3 Months ~ Hunter

I swear you're getting bigger and learning new things every day! You are always grinning now, and will even squeal to get attention. Each smile melts my heart just a little bit more. We still have a few weeks left before I have to go back to work, but the thought of leaving you makes me cry.

Sleep:  You continue to be a wonderful sleeper. Your bedtime has become more consistent and you even tell us when it's time. You go to bed around 7:30 or 8:00 and will fall asleep on your own now with a paci. You still get up around 5am to nurse and then go back down until 7 or 8. Daddy says you're super noisy at night but I think he's telling stories! You are sleeping in your Rock n' Play sleeper right next to Mommy.

Likes:  You love to be talked too, to sit up on someone's lap, and to stand. You continue to be a very social little guy and will hold conversations with anyone that is willing to listen. You love to chew and suck on your fingers and lovey blankets. Walks outside continue to be a favorite and as we learned this month you were born to be a camper!

Dislikes:  You don't like to have your clothes changed, to be cold, or when your big sister puts her face in your face.

Eating:  You are still nursing every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day. You have your own special cry that lets me know when you are hungry. I can hear you say 'mum' in your hunger cry but Daddy says I'm crazy.

Milestones:  This month you have learned how to hold a conversation back and forth, to laugh, to support your body weight for a few minutes while standing, and to hold your own head up. You have also found your hands (which you think are pretty cool), have become quite ticklish, and can squeal and kick with delight. You are beginning to track things and will sometimes turn your head when you hear Daddy or I talking.

Tooth Count:  None, but you have definitely started to teeth!

Words/Sounds:  You have increased the amount of cooing you do. Vowel sounds are still a favorite, mostly Ohhh's and Ahhhh's. You will through in the /g/ sound before some vowels (gaaahh). Your new favorite trick is to make raspberries. 

Clothes:  You are officially out of 0 to 3 month clothes and are wearing 3 to 6 month.

Firsts:  You celebrated your first 4th of July at Grandma and Papa's house in SC, saw your first fireworks, and spent the night at Grandma's house for the first time! You also went on your first vacation this month! We met Uncle Jamie, Aunt Lou Jean, Austin, Hayden, Abby, and Hayleigh in Kentucky at Mammoth Caves. We took a tour of the caves and spent a long weekend camping. You loved being outside and playing with the kids. 

Happy 3 Months little one!

Catch the Moment 365 ~ Week 28

Life seems to be getting back to normal, for now. We had a very relaxing week at home with no doctor's appointments for the first time in a month! Bailey's foot is all healed up, Hunter has continued to grow like a weed, and Tyler is still Tyler.

July 11, 2014:  I made our favorite cookies today, too bad they didn't turn out. Why oh why are no-bake cookies so hard to get just right!?! On the upside, I found out later in the week that these actually help increase milk production. Sounds like a good excuse for me to make another batch and eat them all by myself. :0)

July 12, 2014:  Bailey loves our new rug. She likes to lay on it in the mornings and watch cartoons or in this case talk nonstop and drive me bananas!

July 13, 2014:  Yippee for pool time! Bailey's first time back in the pool since her surgery!

July 14, 2014:  Another adorable baby expression.

July 15, 2014:  Tyler loves to snuggle with his baby brother. They are going to be the best of friends!

July 16, 2014:  Bailey, being Bailey.

July 17, 2014:  Hunter has found his hands this week. They belong in his mouth. All the time. And check out those chubby little fingers!

We will be heading out for a family vacation in a few days. We're meeting up with Brandon's brother and his family in Kentucky. The kids are just a little bit excited!

Check out some more awesome 365 projects through the link below!

Catch the Moment 365 ~ Week 27

Our family had a great 4th of July! We traveled a few hours south of home to celebrate with my parents. The 2 older kiddos stayed at Grandma and Papa's house for a few extra days which gave Hunter and I some much needed Mommy/baby time.

July 4, 2014:  The kids love going down to the lake to fish and swim in the water. Tyler was less than thrilled about posing for his picture. And this would be why he doesn't show up in my posts often!

July 5, 2014:  Yet another day of swimming and fishing. Poor Bailey wasn't allowed to swim yet due to her surgery, but she had fun pushing Tyler and Daddy into the water!

July 6, 2014:  With Tyler and Bailey gone, this handsome little man is my main subject! Such a hardship I know. I just love his new expressions. He's so much more alert and social now than he was just a few short weeks ago!

July 7, 2014:  Sleeping babies are the best! Little man took some AMAZING naps with big bro and sis gone!

July 8, 2014:  There is an awesome rug outlet store just down the road from my parent's house. They had a fabulous sale going and we scored this piece for our living room. Baby boy now has someplace soft to lay during tummy time!

July 9, 2014:  The kids are back! Our friend dropped this painting set off while they were gone as a get well gift for Miss Bailey. Such concentration she has!!

July 10, 2014:  A new toy for Bailey.She loves driving around our neighborhood and chasing the big boys with her new quad!

You can catch more 365 projects using the link below!

TLC VoxBox Review

I received my TLC VoxBox in the mail a few weeks ago and have been enjoying the contents! It was the perfect box for a mom of 3 that is always on the go. From the Puffs To Go packs to the Shell Fuel Rewards card, to the Neo To Go everything in this box has been wonderful!

Puffs To Go:  What mom doesn't need to carry tissue with them? My daughter has seasonal allergies and is always in need of a tissue. She knows right where I keep my Puffs pack. They are an absolute staple in this Mommy's purse!

Ivory Soap:  I have 3 kids, they get dirty. Ivory soap is gentle enough to use on their sensitive skin and yet it still manages to make them look like kids again! There are tones of awesome science experiments that you can use a bar of Ivory Soap for as well, I'm definitely going to have to try some!

Avon Anew Reversalist Wrinkle Smoother:  Again, I have 3 kids and I teach Kindergarten. All of these children have made me wrinkled. I love the container it comes in, complete with a mirror and how simple it is to apply. 

Shell Fuel Rewards Card:  Who doesn't like to save money? You can do just that by activating your card and purchasing specific items in the convenience store as well as car washes and auto services.

Breyers Gelato Indulgences:  This HAS to be my favorite item in the TLC VoxBox! I chose to get the Vanilla Caramel and boy was it good! Of course I told the hubs that it was horrible and he should stay away from it, but that'll be our little secret, right?

Neo To Go:  This one I have been waiting to use. Of course when I want my kids to get a scrape, they don't. ;0)  I'm sure we'll be using it soon though! I love how small it is, easy to throw into the purse or diaper bag and have ready.

Treat Card Review

I remember as a child running out to the mail box to see if there was any mail for me and the excitement I felt when I received a card or even a simple hand written letter. But with today's technology, people are giving out fewer and fewer cards. I can typically count the number of Christmas cards I receive each year on my fingers and toes and I can't remember the last time I got a birth announcement in the mail but that's about to change!

I was asked to check out and review Treat, a division of Shutterfly, that makes card giving super simple, easy, and personal! We recently attended a funeral for a family member in Michigan and I decided to create a thank you card for my sister-in-law and brother-in-law for letting us stay with them.

Adorable, no? And I'm sure you're wondering just how easy this really was. The website walks you through everything step by step but there are basically 5 simple steps. 

1.  Choose your template

2.  Upload, place, and adjust your pictures

3.  Customize the sayings

4.  Choose to send the card to the recipient or to your home so you can view it first

5.  Save the item to your cart and check out!

I love that I was able to add special pictures of my little ones to customize the card, especially since we live so far away and typically only see our family members once a year. My other favorite features has to be the ability to send the card directly to the recipient. No need to hand address, stamp, and make your way to the post office. For a busy, working, mother of 3 this was a huge plus!

With the simplicity of the program, a wide variety of templates available, and the ability to customize as needed I can totally see myself getting sucked up into the world of Treat! After all, everyone loves to get mail, especially when it has adorable pictures of my children on it!

Swing on by their website, www.treat.com and begin your card making journey, you won't regret it!

***I was not compensated by Treat and all opinions are my own.

Catch the Moment 365 ~ Week 26

June 26, 2014:  Our friends went out of town for the weekend and we got to babysit their little girl. Such a sweetie! She totally stole my husband's chair and wouldn't give it back. :0)

June 27, 2014:  Miss Bailey had surgery on her foot today. They had to remove an abscess that was the size of a golf ball. She was a trooper, and the awesome nurses at our local hospital gave her these stuffed animals to snuggle while she waited for surgery and during recovery.

June 28, 2014:  This little fellow has been amazing this week! He has sat through 8 LONG doctor's appointments as well as several hours at the hospital for Bailey's surgery with minimal complaints. Best. Baby. Ever! Oh, and have I mentioned how much I love these blue eyes???

June 29, 2014:  Bailey sporting her pink "sock" as she likes to call it. She is finally getting used to it and is starting to walk around more.

June 30, 2014:  Look who's 2 months old already!

July 1, 2014:  Bailey loves to help and be involved in everything that I am doing. Today, she helped me give Hunter a bath. She had to make sure the water was the right temperature for her baby brother.

July 2, 2014:  We're spending a lot of time in the bathtub trying to keep her foot clean! She doesn't look thrilled...

July 3, 2014:  We had planned on attending our local fireworks today, but a quick storm thanks to Hurricane Arthur made it a little too wet out to sit in the grass.

You can catch some more amazing 365 day projects by clicking the link below!

Hunter ~ 2 Months

You've grown so much over the last month, I just can't believe how big you have gotten! You are still the sweetest, happiest baby around. You only cry when you need or want something which is usually because you are hungry or want to snuggle. You'll flash anyone that talks to you a smile but save the giant grins for Mommy, such a Mommy's boy!

Giving Daddy some of those treasured smiles!

Stats:  You are 12 pounds 15 ounces, our chubbiest baby by far! You doctor was absolutely loving your leg rolls at your 2 month appointment.

Snoozing while Mommy finishes changing your diaper.

Sleep:  You typically go to bed around 9:00 and will sleep straight through until around 5:00, eat, and then go back to sleep until 11. Your naps are still very inconsistent, you pretty much fall asleep on your own time. Your a sleepy baby compared to what your brother and sister were!

Likes:  You love to be snuggled on Mommy's shoulder and also enjoy going for walks outside and rides in your swing. You are very social and enjoy talking to most anyone!

Eating:  You still nurse every 2 to 3 hours during the day with an occasional 4 hour stretch and will cluster feed closer to bed time.

Milestones:  You are beginning to coo, will occasionally turn your head toward a noise, and are holding your head up well.

Tooth Count:  None

Words:  You are making simple vowel sounds aaahh and oooooh are your favorites with an occasional squeak.

Clothes:  Most of the clothes you are wearing these days are 3 to 6 months with a few 0 to 3 month outfits that still fit.

Firsts:  We've had lots of firsts this month! You made your first trip to Michigan which included meeting tons of family and friends for the first time. You also attended your first wedding, stayed in a hotel for the first time, and had your first bottle. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get pictures of these. I wasn't home for your first bottle, and the camera was packed away during your first stay at the hotel. My favorite first this month was meeting your Great-Great-Grandma for the first time! She absolutely loved you and was even strong enough that day to hold you for a few minutes! :0)

All 5 generations together at last!

Happy 2 months little guy!

Catch the Moment 365 ~ Week 25

We arrived back at home this weekend. I love visiting family and friends and my sister-in-law and her husband are always so welcoming to our family when we are up, but there really is no place like home! I am short one picture for the week and will make up for it next week. Between multiple appointments and an eventual (minor) surgery, we had a crazy few days! All is well now and we are slowly returning to normal.

June 20, 2014:  I've posted lots of pictures of little man's feet through this project. I just love these little toes!

June 21, 2014:  Our first day back home and the kids made the best of it. I came upstairs to get the kids ready for bed and this is what I found. These toys were enjoying some cartoons on my bed. :0)

June 22, 2014:  These week was all about feet. Little did we know, these little piggies were going to cause big trouble in a few days (more info on next week's post). They're still pretty cute though!

June 23, 2014:  The kids wanted to get outside and blow some bubbles. Hunter hasn't spent much time outside relaxing so I thought I would get a picture of him chillin' in his outdoor shade seat.

June 24, 2014:  Thank you Uncle Jamie and Aunt Lou Jean for this gigantic race track that takes up half of our downstairs!

June 25, 2014:  Big sister and her baby brother. She loves this little guy!