fireworks::balloons::confetti::

This, too, is another long, awaiting trip, and I can hardly contain myself!

A few months ago, my husband was getting the ball rolling, trying to make this a huge surprise for me for my big 3-0!

Sadly, I found out.  But, I didn't snoop!  Not intentionally, anyway.

I am just giddy with excitement and am tapping my toe waiting for that time to come!  I cannot wait to share this experience with my husband!  Although, I hope he doesn't get jealous for my love for Minnie, The Beast, Tiana, Belle, and any other character we run into! 

 {Outfit Details}

Top: LC Lauren Conrad (Kohls)//Blazer: LC Lauren Conrad (Purchased from IG)//Pants: Gloria Vanderbilt (Kohls)

Shoes: Target (Purchased at Goodwill)//'Hot Air Balloon' Necklace: ebay//Watch: Kohls

My polka dots and I will fit nicely at The Magic Kingdom, don't you think?

April Showers

 

I think after a week of gloomy weather, this outfit only seemed fitting to post.

Besides the fact that it has a bunny on it...  And, well, since Easter is over, I thought I'd better post it now than posting it later.  However, I have a few more bunny posts lingering...  

Hope you aren't tired of them yet. :)

 

I absolutely adore these rain boots, but I can't help but drool over every Hunter pair I see...

I know everyone raves about them and the colors alone have me sold:

 

 

I'm craving the aqua ones.

Especially with my new, navy raincoat!

Even though the yellow ones are so fun!!!!

I'm just worried these babies won't fit over my calves and I'll have to settle for the short ones.

Thoughts?

 

{Outfit Details}

Bunny Sweater: LC Lauren Conrad (Kohls)//Floral Dress: Old Navy//Leggings: VS//Rainboots: Falls Creek

Anyway, after a long, stressful week, my Friday evening sure turned everything around!

Did I mention I have the most amazing friends?

I received a sweet, unexpected package last night from a dear friend.  She's truly my "friend" soul mate.  It warmed my heart and I had the most silliest grin on my face.

Then, Matt and I rushed to meet up with my sister, brother in law, and Godson.

Even though it was a quick meet up to plan someone's 13th birthday party, it was such a fun visit.

I admire that spending some quality time with great company can change your entire mood within moments.

Because, I needed it.

Now, the weekend is here and I'm so excited for it!

Easter

Easter was last weekend, right?  Oh wait... It was two weekends ago.  Yeesh.  I'm so thankful for everyone who still reads this even though I'm so neglectful.  You guys rock!

Well, here's my ol' Easter post which I was planning on posting many moons ago, but never got around to it.

Matt and I have a lot on our plates right now... Big decisions, big plans.  I'm pretty stoked!  But, more on that later... And, knowing my pattern, much, much later.  :)

My Easter consisted of taking selfies with Bunny a.k.a. Oreo (exhibit a ^), playing dress up, hiding eggs (even though I wish I was the one looking for them), laughter, bubbles, and most of all family.

And, we were blessed with such beautiful weather!  High 70s, sunshine, with a nice breeze.

Now it's been replaced with a high of the 50s and rain all week.

That's okay.  I love rainstorms.  

And, my non-green thumb needed this rain for some flowers I just (carelessly) planted.

 

{Outfit Details}

Dress: inlovewithavintageshop (IG)//Oxfords: Trotters (IG)//Belt: Target (Thrifted)//"Bunny" Necklace: H&M//Sunnies: Apt. 9 (Kohls)

I bought this dress in the dead of winter, yearning for a perfect day like this to showcase it.

This baby came with shoulder pads, but I took them out.  I love the modest length, darling button back, and pockets, not to mention the print.  

I actually bought this as a "Disney Dress".  Fitting, right?  Just add some ears and I'm good to go!

(Speaking of which, I'm planning on doing a Disney inspired post one of these days... The ideas are there; my productiveness just isn't.)

Enough of that.

Back to how I celebrated my holiday:

The Easter Bunny stopped by our house, but only left me some goodies.  Unfortunately, Matt must have pissed the Easter Bunny off because there was nothing left for him... 

(Whoops!)

 

 You have no idea how excited I was to see Phineas and Ferb's "Squirrel in my Pants".

Seriously... love... that... song.

Let's continue on, shall we?

In case you need a few ideas next year where to hide your eggs, here's some of my favorite hiding spots for 2014:

 It was so fun watching the kids on their egg hunt, even though I wanted to jump in.

But, then, again, I was holding the bunny all day.

Yes, I was a total bunny hog.

I'm not ashamed.

A few photos of my family:

 Love these kids!  Okay, my sisters, too.

The bunny even got bunny ears, because, why not?

 

Until next time...