35 weeks {babybrink#2}

Real life with a blur of a nakey toddler running around ;)

Size of baby: honeydew melon. And boy does it feel like there's a melon in there, ha ha! It's getting hard to maneuver around him!

Movement: night time is still party time for our little man! I really hope that changes when he's born, ha ha! He also really loves to hang out in my right side. And I mean alllll the way over in my right side. I don't know how he reaches that far over, ha ha!

Cravings: peaches! Oh man, peaches are totally hitting the spot!

Miss anything: I'm a little embarrassed by how vain I always am with this part... I having skinny toes and shapely legs ;) The swelling actually hasn't been as bad this pregnancy, I definitely couldn't wear my wedding ring by this point with Mia, but it's definitely becoming more and more prominent as the days go by!

Random: my brother and sister in law had their precious baby girl over the weekend and I'm SO excited to be an aunt for the first time on the Crowley side! I was showing Mia pictures of her new baby cousin and I explained to her that she would soon be seeing pictures of mom and dad holding a new baby. I tried to explain that brother would come out of my belly as well and we would have a new baby to hold. She got SO excited to hold baby brother and it ended up being the sweetest conversation! I know we will have our adjustment trials, but I just can't wait to see Mia be a big sister to her new baby brother. I have no doubt that it's going to be the SWEETEST thing I've ever seen!

Best moment of the week: going to the doctor and hearing the beautiful sound of his heartbeat! It's my (and Mia's) favorite! They always find his heartbeat to the left of my belly button but this time they couldn't find it. It only took a few seconds longer to find it on the right side, but it was just long enough for me to pause and wonder when I last felt movement. I haven't stressed about his well being as he always sends me reassurances with his movement, etc, just when I need it. But those few extra seconds made me that much more grateful for a healthy pregnancy!

I have a problem {Loved By Hannah and Eli}

You know when find a shop you love and you just have to shout it from the roof tops and tell everyone you know?! I mentioned in this post that Loved By Hannah and Eli sent me this adorable sleeping gown for baby boy and I can't WAIT to dress him in it (where is the heart eye emoji on my laptop?! Ha!) But I've been meaning to share that we (Mia and I) were also sent some shirts that are just killing me with the cuteness! We all know how I'm obsessed with matching Mia, and Loved By Hannah and Eli is making all of my matchy matchy dreams come true :)

Shirts c/o Loved By Hannah and Eli Bracelets c/o Poppy Lane and Co

Sunglasses c/o Arden Store

Shirts c/o Loved By Hannah and Eli

I'm thanking my lucky stars that Mia thinks it's pretty awesome to match me... but when the day comes that it absolutely horrifies her to be seen matching her mama bear? Well, I'm sure you'll find me sitting in a pile of our matching clothes, eating all the ice cream while crying my eyes out, ha ha! Until then, I'll continue to feed my addiction of twinning with my best girl (and baby brother will probably get sucked into it as well!) from Loved By Hannah and Eli! My favorite part is that these unisex sized shirts will be flattering no matter what phase of life I'm in. It obviously covers my 34 week bump in these photos, will be SO amazing for post baby body, and when I'm back in shape? These will be the softest, cutest casual shirts! I just can't say enough good things about Loved By Hannah and Eli!!

a love letter to my first

My sweet, sweet Mia. I am so full of emotion as I write this... I'm excited but anxious for the change that is coming our way! You will no longer be our only child, and while you love to talk about baby brother, you have no idea how your world is about to be rocked. I do have high hopes that this will be for the best, that we are giving you not just a sibling, but a best friend forever and ever! There may be weeks, even months of adjustment, but one thing that will never change through it all is how much your dad and I love you! You have been our whole world since the moment we found out we would be bringing you into this world! Our love for you won't change just because we somehow found the room in our hearts to love your brother as well.

You are special, Mia. The most special little girl in the entire world. You made me a mom. You were so many of my firsts... my first "love at first sight", my first baby. I'm in awe that you were, and will forever be apart of me, you precious girl!

I know you won't remember the days of just us, but I will. I won't ever forget the precious time we shared (though we will surely continue to have countless precious moments together, I promise!!) You taught me what unconditional love is. You showed me how forgiving one tiny human can be. You inspire me daily to be better, because you deserve the best! You have taught me so many lessons... God knew what He was doing when He sent you to our family!

We still can't believe that pure perfection came from your dad and me. You truly are perfect in every way, Mia. You are sweet, tender, witty, fun, happy, loving, beautiful, smart, silly, and the list can go on. I hope that we will be able to always teach and show you just how much you are worth! You are a daughter of God, a piece of us and you have the ability to make a difference in the world. Be the good, baby girl. And don't ever lose sight of what's truly important! Don't ever forget how much you are loved!

I will be forever grateful that you were my first baby (though not my last)! YOU were the one who made me a mom. I love you, Mia! From here to eternity...

Christy Brown Photography

just some randoms {32}

Blurry goodness of Mia dancing and playing in the rain! Oh how I miss green plants and grass, ha ha!

Mia has always been really great about not getting into stuff but one day a week or so ago, she was on a roll! I was getting ready for the day when I heard a weird noise with the blinds then an "uh oh!" I found a chair pulled up to the blinds (probably trying to open them) and a broken blind. Yikes! A couple other little things happened that day but to top it off, Mia painted her hands fingernails, feet and of course it dripped all over the floor, ha! Oh but did I mention there was no fingernail polish remover left because she tried cleaning her nails before painting them? HA HA!

...and now I wonder what I look like when I'm sleeping, ha ha!

Her first time baking with me and she already figured out that the best part is sneaking tastes!

Shorts c/o Dainty and Lion

Last picture I took of Mia sleeping in her crib. She suddenly looks way too big for her crib now that I'm used to seeing her sleep in her big girl bed!

Scottsdale and more weekend fun

After a 4 day weekend with Eric we are back to the daily grind today and totally bummed about it, ha ha! We were in desperate need of family time and we packed in so many little moments that filled my heart to the brim! I'm definitely sad to have our weekend come to an end!

 Mia has turned into quite the photographer over the last week :) She actually got quite a few full body shots (including our heads) of Eric and me, but of course his smile is the most genuine in this one, ha ha!

• We didn't really make any plans for Friday because I knew Eric would be exhausted from work and just want a day of relaxing. So we started the day with a workout at the gym, then went to buy a mattress for Mia's bed, and of course we fit in a family lunch date! Mia was so excited to have Eric home that she kept telling me, "daddy not go anywhere!!" Eric was happy to oblige ;)
• We ordered Mia's bed online and I somehow totally confused THIS week's delivery date for last week. So I was planning on spending the rest of our day on Friday rearranging Mia's room, until I finally made the connection that the bed wasn't going to be delivered, oops! We still rearranged the room and put the new mattress on the floor because I was so anxious to get Mia transitioned! So far, so good (post coming later on the transition!) and now I'm anxious for this coming weekend when we can finish putting together the room and see how everything looks!
• Of course we ended our night with Disney movie night! Mia finally worked up the courage to watch Monster's Inc since both mom AND dad were home to keep her safe ;) We made a really big deal out of the silly parts so that she hopefully wouldn't develop a fear of monsters in her room, especially with the change of a new bed, and it ended up being the silliest of movie nights :)

 This is why dad is way cooler than me, he gets on the floor and plays with Mia in the Disney store, ha ha!

• Saturday morning was pretty low key with working out, Mia and Eric washing the jeep together (so cute!)... just the little every day things that are SO much better with Eric around!
• Eric made my whole weekend by stopping for lunch at Cafe Rio where I indulged in shrimp tacos and a Dr. Pepper :) Yum!
• We spent the afternoon in Scottsdale (can't believe that's our first trip over since moving here!) shopping and Mia picked out brother's Halloween costume! So fun!
• Next we went to the cutest railroad park, but the temperature wasn't so cute... over 100 degrees but Eric and Mia didn't mind! We went on a train ride, the carousel, and played in the little "museum". We definitely plan to go back during the winter months and take advantage of playing outside all day in cool weather.

 

I didn't mind being the third wheel on their train date with a view like this ;)

• Sunday was a relaxing family day of church, naps and good food :)

• We started our Monday fun day at the pool! I don't think there's any better way to kick off the week :) the rest of the day wasn't so fun but we crossed a lot off our to-do list with some deep cleaning. Man, I am so thankful for Eric and what a HUGE help he is during his days off. He is the BEST!

Don't judge me for already counting down the days until our next weekend ;) We just can't get enough of our time as a family of 3!

34 weeks {babybrink#2}

Size of baby: a cantaloupe. I feel like I've hit the point that I can't imagine getting any bigger, but I know I'm about to get a lot bigger in the next 6 weeks. YIKES!

Movement: he's still a movin' :) On Friday I was telling Eric how much lower I must be carrying this baby because Mia was ALWAYS up in my ribs (which was so uncomfortable) and I haven't really felt that with him this time around. Obviously I know there's still a few more weeks of growing time and he WILL end up in my ribs... I just wasn't expecting it to be the very next day, ha ha! Baby boy showed me and planted himself up in my ribs all day Saturday! I definitely prefer feeling him move around below my ribs ;)

Cravings: shrimp tacos and a Dr. Pepper from Cafe Rio :) Dr. Pepper is my soda of choice and I kind of drank it like it was goin' out of style while pregnant with Mia, but dropped the habit after she was born because I was so concerned that the caffeine would mess up her sleeping (even though she was born with that stuff flowin' through her veins, ha!) I definitely have moments where I crave Dr. Pepper big time, but I've only indulged a couple of times this pregnancy. And Eric made my dreams come true with a family Cafe Rio date over the weekend :)

Miss anything: I try not to say this every week, but seriously, I just want clear skin again!! The acne is probably the best it's been in the last few months with minimal breaking out (compared to breaking out new every other day) but the scarring is quite obvious. Ugh! Definitely calling my dermatologist while I'm in the hospital after I give birth ;) ha ha. I'm only half kidding. Boy hormones do not agree with my skin!

Random: You guys, I'm 34 weeks. THIRTY FOUR! Only 6 weeks left... I remember feeling like I'd been pregnant forever at this point with Mia (and was doomed to be pregnant forever, ha!) but not this time. This pregnancy is flying by and the next 6 weeks will fly by even quicker! I mean, I just realized over the weekend that I haven't even registered at my hospital yet, oops! Time to kick it in gear and get things done!

Best moment of the week: finally switching Mia out of the crib to her big girl bed! I'm sure that will get a whole post of it's own, but Mia is in HEAVEN with her big girl bed and now she's super happy to be "giving her crib to baby brother" where as each time I asked her before, her reaction was basically HECK TO THE NO! Ha ha! I really wanted her good and settled in her bed before baby brother arrived because he won't stay in our room longer than a month (if that) and I didn't want her freaking out when he does end up in the crib. So far, so good! Such a relief!

my top 5 newborn essentials

Eric and I were a little on the frantic side trying to get ready for baby when I was pregnant with Mia. We weren't sure what we needed, so we thought we had to have it all! I mean seriously, I wish I had taken a picture of the trunk of our car when we went to do newborn photos... we packed so much CRAP that we could barely close the trunk, ha ha. Anyway, that was totally off point. I could go on and on about what a new momma needs, especially a nursing one (pump, lanolin cream, adult diapers- I'm only half kidding ;), 10 pairs of hands, sleep, ibuprofen, and the list can go on. Wow- if I wasn't already pregnant that would have been a good dose of birth control for me, ha ha! Being a new mom is far from glamorous... but those days with your brand new, tiny newborn? They are PRICELESS!) But a sweet, precious newborn needs very little in the term of "things" and that's just one more reason to soak up that phase and try to stop your heart from bursting with love! Aside from LOTS of snuggles and food (whether it comes from formula or nursing) I've narrowed down our 5 "must haves" this time around with baby boy. Trust me, we've come a looooooong way since this is our second go around ;)

1- I am completely obsessed with baby nightgowns, especially for the middle of the night diaper changes, etc! They give the baby full coverage to help keep them warm, but I'll still have easy access to his tiny toesies ;) We own multiple nightgowns for our little man but the "Sleepy Bear" nightgown that Loved By Hannah And Eli sent us is at the top of my list! I can't wait to snuggle my little bear in his nightgown!

2- Mia loved being swaddled so swaddle blankets are a definite necessity this go around, too! We bought Aden and Anais blankets for Mia and they were by far our favorite for swaddling, but the best part is that she STILL sleeps with them every day over 2 1/2 years later! These are light weight enough that you can easily swaddle for sleep and survive the hot months, then layer with another blanket for warmth during the cold months. I also only ever used my A&A blankets as a nursing cover during the hot months with Mia. It was big enough that I had full coverage but super light weight and breathable to make it more comfortable for Mia to be covered! We've also discovered that these tie around to make a PERFECT toddler cape, ha ha! Can you tell that we are #1 fans of A&A blankets? I ended up purchasing a bamboo swaddle set during the Nordstrom sale and holy moly, they are SO SOFT! I didn't think it could get any better than their normal swaddles, but these are amazing! So baby boy will have the normal swaddles as well as a bamboo set!

3- Mia was a binky baby so I'm totally okay with brother taking a bink as well! This time we will be taking the binky's we hope he'll like best to the hospital with us... which are the nuk pacifiers! We loved them with Mia!! Obviously if he doesn't love it, we will try other brands to see if he prefers them (or maybe he won't take a bink at all!) but I'm definitely trying our favorite brand very first!

4- Diapers are obviously a necessity... we LOVED Pampers Swaddlers when Mia was a newborn. Our favorite part was that a little line turned green when she peed, and you bet we changed her diaper anytime we saw the littlest bit of green, ha ha! Since this isn't our first rodeo we really don't need the line to tell us when and if baby boy needs a diaper change, but we still plan on using swaddlers during the newborn days for him! We discovered that every brand has different sizing though, and we have literally used a different brand for every single size of diaper Mia has been in. So we may discover that Pampers isn't the best fit for our boy, and that's okay! Being flexible is what being a parent is all about anyway ;) Side note: I guess wipes go hand in hand with diapers- our favorite are the Kirkland wipes from Costco. And we are TOTALLY stocking up on them right now because they are in the coupons for the first time in 2 years (until the end of the month) ha ha!

5- So here's the deal, we used our (borrowed) bouncer the very day we brought Mia home from the hospital so a bouncer was on the top of our "need" list this time around. I know there are mamaRoo's, rock a roo's, etc and I know people swear by them, but we are going off of what we know for our list. And we don't know if a mamaRoo is worth the money (although I wouldn't say no to a free one, ha ha!) and the newly launched bounceRoo (we would be more likely to splurge on this since we know we love having a bouncer) But all these sweet babes need are a cozy place to lounge and feel comfort. So again, a bouncer is a necessity to us because we used one with Mia from day one. But he could turn the tables and really hate the bouncer... which means we will find ourselves scrambling for a swing or even a mamaRoo ;)

So there you have it- our 5 must haves, plus food, cuddles and love to survive the newborn days!!

2.8

And just like that, another month has flown by and Mia is that much closer to turning 3! I didn't write anything down this last month (oops) so I'm just rounding up the milestones and knowledge she's gained over the past few months. Mia is just the funnest, happiest, silliest girl and she really is the happiest part of our lives! We are obsessed with her!

- Mia is quite the talker and really soaks up everything we tell her! I've been teaching her about last names and where everyone lives (states). She catches on so quick!! It's funny the things I never thought about teaching her until I hear other moms doing it, ha!
- We have ordered Mia's big girl bed and will transition her as soon as it gets here (this weekend at the latest!) I'm a little nervous about the transition just because she still does SO great in her crib! But it's time for her to give the crib to little brother and she is LOVING the idea of having a big girl bed! I just hope she thinks she can't get out of it unless I help her ;) ha ha! At least we have our video monitor so she won't be escaping her bed when she should be sleeping without hearing from us!
- She is a pro at putting her shoes on (including getting the straps through the tiny loops, etc) and gets them on the right feet. It's so handy as my belly just keeps growing and growing!
- I've let Eric take on the roll of Mr. Fix It when it comes to any broken toy, etc and now Mia is convinced that daddy can fix anything! Literally, anything that breaks, "daddy 'ix it!" Good thing he really can, ha ha!
- She officially begs to go to school, already!! Slow down baby girl, I'm not ready for that!! Plus she has to wait a whole year to start since she's not even 3 yet, ha ha! Time to start playing school at home, I suppose. (But I'm pretty sure the only reason she wants to go to school is because she thinks she'll get to wear her backpack and ride a bus, ha!)
- Mia loves to count and has recently picked up counting with her fingers. She has 1-5 down but it's still pretty tricky for her anytime there's a number high enough that involves her other hand :)
- She tends to be the bossy friend when she first gets together with her little friends, oops! It quickly fades as she falls into just playing and having fun. I can't tell if she's trying to be the little momma Mia, or if I'm raising her to be uptight and bossy, ha ha! My bad!
- This girl is such a book worm! She's completely obsessed with books and I love it! At least I've done something right with teaching her a love for books ;)
- Mia gets more and more clingy/attached to me as the weeks go by, which I've heard would happen as my pregnancy progressed! Just the last couple of weeks when Eric bathes her, brushes her teeth, etc she tells him "it's mommy's turn!" Totally not normal because the bedtime routine has always been there thing and she adores it! Like, she would scream bloody murder if I bathed her instead of Eric, ha ha! While I blame it on the pregnancy, maybe she's truly asking for me because she knows it kills my back/hips to bath her now, ha!     
- I'm taking Mia to her first every gymnastics class today! I wish it was a dance class but I've had the hardest time finding one that offers classes to 2 year olds! I'm still researching but I think she'll have a lot of fun with this until we find the perfect class for good!
- Mia mainly wears 2T clothing but fits in anything ranging from 12 month - 3T, and wears size 6 shoes.
- She still wears size 5 diapers (size 6 at night) and loves them so, ha! She goes pee on the potty at least once a day, but otherwise I'm just waiting for her to let me know she's totally ready for potty training. At this point, it's definitely not happening before baby brother comes because the last thing I want is for her to regress and have to potty train twice. No thank you!  

 Photos c/o Christy Brown Photography

maternity photos {babybrink#2}

I never did maternity photos when I was pregnant with Mia so I was absolutely thrilled to work with Christy Brown Photography to get some photos this time around! I admit that I was also super nervous because I feel like I'm totally awkward in front of the camera, especially by myself! Christy was such a gem to work with as she put up with my ridiculousness and made me feel beautiful :) I was and am still bummed that Eric wasn't able to be there for these photos, but I'm so glad I was able to take some with Mia!! She's been so in tune with baby brother this whole pregnancy so I thought it was totally fitting to get some shots with her! I'm so in awe of how these turned out!!

My Dress c/o Pink Blush Maternity Photos c/o Christy Brown Photography

I mean, could these pictures be any more perfect?! You know there will be more posts showing off all of these photos... Christy was incredible to work with! She's so adorable, obviously talented, and SO helpful! She was quick to guide me when I felt unsure of how I looked, she was SO good with Mia whether she was trying to get her to smile or just letting her be her 2 year old self, AND she helped carry Mia while being pregnant herself! Super woman! Christy is located in Utah but also travels to California and Boston for photography. I'm feeling SO lucky that we were able to get together with her during our visit to Utah- no place does mountain landscaping better than Utah! I'm in LOVE with all of these photos!

Part 2
Part 3

the darndest things... {Miaisms}

I can't believe this is only my second edition of my kid saying the darndest things ;) I need to be better about writing this stuff down because I forget too easily, but Mia is hilarious! Maybe most of these are the "you had to be there" scenarios to find it funny, but whatever! I'm sharing anyway :)

We were eating lunch at my friend's house when I snuck into the bathroom real quick. Mia asked where I went and my friend told her she thought I was in the bathroom. I was SHOCKED with Mia's reply...
"Oh! Dis is how you poop!" She continued on with grunting, a serious "push" face and squatting back in her chair, HA HA! Oh how I wish I could have seen this in person! 

I was supervising Mia while she painted when she pointed out of the room and said, "go clean the house!"

We were cleaning up some blocks when Mia accidentally spilled the bag. While picking it up she quietly exclaimed, "oh crap!" Of course I made a big deal out of it because that's the first time I'd ever heard her say that, ha ha, but hey! The video I took is a gem that will make me laugh no matter how rotten my day is going. She continued to shout "oh crap!" the rest of the night to try and get a reaction out of me, but I don't recall her saying it since this day :)

After reading a Halloween themed book (mid July), Mia asked me for a pumpkin. I asked her if she wanted to carve pumpkins again this year (not expecting her to remember carving them last year) in a couple of months.
"Yes! Eyes, nose, chin. Outside?"
"Do you remember putting the pumpkins outside last year?!"
She nodded her head. A few seconds later she started to make the puking sound then started laughing! Eric made a pumpkin "barf" while gutting it last year and Mia thought it was hilarious (I caught it on video- it's so good!) and she obviously remembers! For some reason that totally blew my mind!

One morning after brushing Mia's teeth, I told her I was going to wash her face (like always!) and started washing it. Mia said, "like a beard?! I Eric, momma!" Eric got a good laugh out of that one, ha ha!

Mia and I were looking at a picture of the two of us on Instagram when she exclaimed, "oh, pretty 'incess!!"
"Who's a pretty princess?" I asked while pointing to myself in the photo.
"Nope!" She took my phone and scrolled to another photo of just herself.
"Dere! Pretty 'incess!" while pointing at herself in the photo with a huge smile on her face. :)

One night during dinner Mia was being exceptionally cute (after being exceptionally beastly at nap time and after she woke) She told me twice that dinner was "dewicious!" and when a package arrived at the door I told her it was for baby brother. "It's a 'prise for baby brudder! He's soooooo cute!" in the sweetest voice. My heart totally melted! Then she started crying because she wanted baby brother's binky's..... 

I was talking to Mia about where we live and asked her, "Can you say "Arizona"?!"
"I want donuts!"
She is definitely my kid, ha ha!

 Photo by Christy Brown Photography 

I adore this photo so! I can almost hear the giggles she was producing at this moment :)

33 weeks {babybrink#2}

Size of baby: a pineapple. It's starting to get real that I have to push this babe out... of my body. I know I've done it before but sheesh! I don't think it gets any less nerve racking no matter how many times you've done it!

Movement: good news! My doctor suspects that baby boy has moved head down (he felt for it, so crazy how they can tell where the head is through touch over the belly! He should stay in position but if he doesn't feel the head at my 36 week check up, he will bring in the ultrasound machine to see what's up) and I can tell by the movements now. He's still all over the place but I am feeling a lot of the same pressure that I had with Mia when he's laying on a certain side, or his bum is up in my ribs, ha! I've also taken a few videos of his movements this week because I totally don't remember Mia moving around the way this kid does, ha! It looks like there's an alien in my belly when you watch little body parts poke up and move all around!

Cravings: costco pizza, and yes, I did indulge :) Let's just hope I'm not craving the healthy stuff because that means I'm already eating so much of the good stuff that my body doesn't need to ask for it, ha ha! Not likely...

Miss anything: just the normal things that probably every pregnant girl mentions. I miss sleeping comfortably and not waking up with back pain, I miss not being tired and achy, I miss being able to hold Mia comfortably, etc. But I know this phase is almost over so it's not bothering me too much. I do miss not having to try so hard to be patient with Mia though. It's not even Mia that makes me impatient (although she does test the limits, trust me) it's just me and how I'm feeling. Maybe this is preparing me for how hard I'm really going to have to try to get my patience under control when he's here and I'm ridiculously sleep deprived, but still need to be the mom that Mia deserves to have taking care of her!

Random: as I've mentioned multiple times before, Mia loves the idea of brother being in HER belly. The other day I picked her up from the gym daycare when she exclaimed, "Ugh! My back hurts!" I was instantly concerned that she got hurt while playing so of course I jumped right in with questioning her, "it does? Where does it hurt? What's wrong?" With a bit of a smirk she replied, "my belly's growin'!" I must be complaining more than I realize around her, ha ha!

Best moment of the week: Mia keeps trying to claim all of her brother's crap. Just yesterday she got REALLY mad at me for not giving her a blanket that I explained was baby brother's. I could have just let her have it, obviously it's not a big deal, but I want her to learn that she can't have everything she wants, just because she wants it. And I'm hoping to avoid jealousy issues, although I'm not sure my way of teaching is the right way. Anyway I took her to our blanket shelf and let her pick out one of her blankets and showed her that she has blankets just like baby brother (which totally satisfied her)!
So that was a really long intro to share a cute moment we had at Target earlier this week (ha ha) I was browsing the clearance rack (because we really need necessities like diapers, not clothes, ha!) and I couldn't help but pull out a little outfit with a lion on it (Mia is obsessed with lions!) and showed Mia. "Oh! Dat's for baby brudder?!" I was shocked that she didn't try to claim it for herself! "Do you want it for baby brother? What's on it?!" Her whole face lit up, "Oooooh! It's a LION! RAAAAAWR!" She was so enthusiastic and it was the cutest thing! I asked her if she wanted to give it to baby brother and of course she said yes! Maybe that will be her Christmas gift to him, ha ha!

dressing my little man {Izzy and Isla}

I'll admit it, I love doing collaborations and reviews! LOVE it! But I usually wait until I have photos of us actually showing the product off to post about it... but since baby boy is still cookin' and this was too cute to not share... I'm showing a little sneak peek of the goodness Izzy and Isla has to offer!

I mean, COME ON! All the heart eyes for this cardigan onesie, and that bow tie!! When Izzy and Isla contacted me about sending something for our little man I couldn't help but feel all the excitement over dressing a little boy, probably for the first time since I realized there would be no ruffle bum clothes for this babe ;) The best part is that they offer cardigan onesies for little girl's as well that include some dainty lace trim (but my favorite is still the bow tie, swoon!) Izzy and Isla also offer custom headbands and were sweet enough to include Mia in this precious gift. I swiped this photo to share a little sneak peek of the matching goodness...

Now, I'll be honest. I was a little worried what Eric's reaction would be to this darling onesie... I don't know what I was nervous about because Eric totally smiled and thought it was SO cute! It's definitely different than anything else we own for our boy (and I'm sure Eric will have him decked out in jerseys and baseball caps by the time he's walking) but that's what makes this so fun! We are going to have such a dapper, little babe! I can't wait! And the only opinion that mattered about the headband was Mia's.... and she thinks it's her crown :) Always the princess, ha ha! A very happy princess about her "crown" so it's a win-win! If you're on the hunt for the sweetest baby outfits/accessories, definitely look into Izzy and Isla! And consider this your warning that there will be lots of baby spam coming your way with this outfit in the coming months...

one last HURRAH

As I mentioned before, Mia and I had our final girls trip before baby brother arrives (although I definitely don't think this will be our last girls trip!) We spent close to two weeks in Utah visiting family! The main reason we planned the trip is because my family threw my sister in law a baby shower so it made for a really good excuse to visit family one last time before baby comes! It was a long time to be away from Eric and a TON of traveling (we were all over the state) but we had a blast! My body still hasn't recovered but it was totally worth it!

We went to Bruges Waffles and Frites (my fave!!) with Alycia (thank you for indulging my craving, Alycia!!) We walked away for two seconds and came back to Mia taking a huge bite out of the cream piled on top of Alycia's waffle, ha ha. Oops!! Mia tried to act like she didn't do it but....

Finally got a bump photo together! We are due about 6 weeks apart!

 This view will never grow old!

Mia is completely obsessed with my parent's dogs! Of course they are obsessed with her, too!

One of my new, favorite pictures of us together!

We were able to play with friends, soak up the GORGEOUS weather (summer mornings and nights are the BEST in Utah!), see SO much family (including extended family and Mia's great grandparents), play in the rain, go boating, sword fight with cousins (Mia's favorite part, I'm sure!), played lots of guitar courtesy of my dad and brother, had a girl's night with my mom and saw Cinderella (darling movie! can't wait to buy it!) and ate WAY too much good food! Of course I didn't take nearly enough photos! We were on the go the whole time and seriously had so much fun! Thank you to everyone who made this trip such a blast for us!
I can't believe how quickly the time is dwindling of Mia being our only child... we are definitely trying to make the most of it! This girl's trip was definitely one for the books!

currently

Playing in the rain yesterday afternoon.... heck yes! We ran for cover 2 minutes later though when the lightning and thunder went crazy!

Loving: our time as a family of 3. I'm pretty uncomfortable these days (hello 8 months of pregnancy) but I'm trying not to let it slow me down too much. This time of just us with Mia is quickly coming to an end and I want to soak it up as much as possible! I'm starting to feel a little nervous about adding to the family (too late for that now though, right?!) but I'm definitely anxious and excited to see just how far my heart can really be stretched by loving another little one as much as I love Mia. How is it even possible?!

Reading/Watching: all the books for Mia :) I seriously need to get crackin' with a book for myself!
And you know I'm taking full advantage of Mia's nap time by catching up on all the trashy shows ;) I finally finished the Bachelorette and now it's time to play catch up on Hulu with Bachelor in Paradise, ha ha! And my que is looking pretty sweet with it's line up of updated shows on Netflix- Pretty Little Liars, Scandal, etc. I am trying to save some of these shows for the middle of the night feedings that are about to take over my life again, ha!

Trying to: get everything in order for baby brother... because I haven't really done a dang thing yet, ha! We do have some newborn diapers, clothes and pacifiers. You know, the necessities ;) But I realized we don't have ANY boy blankets. We were spoiled with Mia and gifted with some beautiful blankets as well as, my favorite, minky blankets (and other incredibly soft, cozy blankets) I am obsessed with those kinds of blankets but I don't sew (dang it!) Help this momma out (and let's be real, we're helping baby boy, too!) and tell me your favorite shops for blankets?! I'm hoping to find the softest, cutest blankets without breaking the bank ;) Even if I can just get my hands on one minky-ish blanket before he's born so that we have it for hospital and newborn photos... after that he can be wrapped in pink forever, HA!

Wishing: for cooler weather! The weather in Utah was absolutely gorgeous while Mia and I were visiting... Fall is just around the corner there! And it totally has me wishing for cooler weather here in Arizona (hello 115 degrees that is for casted in the next few days) October is my very favorite month in Utah and I will miss the changing leaves and crisp air! But I know I will be loving life in Arizona come winter time (because let's be real... winter doesn't exist here!)

Excited for: Halloween! I know it's a ways away and I'm sure I'll be lost in the looney bin trying to figure out life with a second child... but Mia officially picked her Halloween costume, as well as baby brother's, and I'm so excited to see them dressed up together! I can't believe I'll have TWO kids this Halloween! Plus, did I mention cooler weather?!

But seriously, if you missed it... I would love any and all recommendations for places to get baby blankets (my explanation is in "trying to")! Please and thank you :)
Linking up with Jenn!

reunited

I've been MIA in blog land the last couple of weeks because Mia and I had one last "hurrah" in Utah together (and you know a recap will be coming of that trip, ha ha!) We were hoping to fly Eric up for part of that trip but of course work got too crazy and he wasn't able to get away. We really did have such a great trip but there's no better feeling than coming home and being reunited with our favorite guy!

Thanks to work and traveling our weekend was super low key but exactly what we needed! We were so happy to soak up time with each other... especially Mia! She was in heaven having both of her parents within reach again! We hit up the pool (our little water lover was thrilled to be back in the water!), napped as much as possible, enjoyed a date night in- complete with renting a movie (first time in who knows how long?!) and ice cream, lots of playing and book reading, church, root beer floats and relaxed! The weekend flew by too quickly (I got spoiled with our 3 day weekends in July) and we are already counting down the days until Eric's next weekend! But most importantly, we are thrilled to home and reunited together again!

32 weeks {babybrink#2}

Size of baby: a large jicama. No, I have no idea what that is. And yes, I was too lazy to google a jicama :) They also say I should be gaining a pound a week (half of that pound going towards the baby) but hey! I was already gaining that before, ha ha! One thing I do know for sure is that there is no mistaking the fact that I'm pregnant. I'm feeling so BIG these days!

Movement: his movements are so explosive and allllll over the place! I don't remember seeing my belly move with Mia the way it does with this one. I'm guessing it's because Mia was mostly head down so a lot of her movement was real low, or really up in my ribs. This little guy is all over the place!

Cravings: nothing specific. My sweet tooth is still out of control, but I don't think that's any different than when I'm not pregnant ;)

Miss anything: being able to cuddle Mia comfortably. The bump is officially large and in charge and tends to get in the way. Sometimes we don't notice it, other times it gets frustrating for Mia, and a lot of the times it gets frustrating for me because I can't hold Mia the way she wants or needs me to because it causes me some pain. I just keep reminding myself that this bump will only be around for a short while longer... then I get to snuggle both my babies more comfortably :)

Random: I am officially done running. I will still be (attempting) speed walking but it's definitely not worth the pain anymore to keep trying to run. I wasn't able to run past 16 weeks with Mia so it still blows my mind that I made it to 30+ weeks with this pregnancy! I'll keep spinning, walking and I'd like to start doing the elliptical and try a water aerobics class! In reality, I wish I could just sit around and eat ice cream for the next 2 months, ha ha! But I know that exercise helps with labor and recovery so I'll keep on keepin' on!

Best moment of the week: one night during our bedtime routine with Mia, Eric gave me a kiss, kissed Mia goodnight, then gave my belly a kiss and told baby brother good night. As he was walking out of her room, Mia called him back and told him to "tiss baby brudder" while patting her belly. He tried telling her that he already kissed baby brother in my belly but she wouldn't let him leave without kissing her belly and telling baby brother goodnight, ha ha!

sharing is caring {Happiness Boutique}

I am so excited to be sharing one gem (see what I did there?! ;)) of a find with you all today- Happiness Boutique! This is seriously a one stop shopping experience where you can purchase clothing AND accessories! When it comes to jewelery I'm not very adventurous and basically stick to wearing earrings and my wedding ring. I was thrilled to receive this package in the mail!! These earrings are beautiful but fun, and I can wear them with just about everything! It's going to take some serious self control to not buy everything else on my wish list... all at once ;)
One thing I really love about Happiness Boutique (and my bank account really loves it, too) is that they offer free shipping AND have a rewards program! Free jewelry or clothes? Yes, please! Can you tell that I'm just little excited about my new find? I promise you'll love Happiness Boutique as much as I do!

Earrings c/o Happiness Boutique

Dress c/o Pink Blush Maternity

Earrings c/o Happiness Boutique