Five on Friday

I can't believe it's already Friday! This week has gone by super fast it seems like. I'm linking up with some fabulous ladies today for their new "Five on Friday" series. Be sure to check it out!

1. I have no idea how I came across this feed on the ol' insta, but I am OBSESSED with @passionforbaking! She has the most adorably charming kitchen I've ever seen. If you've been following me for awhile, then you know I have a pink kitchen, so all these precious pastels are right up my alley. She also bakes up the most delicious looking treats I've ever seen! I would love to sit at that bar & take some lessons from her!

all images via @passionforbaking
2. Did y'all watch the first episode of The Bachelorette? I go back and forth about how I feel about Des. She seems sweet, but she's a smidge on the booooring side. I am not sold on any of the men she has to choose from so far...bless her heart! Hope the season gets better because Lord knows I'll be watching either way!

3. Jaqs had a couple of firsts this week. She made it up the stairs on the back of the slide and then down it without any assistance from me! Such a big girl! She also got her first goose egg :( I'm honestly surprised this hasn't happened sooner because she's a wild one, but she handled it well and didn't cry for long! She has a nice bruise now.

4. I'm obsessed with all things watermelon, and how delish does this "Watermelon Breeze" look?? It's just watermelon, coconut water, lime, and ice. Sounds so refreshing, but if we're being honest, it might be yummy to add a little rum in the mix, right?!

5. When did your littles go to one nap? I think Jaqs is starting to make the switch, and I haven't decided how I feel about it yet! I love routine, but I do complain about the morning nap holding us back from activities, so maybe it will be a good thing?? If you have any advice on the big switch, I'm all ears!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

....is this thing on?

Well, I'm hanging my head in shame over here. I can't believe nearly 2 weeks have gone by since I last blogged! I guess I've been in a bit of a blogging funk, but I need to get back in the swing of things! We've had some exciting things going on in our little world

We've been spending lots of time "swimming" in the backyard with our buddies..

 And driving around the neighborhood, stopping to chat with the sweet retirees, of course...

(they're the only ones around during the day ;))

 We've also been doing some front-porch sittin' at our friends' house...

 Oh, and we made a trip to San Antonio this past weekend because Jaqsy got her FIRST COUSIN!! I am thrilled to death for my brother & his wife with the addition of their precious baby boy. He is just a handsome little thing, and I can't wait to snuggle him.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to spend much time with him while we were there because it was a MONSOON! There was a crazy amount of rain. BUT we got to stay at the AFB where my brother works, and Jaqs thoroughly enjoyed all the attention she received from her grandparents and great-grandma! This was J's first hotel stay, and she did pretty well!

 We spent Memorial Day on the lake with our pals, and it was, as always, a good time! The little girl had so much fun in her floaty that she was sitting in it in the garage the next day. "Take me back!," she says. 

In other news, Spring ball is officially in the books for another year which means we are seeing a whole lot more of Rob! He has another week of school, then we're home free for a little while! Well, you know except for 7 on 7 practice, tournaments, and daily work-outs, but whatever ;) We're eating dinner together, and spending weekends together...doesn't get much better than that!

Well, I think that's the run down on the last couple of weeks. It WILL NOT be 2 more weeks until I post again. Pinky promise. I've missed y'all!

XOXO

a taste of summertime...

We got a taste of Summer this weekend, and it was nothing short of amazing! Ahh, I can't believe it's over already, but now I'm just that much more excited for a few easy weeks with my family & friends.

Rob came home with flowers Friday afternoon, so there was no way it could be bad, right? Surprise gestures to say 'I was thinking about you!' are so my love language.

We went to watch one of our favorite kiddos play some baseball Friday evening, and it turned out he had an entire fan club in the stands that night! Can you tell these guys work together?? ;) Blue shirts, gray shorts...all day, errrday.

Parker even got the game ball that night! His team spanked their opponent...atta baby!

We went to eat with everyone afterwords, then Cassi & I had to do some last minute prep for our garage sale the next morning. We've been talking about needing to do one for months, and we decided to just DO IT last week. We were feeling a little crazy doing it so last minute, but when it was all said and done, we were glad to have our garages cleaned out. Bonus that we made some bucks on all our junk with no advertisement!

We had lots of good junk, though ;) But her daughter was selling the best stuff at this sale. Homemade chocolate ice cream with mexican vanilla...oh my, heavenly!

Once we were done with our sale, we made a mad dash through the grocery store, went home to round up the troops and get ready, then we were off to the lake for the afternoon/evening. Jaqs LOOVED swimming in the lake despite the fact that it was cold!

 I think it's definitely safe to say we'll be spending a lot of time in this lake this year :)

I had a blast, as always, with my girlfriends! 

Jaqs had only had 1 nap that day, so she was a little cranky by the end, and don't even get me started on the ordeal that was the life jacket, BUT overall, she had lots of fun! Maybe by the end of the Summer she'll learn to catch a cat-nap on the go ;)

We came home Saturday night and CRASHED. I don't think any of us moved all night!

On Sunday we did our usual house/yard/grocery chores, and Jaqs got a pool for our backyard! Rob set it up during her afternoon nap, and when she spotted it out the back door after she woke up, there was no keeping her in! We just let her swim in her diaper, and she had an absolute blast! We sure have a water baby on our hands, and that makes me so happy because there's nothing I love more than floating in a pool ;) I can still do that right? Daddies do the playing while mommies do the sunning, riiight?!

We cooked out Sunday night and basically spent the whole evening outside...it was perfect. Now if only we would stay around 90 like we have been rather than getting temps up to 105+. Oy, the only downside to TX summers.

Hope your weekend was fun, too! This is our last week of Spring football with a 3-day weekend in sight, so I just don't see anything bad about that!

Friday Randoms

It's Friday! Woohoo! Hope y'all have had a good week and have some fun coming up this weekend!

Jaqs and I had a really great week minus one day of what I can only imagine was teething pains for her. Praise the Lord she was happy the rest of the week because that day was not fun for either of us. Teething is for the birds!

--We've been getting ready for a garage sale this week, so little girl has been my big "helper" in the garage. She is sure to check out everything I box up, and she loves the little price tag stickers, too. 

 --She has also found a new favorite place to play...the kitchen sink. Don't get all panicky on me here though, I only let her do it when I'm right there washing dishes or prepping food!

 --Speaking of food...I just had the epiphany to put quinoa on my salad this week. WHY have I never thought of this before? I was so full after eating this! Definitely a satisfying lunch.

--Have y'all read 'Sparkly Green Earrings'? If you haven't, you definitely should! It's probably most appealing to moms, but I've literally been cracking up as I read it...enough to earn all kinds of looks from Rob as we're sitting on the couch ;)

--Who's excited about The Bachelorette starting soon?! I can't believe how in to these dumb shows I've gotten in the last year. I love it though! #noshame

Not a lot to say today, but I hope y'all have a great weekend!

XOXO

Advice for New Moms

I guest posted for Jen last week and wrote some "advice" for new moms. I thought I would share that here today even though, as I said, I hardly feel qualified to be doling out any advice! Though I have learned some things in the last year, I feel pretty confident in the fact that everyone experiences motherhood in different ways, so you can take it with a grain of salt if you'd like! This is just  my two cents ;)

• Don't read too much into the experts. I read several books and many blogs while I was pregnant in an attempt to figure out what "type" of parent I wanted to be. I thought I had it all figured out, and of course, my baby would go right along with our plans. HA. Trust me when I say that no ONE book will nail down your baby. Each baby is unique, and unlikely, in my humble opinion, to be "text-book." I think it's so important to be prepared, and I certainly don't regret making plans, BUT you have to be willing to go with the flow of your child as well. It's okay if they're not on a schedule by the time they're "supposed" to be, or if they prefer to be rocked to sleep even if everyone advises you to put them to bed awake. The thing about babies? Everything is a phase!
• Be the mom your baby needs. This goes along with the above. The most important thing you can do for your little one is to just be the mom they need. Don't worry about what anyone else is telling you you should be doing. Do what feels right to you, and the rest will sort itself out! Jaqs needed to be rocked to sleep for about the first 2-3 months, and then like magic, she started putting herself to sleep one night and has never looked back! I don't regret rocking her to sleep when she needed to be for a second even though I was worried about it at the time. She also napped on me for the longest time, and I'd pretty much pay money for her to do that now! Soak up those cuddles while you can.
• Get OUT of the house. I know...it's hard to imagine when you have a newborn. There's the timing of the feedings, the showering, the packing of the diaper bag. It's difficult, but it's SO necessary for your sanity! Looking back, minus the exhaustion, being out and about was a little easier back then because I didn't have to wrangle a toddler into a shopping cart and shove snacks her way to keep her occupied! ;) She usually happily rode in her stroller or slept back then. It's the actual prep that makes it's so difficult in those early days, but you will feel better doing so!
• Let people help you. If your friends want to bring dinners or come hold your baby so you can shower? LET THEM. Soon enough you will be responsible for all of it, so enjoy a helping hand while you can. I kind of had this sense that I had to have it all together from the minute I got home, but that's just plain silly. Trust me, you will have enough on your plate with your recovery, figuring out your milk, and getting to know your baby! We had dinners supplied to us for nearly 3 weeks, and it was a life-saver for me. The thought of going to the grocery store was overwhelming enough much less having to figure out a meal AND cooking it. If you don't have a food-train, maybe stock your freezer with meals you can just throw in the oven!
• Don't be too hard on your {new} self. The best way I can describe a post-pregnancy body? Doughy. Do yourself a favor and continue to wear your maternity pants or stretchy pants for awhile! It will take some time for your body to go back to its normal, but it will. Just don't put too much pressure or strain on yourself to make it happen too soon!
• Take time for yourself. Everyone will tell you this, and with good reason: it's vital. Seriously. It's easy to start feeling more like a machine than a human when you're caring for/feeding/nursing a newborn all day. Take some time for yourself whether it simply be a quiet time praying, going for a pedicure, strolling through Target alone, or just taking a long bath with a glass of wine. My husband's work schedule is kind of crazy, so my alone time is usually spent at home, and that's okay. The most important thing is to make yourself a priority every now and then!
• Don't forget your baby-daddy. Along with taking time for yourself, be sure to make your hubby a priority, too! Remember, you two began long before the baby, and it's important to continue nurturing that relationship, too. This took a back-seat for us for awhile, and I think that's okay. We don't have family in town, and we don't exactly have room in the budget to hire babysitters, so we do "in-house" date nights pretty often. As long as you're connecting and communicating about things other than baby-baby-baby, that is what matters. Once your baby gets into a bedtime routine, this becomes much easier! Rob and I have a couple hours in the evenings together now, but this was not always the case. We were running to bed as soon as we got Jaqs down in the beginning!
• If all else fails, call your mom (or dad, or aunt, or grandma). I remember calling my mom at 4 in the morning during week 2 of Jaqs' little life. She had been up crying most of the night (turned out she had reflux), and I was exhausted and at the end of my rope. Hormones and lack of sleep do crazy things to you! She calmed me down and made me feel better about things with just one conversation. You will likely have moments of "What the HECK did I get myself into?!," and you'll want to have someone you can call at those times. Preferably someone who is sleeping at night and, therefore, has their wits about them ;)

Being a mom is, without a doubt, one of the greatest blessings I could ever imagine. 

The love a mother has for her baby is all-consuming, so just enjoy that and RELISH in it. If you want to lay on the couch and cuddle with your little one all day? Do it! You only have the chance with this baby once, so soak it up and KNOW that you're an awesome mom! :)

Americana Baby

I am all about getting decked out in the Red, White, & Blue any chance I get...I love it! Since Memorial Day is just around the corner, (can I get an amen for the unofficial start of Summer?!) I thought I'd put a little patriotic board together for the baby and toddler girls! 

Old Navy and Gap have lots of CUTE stuff right now, and Jaqs may or may not already have some of this waiting in her closet ;)

{click set for detials}

Y'all know me...rompers and jellies are two of my favorite things! And those swim-suits? Ah. I can hardly handle the cuteness. Cannot wait to squeeze my little water baby in hers!

******

I'm linking up for 'Trendy Tot Tuesday' for the first time today!

Also linking up for 'Baby Talk'!

I'm a Mom.

 This was my 2nd Mother's Day, and it still felt a little surreal to me to be the one being celebrated. Being a mom felt like such a far off dream for so long, but now I AM ONE, and it just still seems too good to be true at times!

Rob did his best to keep the munch quiet so I could sleep in, but if you've ever tried to keep a one year old quiet, you know that it's quite the task. I didn't mind getting up though because it just meant that I had more time with my family, and I sipped coffee from my perch on the couch instead ;)

We had brunch out and did our weekly grocery run which felt so wrong, but it had to be done, and it's always better to go with a helping hand!

We pretty much spent the rest of the day outside...playing, walking to the park, and "mowing." It was perfect. Nothing extravagant by any means, but there's no where else I would have rather been.

 With my baby girl and my baby daddy is right where I wanted to be on my big day...

 Because it's the simple things that matter most to me. Sneaking kisses, Jaqsy running to me while squealing and giggling, sharing a popsicle on the back porch, and tucking her into bed for the night. Those things mean far more to me than a day at the spa or any fancy restaurant.

 But that's not to say I would be opposed to a spa trip on my birthday though...*ahem*

 But seriously, God has blessed me so with the family He's given me. I have a husband that loves us to no end (and does it well), I've got a darling girl that's full of personality and fun...this life I'm living is pretty sweet. Even on the longest and hardest days, I know that I'm one of the lucky ones.

 Somebody pinch me!

*Jaqs received this beautiful quilt in the mail this week from her Great-Great-Aunt Judy in Washington! 

Isn't is precious? I know it's a treasure we will cherish for a lifetime. There's nothing quite like a handmade quilt...so special!*

*****

There was just one thing that didn't feel quite right about this Mother's Day, and that was the fact that I wasn't spending it with my mom. She is, without a doubt, one of the most influential people in my life, and I love her with all of my heart. It's a wonderful blessing when your mom becomes your best friend, and I'm so grateful that she's mine!

"Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: 'There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!' Charm is deceptive and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done."

--Proverbs 31: 28-31

*****
I hope all of you mommies out there had an awesome Mother's Day!  And to those of you waiting to hold your babies, know that I'm praying for you. I've felt the sting of Mother's Day when I was waiting for mine, and I know that it's difficult. I pray that God gives you peace and lavishes the desires of your heart in His perfect timing.