Talk about the struggle...

When is the right appropriate time to hang up your Christmas lights? Halloween is over, November is here, and I'm already in the Christmas spirit. Usually, I break out all of my Christmas decorations on Black Friday. Except, this year, one month is NOT enough. Christmas is my all time, favorite holiday. Ever. 

via GreenJazzFace

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to put up my Christmas tree this weekend, too! It's happening, folks. I'm going to be one of THOSE people! I have a baby to celebrate with for the very first time and it's so exciting. What's better than family, food, and fun? Oh, and Jesus, too! He is the reason for the season, after all.

My husband told me that he is going to clean out our fireplace one day this weekend and that got me so happy for the upcoming cold weather season. Warm pajamas, fuzzy socks, hot chocolate, and cuddling next to a warm fire. I can't wait! My countdown has officially begun! 

Shadow Box for Baby

I've been wanting to put together a shadow box for Aiden ever since he was born. I knew it was something I wanted to do, but I had to wait until I found time to buy a box first. I kept putting this off and forgetting about it entirely. 

I mentioned to my mom recently that I needed to get it done and she brought a shadow box for me to use! I opened it up and was super stoked that it had magnets instead of pins! This way I could present all of the items without anything showing. I saved all of the items I wanted to add and quickly collected them. It took me all of about five minutes to set this shadow box up. 

I saved his newborn coming home outfit that included a matching onesie, hat, and gloves. I added the hat he wore immediately after birth, his hospital bracelet, and a newborn diaper. I wanted to remember (and never forget) how tiny my little guy was as a newbie. I never would have thought about saving his last newborn diaper though, thanks for the tip mom! I have the card that the nurses used in his bassinet in the nursery that I might go back and add later. I didn't think about it at the time!

I'm not sure where she got this specific shadow box, but wherever you are shopping, look for one that uses magnets. This helps keep your box clean looking. I also chose not to add any scrapbook paper to the background. I felt like the burlap fabric that it came with looked nice enough and that saved me time and money.

Did you put together a shadow box for your babe? What did you include in his/hers?

7 Months

Here I am again, posting another late monthly update of Aiden. Shame on me! I blame it on school. My time management and procrastination is getting better though. And, I really miss blogging. So, I'm coming back with a vengeance.

The main thing that has changed this month for Aiden is the fact that he learned how to pull up to stand and he can stay standing as long as he is holding on (for dear life.) He learned how to do this a few days before he turned 7 months old. Sometimes, if he sees something just out of his reach, he can walk and hold on to something to go get it! Holy crap! Also, he has officially mastered crawling! He is so fast, too! He steadily surprises me with all of the new things he is constantly learning! What will it be next? Standing on his own? Walking on his own?

Sleeping patterns: He is sleeping about 8-10 hours a night, which is fabulous, waking up anywhere between 8-9am for his first bottle of the day. It seems like he was sleeping a lot lately, and now I know why. He plays so hard and wears himself out! He's also been doing fairly well with his naps in his own crib. For the past few months, I've been making him take all of his daytime naps on his own. My hopes for this is that whenever I'm ready to kick him out transition him to his crib at night, he will be comfortable enough to do so. I'm crossing my fingers!

Eating habits: He is eating anywhere between 6-8 ounces 5-6 times a day. He gets an eight ounce bottle first thing in the morning. We fell of the solids bandwagon there for a few weeks, but we are back in the game! But, now when he gets solids, he will drink his normal 6 ounce bottle right after! We introduced Gerber 2nd foods like sweet potato and corn, chicken and vegetables, pear and pineapple, and apples and chicken. I'm pretty sure he likes apples and chicken the best! We also got different kinds of puffs that kind of look like the puffy Cheetos's. I'm not going to lie, they all taste pretty dang good!

Accomplishments: Aiden is an official "crawler!" And he can pull himself up and stand next to anything he can get a grip on!

Places I went:  He sits up in the buggy at the grocery store like a big boy! He has a convertible car seat, and he sits in a high chair at restaurants now!

Special memories: Seeing Aiden pull up to stand and even try to take a few steps. He also can find his pacifier in his sleep and put it back in his mouth, which I think is absolutely adorable. He is just growing up so fast!

Likes: Sitting and standing up, petting the puppies, "telling stories", cuddling, playing with his feet and sucking on his big toe. 

Dislikes: He hates anything that involves being alone and he can't sit still for anything. He is his father's child.

No wellness visit this month so these measurements are by me and I consider them good estimates. I can't wait until his 6 month visit to see how much he has truly grown!

>>>>> 7 Months <<<<<

10.01.13

Height - 29 inches long

Weight - 18lbs 8oz

6 Months

I am a month and a half late posting this update, but school started a few days after his 6 month check-up. I've been super busy and got completely wrapped up in school. It's been hard trying to balance time between taking care of my little bean and trying to study. The first month was hard, but I'm slowly figuring out what works and what certainly doesn't. 

This month was full of wonders. He started eating puffs and drinking apple juice from a sippy cup! And most exciting of all, he has taught himself how to sit all on his own! He looks like such a big boy now when he sits up to play with his toys. Not much progress has been made in the crawling department, though. He still tries his hardest, even though he just scoots from place to place. He usually scoots a few inches and falls on his belly and has to start all over again. The main thing he has to figure out is how to keep himself up while crawling, but I think that has a lot to do with having the upper body strength in his arms to be able to support his own body weight. He learns quickly though, so I'm looking forward to him learning this trick!

Sleeping patterns: He is still sleeping about 8-9 hours a night, which is fabulous, waking up around 7-8am for his first bottle of the day. I feel incredibly blessed that he sleeps through the night, but I kind of feel like I'm cheating because we "bed share." I kind of feel deep down that if he were to sleep in his own crib at night, he wouldn't sleep all the way through.

Eating habits: He is eating 6 ounces 6-7 times a day. He gets a 6 ounce bottle first thing in the morning. I try and give him solids twice a day - once at lunch and again for supper. Most of the time he only gets solids once a day though and sometimes not at all. Our pediatrician said that we could start Gerber Puffs around seven months, but I really felt like he was ready for them now, so he's been getting a snack with puffs and apple juice between naps. I also started him on a sippy cup! He's not so sure about it just yet, but he's trying.

Accomplishments: Aiden is still scooting as much as possible, but the new trick he has learned this month was sitting up all on his own a few days before he turned 6 months old! He can push himself up to sitting from the crawling position. He's turning into such a big boy. Make time stop please! He also said mama and dada!

Places I went:  Mainly just outings to the grocery store, running errands, and a few trips out to eat. Nothing too exciting here.

Special memories: Capturing a video of my boy sitting up for the very first time, without propping up with his hands! It made me such a proud mommy!

Likes: Eating puffs and apple juice, cuddles, babbling, chasing after the puppies, interacting with any and everyone, sitting up to play with his toys!

Dislikes: He hates it when you set him down somewhere and you walk away. He hates lying on his back and will roll over to his belly so he can sit up any chance he gets. 

The wellness visit this month went really well. I wasn't able to stay for his shots, but his daddy was there and he told me that Aiden only cried for a minute or two after his shots. He got four shots and an oral vaccine. The Tdap vaccine isn't available due to a shortage so, we have him the flu shot instead. The good news is that we don't have to go back until he is ready for his 9 month wellness visit! I think I am most excited for his to not have to get shots for 3 whole months! 

>>>>> 6 Months <<<<<

09.01.13

Height - 28 inches long

Weight - 16lbs 15oz

We almost forgot to take his 6 month picture this month, and it got late in the day. We had to make do with the ceiling fan light and trying our best to get him to smile. He looks like he is missing a foot and the glare on his sticker looks ridiculous, but he is smiling and that's all that matters to me! 

My Guilty Pleasure

When asked what is my guilty pleasure, I can almost answer that question immediately. The answer? My iPhone! I'm slightly embarrassed that I'm even sharing that, but it's true. 

I know so many older people that complain about too many of us "kids" rely on our cell phones these days. They complain that we don't know what face-to-face socializing really is. While my iPhone is with me 24/7, I love to text, keep up with friends and family on Facebook, and play the most addictive Candy Crush, I would not ever choose my phone over a face-to-face conversation any day. 

I live away from all of my friends and family so my iPhone keeps us all connected! FaceTime is probably the best invention ever! I love that our parents can see Aiden a lot more often even though we are miles apart.

I also take way too many pictures of Aiden. It's so much easier to take a picture with my phone than it is to see Aiden do something so cute and have to run and find my camera. I ALWAYS have my phone with me. Always. I use it a lot. And it dies a lot. But it is always with me.

What is your guilty pleasure? Share your link in the comments on Everyday Bay's blog post here.

My Story

I'm coming back from a long break from blogging to take part in a challenge by Jerika over at Everyday Bay. She has a post that explains the Blog Everyday in September Challenge that you can read here.

So, this is my story. It will most likely be long, and I will probably include way too many non-important details, but I like to ramble, so thanks in advance if you stick with me!

I was born in Lubbock, Texas due to my mom and dad being in the Air Force. We didn't stay there long and my parents got stationed in Guam, where my brother was born. We didn't stay there long either and we moved to Louisiana. We lived in a numerous amount of places until we moved to a small town that I call home. 

I went to a different school for Kindergarten, a different school for first grade, and then attended the same school from second grade all the way through graduation. I didn't have a lot of friends, but that wasn't for a lack of trying. I didn't ever really feel accepted. I wasn't hated by the "popular kids", but I wasn't bashed by them either. I kind of kept to myself and focused on my school work and I stayed this way until high school when I started opening up to people. I cheered in tenth grade and my senior year. And I was a member of several clubs during my entire high school career. 

I started dating my now husband when I was 16 and a sophomore in high school. I was head over heels in love and I still am to this very day. I'm working on our love story to share with you all because that is a whole other story all its own. We had a long distance relationship (I would see him on weekends) until the day I graduated, then I moved in with him that night. We spent the next year discovering each other and making memories and he proposed to me in the most beautiful and simple way. Ever since I was a little girl I had always imagined a huge frilly, fancy wedding with pink on everything. I knew as soon as I said yes, that I had to start planning, and I did. What started out as huge plans slowly changed to a smaller ceremony, yet gorgeous all it's own. Even though my husband would have been okay with just getting married at the courthouse, I knew that if I didn't get walked down the aisle by my daddy, that would be a decision that I would always regret. So, exactly a year to the day that we were engaged, we became husband and wife. 

 I always knew that I wanted to get married, and more importantly, have children. And the fact that my husband is seven years older than me kind of pushed the decision to have kids much faster than normally expected for newlyweds. We started trying right away and a month after our honeymoon, we found out we were pregnant! We were extremely excited that it happened so quickly, so we shared the news with our family and friends right away. After three at-home pregnancy tests to prove to myself that I was indeed pregnant, I called my doctor immediately! It was probably the longest weekend of my life waiting to see my doctor the next week, but probably the most tragic as well. The day after I found out we were expecting, I started cramping and spotting. I turned to the trusty Google and read that a lot of moms experience this in the beginning and it can be very normal. With every day that passed my pains got worse and the bleeding got heavier. Monday morning I made an attempt to go to work, but left soon after I got there and met my husband at the Emergency Room. I had an ultrasound done and they couldn't see anything - nothing at all. But they assured me that it just might be too early and that some women have their cycles through their whole pregnancy and I might be included in that group. I had my blood taken so they could read my HCG levels to see if they matched up with how far along I was. I met with the doctor and he went over every possible scenario and then he gave me orders to see my OB/GYN the following day so I could get my HCG levels checked again. I was told that if the numbers dropped, it was bad news. So, on the way home I prayed to God over and over again that my numbers doubled like they should. I didn't even make it half way home when I got the most devastating news ever - I was having a miscarriage. Yes, I was only 5 weeks at the most, but that was 5 weeks of LIFE inside of me that I cherished more than anything, LIFE that I loved, and now LIFE that I miss. 

A miscarriage is not something you can ever get over or even forget for that matter. So, we stopped trying for a few months and decided to stop "trying on purpose." We decided that whatever happens, happens. And in enters Aiden! Six months after losing something very special, I gained something amazing! I found out I was pregnant again and I didn't take a single second for granted! My pregnancy was not the easiest by any means, but it's true what they say about forgetting it all. It was all worth it that very second I got to hold my baby boy for the first time. I can't wait to give him some brothers or sisters! Children are a gift from God.

Speaking of brothers and sisters, I have one brother and two half-sisters. My mom and dad split when I was nine. My dad and I were not really close until about five or so years ago. My family means the world to me and I would do anything for them. I don't see them as much as I should, but it's really hard to see everyone as often as I'd like when I live a few hours away and I'm raising a family of my own. Being a grown up is tough!

I started college the fall after graduation and went in with the intention of being an elementary teacher focusing on mainly Kindergarten. You know I love kiddos! I got a job the next spring and after the third semester, we moved to Texas! Adam's company relocated him, working in a different division. I took a break from school and started last fall deciding it was smarter for me to go to nursing school. A lot of my family is in the medical field, so I'm not surprised that I am following along. I had to take a break this past spring because I was due to deliver Aiden in March. I didn't feel it was a smart idea to go to school and have a newborn. And hindsight, I am so glad I didn't! Who knew babies took so much work? But, I'm back at the school grind and I'm really hoping to start clinicals next fall!

Life from day to day doesn't change much. I stay at home taking care of Aiden and feel so completely blessed to have that opportunity. My story isn't the most exciting by any means, but it's mine. I've made so many memories in my short life and I can't wait for the ones to come. Share your story with us!

5 Months

I'm writing this update almost a month late, but better late than never, right? 

This month passed by the fastest to me and I'm not entirely sure why. I think it was the most enjoyable so far. There are so many things he has learned to do and it's like he turned into a completely different baby. It's almost as if he woke up one morning and all of a sudden he could do all of these new tricks. 

He finally figured out how to actually jump in his Exersaucer which is my favorite thing to watch him do. He gets so excited and loves all of the toys, lights and music.

Sleeping patterns: He is sleeping about 8-9 hours a night, which is fabulous, waking up around 7-8am for his first bottle of the day. 

Eating habits: He is eating anywhere between 4-6 ounces 6-8 times a day. He gets a 6 ounce bottle first thing in the morning. I try and give him solids twice a day - once at lunch and again for supper. When he gets solids he only drinks about 3-4 ounces of formula and then he wants another 4 ounces about an hour later, Mr. Piggy. So far, I think his favorite puree is carrots!

Accomplishments: He is reaching for any and everything in sight and as soon as he gets a grip on it, it is going straight into his mouth. He has figured out the dogs and absolutely loves petting them! And his new trick this month is sitting up in the bed with us. He's not perfected it just yet, he's still wobbly, but he is getting so much better at it!

Places I went:  We were more of homebodies this month than anything. We did go to Red Lobster when our friends came to visit. And, of course, Aiden was an angel!

Special memories: Seeing Aiden sit up for the first time, even if it was with his hands propping him up. It was definitely a proud mommy moment!

Likes: Sitting and standing up in your lap, petting the puppies, talking to his daddy, cuddling, playing with his feet, tummy time - all the time.

Dislikes: He hates anything that involves being alone!

No wellness visit this month so these measurements are by me and I consider them good estimates. I can't wait until his 6 month visit to see how much he has truly grown!

>>>>> 5 Months <<<<<

08.01.13

Height - 27 inches long

Weight - 15lbs 10oz

T-minus 22 Days!

Twenty-two days until my first day back to school. I'm super stoked about this!

The decision to go back happened rather randomly. I was sitting on the couch watching TV one day last week and I got the urge to look and see what classes I had left for my teaching degree and nursing degree. (I was originally an education major until last fall.) I only need 4 classes to finish my pre-requisites for my nursing degree and then I can apply for clinicals! 

I casually mentioned it to my husband later that evening and he told me to look and see if they offer the classes I need at night. And whaddaya know? They did! This is going to work out perfectly because Adam can watch Aiden on the nights I have class and this saves us from having to put Aiden in day care! So I signed up for 2/4 of the classes I need. I'll take the other two classes next spring and then I can apply for clinicals in May!

There's so much to do before I can apply, and the program is really competitive. I'm such a nervous wreck and I'm completely terrified I won't get accepted. ugh! I will be taking Anatomy & Physiology II and Life Span this Fall 2013 Semester and I will take Microbiology and Dosage Calculations in the Spring 2014 Semester. I have to pass the Dosage Cal exam with a 90% or better, I have to make sure my immunizations are up to date, I have to get a TB test, get CPR certified, and so much more. My mind is going to explode just thinking about it. Nursing school + an infant = one crazy mama! This should be interesting. I'm so thankful I have a loving, supportive husband to stand my side through all of this!

Taking this past spring off from school to have a baby gave me a good break. Sometimes, so much of school wears me down and I start to fall in this rut of carelessness. But I'm so looking forward to going back and getting this all behind me so I can get a job. I love being a stay at home mom to Aiden, but I hate watching Adam carry the burden of being the sole provider. My heart yearns to help him. And the quality of life we both so desire we can not make happen with a one income family. 

Cheers to getting my life together!

4 Months

Aiden has made a significant leap in his development this month! Our giggly little boy can roll, stand assisted, sit assisted and sometimes sit unassisted for a few seconds, and reach. He surprises me each and every day with the new things he has learned and wants to show off. I don't remember if I wrote this in his three month post, but he is constantly chewing and sucking on his toes. Any and everything goes into his mouth! It's so dang precious! It just amazes me at how fast their little brains are learning new things. One day he can't do something and the next day he can. How crazy?

He's eating solids now and that's just another thing we are crossing off the list of big boy to-do's. So far, he has had peas, green beans, oatmeal cereal, sweet potatoes, bananas, and he is absolutely NOT a fan of apples. I'm trying not to think about the day he starts crawling, or walking, or even talking! I love watching him grow but oh how I want my baby to stay..well, a baby!

Sleeping patterns: He sleeps on average 6-8 hours a night. We've been hit plagued with the "four month wakefulness" and I'll do a post on that soon all it's own. The routine we had has pretty much bit the dust. 

Eating habits: 6 ounces at a time about 7 times a day! We also started oatmeal and stage one veggies! His first vegetable was peas. He wasn't sure about it at first, but it grew on him the more he ate it.

My accomplishments: He can officially roll from tummy to back AND back to tummy! Tummy time is absolute perfection now! And he absolutely loves standing up in your lap. He thinks he's a big boy now! And he laughs at just about everything! He's so darn cute. He reaches for anything you are holding in your hand!

Places I went: We don't go many places, but he's an absolute doll when we go out to eat!

Special memories: We bought Aiden an Exersaucer! He is really loving it and so am I! It keeps him entertained and is helping him learn his balance. 

Likes: Sitting and standing up in your lap, he likes to be able to look around at everything!, petting the puppies, talking to his daddy, and of course cuddling.

Dislikes: Taking naps on his own - I can't believe I've already spoiled the poor boy.

Aiden got the same shots as he did at his two month well baby visit (and yes, it still broke my heart.)

>>>>> 4 Months <<<<<

07.01.13

Height - 26.5 inches long

Weight - 14.7 pounds

Inspire Me Favorites

I cannot believe it's already the middle of July, where has the month gone?!

Last week's inspiration board link-up was based on the prompt "take me away." We had a really tough time picking a favorite board to feature this week they were all really amazing and made us wish we were lying on a tropical beach somewhere. 

If I had to pick a destination, I would personally choose Hawaii. It's definitely
 on my bucket list to visit one day!

Okay, now as promised, our favorite inspiration boards from last week:

Created by Stephany from Lemonade Mouth.

Created by Sabra from College. Crazy. Life.

Created by Tessa from Many Precious Moments.

Normally we would announce the prompt for next week's link-up, but we have decided to take a mini summer break. During this time, we want to hear what inspiration board prompts you would love us to feature! Simply leave a comment or email Chelsea or myself! There are so many possibilities, and we would really love to involve all of you in this link-up ... so be creative, and don't be shy! We will announce our next prompt and give a special shout-out to the lovely lady who picked it on July 30th!

P.S. I had a serious case of mommy brain! Please accept my most sincere apology! I have no idea but I thought it was Tuesday for some strange reason! I hope you all can forgive me! I think my pounding migraine could have had something to do with it though!

xoxo my loves,

Deanne

Inspire Me: Take Me Away

The prompt for this week's inspiration board link-up is:

"Take Me Away"

I went on a cruise for my honeymoon and I've been dying to go on one again, but I'd also really love to go to Hawaii! I've never been and the pictures always make it look absolutely stunning! Maybe after I'm done having kids I can convince my husband to take me away to this beautiful place! (p.s. I have no idea why my hula girls picture turned out fuzzy, but I'm rolling with it!)

Photo Credits (clockwise):

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Now It’s Your Turn! 

 1. Create your own inspiration-board based on our pre-determined prompt.

2.Grab the html code below & add our button to your blog post. 

3. Link up your blog post, be social, make new friends and get inspired! 

We will feature our favorite inspiration board on the off-week and announce the prompt for the following week.

<center> <a href="http://www.lifeunpublished.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MiSSn-WDvx8/Ubfgb0VikRI/AAAAAAAAFTQ/wj6vDuz1M3w/s300/inspire%2520me%2520300x300%2520v2.png"/></a></center>

Inspire Me Favorite(s): Stephany & Sarah

First of all, thank you to everyone who linked up with Chelsea and I last week! 

We are quite inspired by all of the inspiration boards that were created, and cannot wait to showcase our favorite two! Yep, instead of picking just one favorite, we thought it would be fun to break the rules and feature two of our favorite inspiration boards that you lovely ladies created.

The first inspiration board that we absolutely loved was created by Stephany from Lemonade Mouth.

via

Last, but not least, the second inspiration board that we loved was created by Sarah from Random Thoughts & Feelings. 

The prompt "summer love" was also chosen by Sarah!!!

via

To keep with our summer theme, the prompt for next week's Link-Up is: "Take Me Away!"

If you have a particular prompt that you would like us to use for our next link-up, please email Chelsea at chelsea@lifeunpublished.com. Look forward to hearing your ideas and can't wait to see everyone's boards next week.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Blog Button Battle

Thanks to BreAnna at Peacoats and Plaid for hosting the blog button battle! 

Please vote for me! You can only vote once so make it count! I"m all the way at the bottom! I have a new button that matches my new design that I will upload after this battle is over. But for now, please vote for my older button! Thank you so much!

Welcome to Round 3 of the Blog Button Design Battle: Season 2 with Peacoats & Plaid. Want to know who won Round 2? Drum roll please...

Congrats to Bethany from The Sepia Puppy! Bethany's winning button design:

The runnner-up spot goes to Hannah from Joyful Life. Hannah's design:

This week's participants include:

Diane from Vintage Zest

Krys from Sunshine & Rain

Jacquelyn from justjacq

Robyn from Sea Rewynd Make

Alyssa from Impractical Composition

Lanaya from Raising Reagan

Eva from Snappee Turtle

Lena from Root & Blossom

J Lenni Dorner from Blog of Author J Lenni Dorner

Deanne from Hot Mess Mama

Vote for your favorite and most eye-catching button by clicking on the thumbnail below. Make sure you're voting solely on eye appeal. You can only vote once, so make it count.

An InLinkz Link-up

Check back next week for Round 3, subscribe to Peacoats & Plaid for updates.

Inspire Me Link-Up: Summer Love

Today's inspiration board prompt is

"Summer Love"

I love everything about summer. Bright colors, swimming, tanning, good food, and yummy drinks! I wish I could live somewhere where it stayed summer weather all year long. That would be heaven!

Photo Credits (clockwise):

Sunglasses // Hello Summer // Pink Lemonade Margarita // Watermelon // Beach Hair // Hawaiian Tropic // Sandals // Bikini

Now It’s Your Turn! 

 1. Create your own inspiration-board based on our pre-determined prompt.

2.Grab the html code below & add our button to your blog post. 

3. Link up your blog post, be social, make new friends and get inspired! 

We will feature our favorite inspiration board on the off-week and announce the prompt for the following week.

<center> <a href="http://www.lifeunpublished.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aC08VNmiegg/UXy6VM1KMhI/AAAAAAAAEzk/7cJMFtekGCU/s300/inspire%2520me%2520300x300.png"/></a></center>

Our Days Lately

I used to be one of those girls that got all giggly when I thought about having a baby. Don't get me wrong, I love my little guy to pieces! But, I wish I would have been more prepared for what really comes with the territory. Having a baby is a 24/7 J-O-B. It's constant and never-ending. They need your undivided attention at every waking minute - and this I was not prepared for. 

Right around the time Aiden turned three months old, we finally slipped into somewhat of a routine, of which I was extremely thankful for. Newborns are so unpredictable! The waking up every two hours during the night drove me to the utmost craziness that even sitting in a dark corner binging on toothpaste sounded like a better idea. 

Since I'm the one staying at home with our boy, I'm the one to implement all of our daily rituals. I try my hardest to stay consistent, but sometimes it doesn't prove to be so easy most days. And most of the time I would rather sleep than eat - yeah, it gets that bad.

 

So, our days start around 11am on most days. We play, I change his diaper and outfit, then he gets a bottle and then about a 30 minute nap.

When he wakes up, we play again, usually incorporating some tummy time. I'll put on some laundry or sweep the floors, then I'll give him another bottle and put him down for another 30 minute nap.

Adam and I workout whenever he gets home from work. Sometimes this is really hard because we don't know if this will fall during Aiden's feeding time or nap time, so our workout either gets interrupted or held off. 

Adam showers (and every other evening Aiden takes a bath with his daddy) then I will take a shower. 

The hardest part of our day is deciding on what we are doing for supper. Yes, I'm one of those horrible housewives' who stay at home all day and don't have dinner ready and waiting on the table when our husbands' get home. I don't cook, and husband loves to, surprisingly. So I let him. 

After we finish eating, Adam usually takes over a feeding and I get a minute to myself.

When Aiden turned three months old, he would eat around 10-11pm and would sleep until about 6-7am! I loved this so much. It felt really, really good to finally get some sleep. But, this didn't last long before he started eating his last bottle of the day around 9pm and he would pass out, then wake back up between 3-4am to eat again. He's made the later a habit and it's driving me crazy! He eats every two hours during the day once we are up for good and it lasts until his last bottle of the night. I'm chalking it up to a growth spurt. I'm crossing my fingers that it will be over with after this week. I seriously hope.

Inspire Me - Dream Home

It's Wednesday which means link-up time over at Life Unpublished! I was asked to be a co-host this week and had the awesome privilege of picking out this week's prompt - "dream home!" I'm super stoked about this one. Even though there are infinite ways I could do this board, I narrowed my picks to my absolute favorite. I love the rustic look and I think it fits for the rooms that are used the most. It has a warm, inviting feel to it. But for the more personal rooms such as the master bedroom and bathroom, I would prefer for them to have a modern, crisp and clean look. Now if only I could win the lottery to build this bad boy!

Photo credits (clockwise)
Kitchen//Wine Cellar//Laundry Room//Girl's Room//Closet//Boy's Nursery//Master Bedroom//Master Bathroom//Pool Bar//Outdoor Kitchen//Outdoor Oasis

Now It’s Your Turn! 

 1. Create your own inspiration-board based on our pre-determined prompt.

2.Grab the html code below & add our button to your blog post. 

3. Link up your blog post, be social, make new friends and get inspired! 

We will feature our favorite inspiration board on the off-week and announce the prompt for the following week.

<center> <a href="http://www.lifeunpublished.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aC08VNmiegg/UXy6VM1KMhI/AAAAAAAAEzk/7cJMFtekGCU/s300/inspire%2520me%2520300x300.png"/></a></center>

Inspire Me - I'm a Co-host!

Last week's inspiration board link-up prompt "naturally me" was a little challenging...! Apparently, Chelsea and I were the only two up for the challenge!!! I love that we both used photos from our iPhone's camera roll. In case you missed our inspiration boards last week, I have shared them below. If you would like to see more of our photos, you can also follow us on instagram (links below!).

Follow me on instagram @ chelseadward

Follow Deanne on instagram @ deannedowden

Since Chelsea's partner in crime and dear friend, Elle is unfortunately without internet for awhile, she has asked me to co-host the next link-up with her! And, since I am the first co-host, she thought it would be fun for me to pick the next prompt!

The prompt for next Wednesday's Link-Up is: "Dream Home"

This next prompt will be a fun one! If you are struggling for ideas, I recommend checking out pinterest for inspiration!!!

3 Months

I absolutely can not believe my nugget is already 3 months old! This month has been a whirlwind for sure. He has been super busy learning all kinds of things. I work with him every day to help him get better at lifting his head during tummy time. He can hold his head up pretty well on your lap, but he is pretty lazy when it comes to laying on his belly. He will talk to you all day long. He tries oh so hard to laugh. And he will most definitely cuddle you to death if you let him. Right now we still don't have a set bedtime routine. We give him a bath every other day and I put him in bed with me around 10-11pm.

Another month has come and gone and I can't wait to see what kind of excitement this next month will bring. I'm looking forward to all of the new milestones he reaches and the new things he will learn. I absolutely love being a stay at home mom and watching Aiden grow a little more each and every day.

Sleeping patterns: He has started sleeping about 8 hours at night. Every now and then he will get up around 4am and eat. Usually, though, he gets up at 7-8am and goes back to sleep. Then he will wake up again at 11am to eat and he is up for the day with a few short naps during the day.

Eating habits: He is still eating anywhere between 4-6 ounces at a time.

My accomplishments: He has completely developed his social smile and he coos and gurgles all of the time. He is such a ham! He is also getting much better at lifting his head during tummy time.

Places I went: Lots of trips back to our hometown and out to eat a couple of times!

Special memories: Any time I get to watch him interact with his grandparents. He loves talking to you!

Likes: Staring at the light, cuddling, talking to you, playing in his bouncer, listening to me sing songs to him, playing with his daddy. He is in such a sweet stage and I love every bit of it!

Dislikes: He hates when his diaper is wet and still has zero patience for waiting on me to make his bottle. He hates to be alone, but I try a little every day to get him to learn how to be on his own.

Aiden didn't have a well baby check up this month, so all of my measurements are estimated, but I think I got close enough.

>>>>> 3 Months <<<<<

06.01.13

Height - 26.5 inches long

Weight - 13 pounds

Inspire Me: Naturally Me

I can't believe it's already Wednesday again! That means it is link up time over at Life Unpublished.

This week's theme/prompt is "Naturally Me." I won't lie - when I first saw the theme last week I was seriously disturbed. I had no idea how I would go about presenting my inspiration board in a way that would let everything work together. 

So, I thought long and hard. The more I thought about it, the more I asked myself what "natural" really means to me. When I think of something natural to me, I think of things that define me, things that describe me, and things that I love. Everything true to me, what makes me, me.

I couldn't think of a better way to show off my inpspiration board than with pictures from my camera roll on my handy dandy iPhone. You can also find them on my Instagram account! I'd love for you to follow me!

 

Photos going clockwise:

1. My husband and I at our wedding during our first dance as husband and wife.

2. The most recent picture of my son, Aiden.

3. My two yorkies, Gucci and Faith.

4. My most favorite cookies in all the world.

5. I'm obsessed with these leopard nails stickers by Sally Hansen.

6. Blue Bell Red Velvet Cake ice cream is to die for.

7. A recent picture of myself.

8. Every time I see this flower I make a wish. Every time.

Grab this button below, create your own inspiration board and link up with us!

Inspire Me Favorite!

So, last week's inspiration board prompt over at Life Unpublished was "All that Glitters."

You design an inspiration board, or collage, that fits the theme and link them up. This is done every other week and on the off weeks, a favorite is picked and the new theme is announced. I love this link up because it gets my creative juices flowing.

Drum roll please...

I was picked as the favorite and was featured in Chelsea's post here. Go check it out!

Next week we link up again and the them will be "Naturally Me." I'm kind of nervous about this one, because I'm not 100% sure how everyone is interpreting this prompt. Am I supposed to include pictures of myself? Or things that describe me? What does the 'natural' thing really mean? I tend to look too deep into things, so I'll need to figure out how I want to go about it soon. 

Work on your board and link up with us next week! Grab this button, put it in your sidebar and join the fun!

Five Things Friday

More randoms for you on this beautiful Friday!

1. I'm supposed to be packing and cleaning, but I'm trying to squeeze this post in before I leave on our trip back to our hometown for the weekend. I know if I wait to do it when I get there, it will be too late. And more than likely I'll forget all about it once I start socializing with my family. Yet, somehow Aiden knows the second I sit down to type something. You don't get the free time like you used to get before a baby. He quite literally takes up all of my time! I do feel a little accomplished though. My bag is still half packed from our trip last weekend and I started a load of clothes in the washer. Go me!

2. Aiden is 12 weeks old today! He talks to me almost non-stop and he's awake a lot more. I'm afraid he's teething though. He's a lot more whiny, he drools so much, and he almost always has his fist in his mouth chewing away. He's driving me crazy. He better be glad I love him so much! He's gotten pretty spoiled though, he hates laying in his pack 'n' play by himself. I blame myself for this one since I co-sleep. I spoil him rotten, but I tell myself it's okay because he won't be a baby for long and there will come a time when he won't want to cuddle with me. So, I'm soaking it all up now.

3. Anyone want a free cat? Not really, I do love her. Most days at least - when she isn't pooping and peeing right outside of her litter box. I really don't understand it at all! We upgraded her litter box and got her a larger one. She has this thing where she gets right up to the edge and does her business, and then BAM! it falls on the floor. Seriously? I'm pretty sure if I bought her a sandbox that covered an acre she would still go right up to the edge and poop right over the side of it. 

4. My dogs are getting on my nerves too - two miniature Yorkshire terriers that have a mind of their own. They are potty trained for the most part; and by that I mean they know what "go peepee" or "go outside" means and they get excited when they go outside. This however does not stop them from going in the house. It's quite literally like watching a baby that has just learned to walk. You have to make sure they don't get into anything, or pee on something or chew on something. It gets really old. Add in a twelve week old baby and I get so exhausted. I feel bad because I never have time for them. We don't have a fence in our yard, so it's not like I can let them outside for the whole day. I'm almost ready to put doggy diapers on them and tell them to deal. Once they go to doggy heaven, I don't plan on getting any more inside pets for a long while. 

5. I'm making really good progress with my weight loss! I have been stuck at a certain weight (no, I'm not telling you) for the longest time. Changing my eating habits alone wasn't helping take the extra baby weight off, so I decided to try Insanity again. That was way too hard on my body since I had only had the baby in March. My husband got Hip Hop Abs for me for my birthday! I'll finish my second week on Saturday. I love this workout because I still get a good workout in, but its not as intense as Insanity. A few weeks ago Adam got a stationary work out bike from his boss for free! I try to fit in ten miles when I can and I think that gives my body just the right amount of "push" it needs to take more of the weight off. A couple of days ago I found a 30 day squat challenge and I started it yesterday. You start at 50 squats on day one and end up doing 250 by day thirty. I'm starting to feel so much better about myself and I'm slowly getting my confidence back. I can't wait to post my one month results!

Happy Friday, y'all! I hope everyone has a safe Memorial Day weekend, and remember it's not just about BBQ's and partying! Remember our troops that fight for our freedom.

New Blog Name Coming

I've thought long and hard about changing my blog and website name, and more importantly when to do it. I've started building a follower base and I'm excited about that! The number of followers isn't really that important to me. I would rather ten devoted readers who thoroughly enjoy my content, rather than having thousands of followers that don't really care about the experiences I write and share.

I'm worried that I am going to confuse the followers I already have acquired. I know that I would certainly be confused if I noticed a blog in my reading list with a name I didn't recognize or specifically remember adding.

The look and feel of my blog is certainly not a good representation of "me" either. I chose something when I published my first post that was a little more interesting than the plain jane templates have to offer. I'm a stay-at-home mom with a husband who works his butt off to provide for what we have. So, paying for a professional blog design is certainly out of the question. I'm currently working on a new look and feel to the face of my blog that I think will represent my personality a little better.

When I started my blog, I chose the name "Three Peas in a Pod." I just had my first baby in March and I knew I was going to be blogging mostly about my new addition and other happenings with my family. But, I started thinking more and more about when the time comes and we have a second child. There will no longer be just three of us. I plan on having three kids, Lord willing. So, I knew my blog name wouldn't be appropriate for long and I had better decide on a title that was better suited. 

So, without further ado...

Three Peas in a Pod is now Hot Mess Mama!

I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. I knew I had to do it now, before I gained more followers and confused more people. 

Thank you so much for understanding!

Follow me! Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Link List

I'm seriously lacking in this Blog Every Day in May Challenge. I know I should probably be challenging myself a little harder, but I have an almost three month old who most definitely takes precedent. I am pretty proud of myself with how far I've come and how long I have actually stuck with it so far. I think the concept is pretty cool, and it gets me into writing more.

I have missed about the last five days. I went out of town for the weekend and we got back yesterday around 8pm. It felt like the longest weekend of my life and I had to spend half of it away from my husband.

I'm definitely going to try to get back on my A-game. I have a lot of things I want to do with my blog and I really need to get the ball rolling. But enough of that, on to today's prompt.

"...Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives..."

2 Pink Lines 

First Pregnancy Update and Ultrasound 

Old Wives' Tales 

30 Week Ultrasounds 

Aiden's Birth Story 

I realize these links all have to do with my baby boy. He is my pride and joy, and when I started this blog, it was designed to document my pregnancy. Now I'm expanding and sharing more of my life and thoughts with you, but these are some of my favorites.

Inspire Me: All that Glitters

Life Unpublished is hosting a link-up every other Wednesday, and today's inspiration prompt is "All that Glitters."

You can go here to link-up and share your inspiration board and find some awesome blogs to follow!

When I think of the word 'glitter', I think of super girly things. I think of pink pretties. And I think of makeup. This was my inspiration for my board.

 

Photo credits (from left to right and going down)

1. Keep Calm and Sparkle: www.weheartit.com 

2. Pink nails: www.weheartit.com

3. Lips: www.weheartit.com

4. Bracelets: www.weheartit.com

5. Brush: www.pinterest.com

6. Eyeshadow: www.pinterest.com

7. Lip gloss: www.weheartit.com

8. Skulls: www.picship.com

9. High heels: www.pinterest.com

I didn't make any of those links clickable because I had no way of telling who the original poster was. I searched for all of these pictures by typing in "glitter" in the search engine of each website. 

I hope you enjoyed my inspiration board, and I hope to see yours!