Saturday, February 28, 2015

15 Months

How is my little baby a toddler already! I love this age so much but I miss the baby days. It truly is amazing how fast it goes. I know people always say it goes so fast so enjoy it and they really aren't joking. I don't understand how each day passes so fast.

I haven't done an update for awhile since I took a break from blogging. The last update I did on Kinley was 8 months. Wow that seems like forever ago..tear.

She is weighing in at 20lbs 4oz (35% WHO), is 29.75 (22% WHO) inches tall and her head circumference is 17.52 inches (19% WHO). The percentages are different if you look at the CDC vs the WHO so I just pick one and go for it.  She is still a little pip squeak and I am not complaining at all. I love how petite she is with the Buddha belly. The doctor said she is growing perfectly and has no concerns with her. We agree :) She is finally in size 4 diapers and wearing 12-18 month clothes. She was loving the bubbles at the doctor's office yesterday.





Up until the last 2 weeks she has been really healthy. The poor girl cut a set of molars, got a cold and then the stomach flu. It has been rough but I think it is safe to say we are back to healthy and hoping not to see another sickness for a long time! She now has 10 teeth and I am sure she will cut the other two molars soon.

Sleep: We are finally sleeping through the night!! This happened around 12.5 months. Yes it took forever! I am not really sure what changed except I stopped going in immediately and waited to see if she would go back to sleep. Once she learned she could go to sleep on her own at night it made the middle of the night so much easier. But honestly one night she just stopped waking up to eat and I never fed her again if she woke up. I didn't want to take steps backwards again, though that seems to be our life when it comes to sleeping with her. She goes to bed around 7:00, sometimes closer to 7:30 depending on her naps throughout the day and gets up anywhere from 5:30-7:00. Naps still are hit or miss. She has taken a few 2 hour naps (yesterday being one of those days) and then other times they are 30-40 minutes. On most days she is still napping twice a day. We keep a blanket, her bla bla doll, Wooly, and about 10 binks in her crib. Yes I am not kidding about the 10 binks. All her binks stay in her room so we leave them all in her crib. She seems to like to hold one or three while she is sleeping. Most nights I don't get to put her blanket on her since I put her in awake and she isn't laying down. I always feel bad that she might get cold but she doesn't seem to like anything touching her when she is sleeping. She is just so precious when she sleeps!



Eating: I am not sure where my good eater went to. Lately she has been so picky and not eating very much. She never has been a huge eater but I feel it has gotten worse. The dr isn't concerned since she is still gaining weight. She said she will eat when she is hungry and to not stress about it. We have always fed her what we eat but on some nights I find myself making noodles just so I know she will eat something. She loves fruit and most veggies. Meats seem to be the hardest to get in her. Cheese is also a favorite. She is drinking whole milk and still nurses in the morning and before bed. I was thinking we were going to stop nursing back at eight months because she was not interested but I guess that was a phase. She is constantly asking to nurse. I am not sure when we will stop but I will know when it is right for both of us. I stopped pumping after she turned 13 months and let me tell you how amazing it is to NOT pump! I would never have done it differently but it sure is awesome to not have to pump! I still have some frozen milk in the freezer for emergencies. Thank goodness I had it when she had the flu. It was all she ate for 4 days! She ate puffs for dinner last night! What a great dinner huh :) We do find she will eat better if we let her run around the house while she eats. Some nights it is what it is and we do whatever we can go get some food in her.




Play: I love playing with her! I have always said this is my favorite age. She started walking around Halloween (11 months) and started running shortly after. She will occasionally crawl at times which is really funny to watch. But she is up and running from the second she gets up in the morning. She is quite the drama queen at times. She of course likes to throw fits like any other 15 month old but it really is silly. She walks to the wall and faces it and cries. Oh girl!! She is something. Back to her play. She is so full of energy. She LOVES reading books and can't get enough. She also loves playing with her vacuum, chasing the dog or cat with it. She thinks that is hilarious! She really loves any play that involves the dog or cat. She loves her animals. She is very good at independent play and is so creative in her kitchen. That was the best Christmas present ever! Thank you Santa! We got to play at the park the other day which was so much fun! Come on spring!! She has started saying random words but it is only on her terms. Why would I think she would speak if I asked her too! I should've learned by now that this girl does EVERYTHING on her terms! Has since the day she was conceived.  She loves to brush her teeth too! On her terms of course! She has so many new skills and learns new ones every day! It is so amazing to watch her learn things every single day!











I can't believe our little baby is already 15 months and technically a toddler.

Not on topic of Kinley turning 15 months...but Matt and I have a very important decision to make. Please think of us and wish us the best in making the decision.

Happy Friday!!

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Mother Daughter Time

I love spending time with my mom and it just doesn't happen often enough. She came in late Saturday night and left Tuesday afternoon.

Saturday when we got back from the airport we ate some dinner and then did Kinley's bedtime routine. It was so special to be able to share bedtime with my mom. Kinley hasn't seen nana since November so she was a little unsure at first, but warmed right up.





After putting Kinley to bed we had some wine and talked and talked! I am so use to going to bed around 9 and I think we were up until around 11 when I finally had to crash! I know I know 11 is not that late but it is for me! Especially when Kinley has been getting up in the night since being sick and then gets up at 6-6:30 for the day.

Sunday Kinley was up bright and early at 5:30...yawn!!! We hung out in our jammies drinking coffee and reading lots and lots of books. My mom and I went to see 50 Shades of Grey while Matt put Kinley down for a nap. I have to say I loved the movie! I think they did a great job and can not wait for the next one! We ran to the grocery store and then went to Matt's parents for dinner so everyone could catch up. We all had a great time! After Kinley went to bed we all watched a movie and ate cake and brownies! YUMMY!!





Monday Matt had to work early so my mom and I just hung out and ran a few errands. We really didn't do much but spend some quality time together. We ordered lunch in from Jimmy Johns and enjoyed it while Kinley napped. It is great we don't have to be doing much to have a great time! We watched talked through a few episodes of Scandal and called it an earlier night. Still later than normal for me :).


Tuesday we hung out in jammies for as long as possible and when Matt got back from the doctor we all went to lunch at Plaza Azteca. I was a little hesitant because the last few times it hasn't been that good which is surprising but it was so yummy this time!! Of course Kinley didn't want to eat much until right before we were about to leave and then she wanted to eat all the rice on my lap. But hey thats the way it goes when you are so cute!! Then it was time to head back home and let my mom pack up her things. I hate goodbyes!! We headed out to the airport and found out her flight was 3 hours delayed in Chicago....grrrrr!!! She was looking at a 5.5 hour layover in Chicago! Sometimes flying is a real pain! Actually I am pretty sure it always is! We walked her up to security and said our goodbyes. We made it short and sweet because I didn't want to cry my eyes out!! I keep telling myself I will see her in June and it is only a few months away! But really it is a long time from now! Tears....










I put a new recipe in the crockpot before we left so dinner would be ready when we got home. Little did we know it would take us over 2 hours to get home from the airport and neither one of us was hungry by then! We needed a bottle of wine! The weather was awful!

We had such a great time with my mom and we can't wait to see her again!

We are getting another snow day today due to a huge storm! Hopefully we will be off Friday too!! Woo hoo!! Kinley was up all night throwing up so we will be enjoying a lot of cuddles today. Have a great day everyone!

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Cookie Making Fun

We finally got a bunch of snow in Virginia Beach this past week. A bunch to us that live at the beach anyway. Schools are still shut down after closing Monday night. I had to go back to work on Wednesday which was a bummer but the bills have to be paid.


I love spending days home with my monkey making memories. Temperatures have been so freezing that going outside is near impossible. We dressed her in what we had to go get some pictures but then back inside we went. We had built a tower 23476 ways and have read every book on her book shelf over and over. 



She wasn't too thrilled with the picture taking. It was so icy out she didn't even leave footprints in the snow. Maybe next time we will actually get to play in it. 


So what was next on the agenda? Baking cookies of course.
We had so much fun I am ready to do it again. I was anticipating a big mess but to my surprise she was very careful in the dough. She doesn’t like things on her hands so she didn’t get too messyand didn’t touch much besides the chocolate chips. Perfect for me! She discovered she loves chocolate chips and would’ve eaten the whole bag probably if I let her. She was so excited when I asked her to put the chocolate chips in the bowl. One for the bowl one for her mouth J. If you follow me on IG you saw the video. Too cute! 







 I was skimming Pinterest for an easy recipe and found this one. Super easy and very yummy. I did bake them longer, more like 12-15 minutes, which seemed to be perfect! 



Does anyone have any easy and yummy recipes they would like to share?

Hope everyone is staying warm out there. It is so cold here and going to be worse today then warm up this weekend. My mom comes this weekend!! I am so excited!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Snow Day...Our Weekend

Happy Tuesday! We finally got a snow day! Of course the city waited until the last minute until they decided but at last its official! Mommy and daddy are off all day!! Woo Hoo. We didn't get too much snow but it is very icy out and extremely dangerous!



Kodac was really unsure of the snow at first but I think in the end he enjoyed it. 

I am a little late with our weekend update but hey better late than never right! We had a good weekend. It was very low key with me being sick and passing it along to Kinley. Gosh I feel like an awful mom! There is nothing worse than your baby toddler being sick! She will always and forever be my baby! I'm sure she will love that when she is a teenager :)

This weekend was very cold so we didn't get out much except for our usual grocery shopping trip. Saturday we hung inside; building lots of towers and knocking them over and reading books. Almost every morning Kinley asks to have her shoes on. Sometimes nothing can get done until her shoes are on. I am telling you...this girl knows what she wants when she wants it. She also LOVES to read books. She will pull every book off her shelf and sit in the pile of books. Bless her heart! I hope she never loses that love for books.





Sunday we ventured into the cold. Grabbed our weekend starbucks and got groceries for the week. Kinley knew she needed the huge box of goldfish. Did I tell you she knows what she wants! It was so cute! She walked over to the shelf and brought the box to daddy. She sure knows how to get her way! How do you say no!



Sorry the pictures are a little blurry. She is always on the go which makes it difficult to get a picture that isn't blurry.

Later Sunday afternoon daddy went out to find Gone Girl and Kinley and I had fun making faces while taking selfies.




Hope everyone has a great day! We are going to enjoy a family day inside.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Sickness and Bad News

Well we had a pretty crappy weekend and a not so good Monday. We all had the stomach flu and it's been going on for about 5 days now. I really don't wish that on anyone! But we are slowly on the mend! If only Kinley would eat a meal! I was so excited when she ate about 6 black beans and a pinch of cheese.

There is nothing worse than seeing your 15 month old throw up and then cry because she is so scared of what just happened. It's heartbreaking. Though I have to admit I did enjoy the snuggles all day Thursday and most of Friday.

I am just going to share a few snugly pictures because lets be honest our weekend wasn't so glorious!










On other note our nanny quit on us today! That makes #2! She has been with us for less than a month and hasn't even worked a full week due to all the snow we've had. I just can't wrap my head around it! We have been more than accommodating to her and her needs! Commitment was such a big deal when we interviewed! We were so picky! We said over and over how important being with us long term was. And we still got left to hang! I am just so sad in all of this! Because no one suffers more than Kinley. She is such an amazing child! Loves everyone right off the bat and already puts too much trust in them...she is my child :( !! Fault or strength? HMMMMM!! I'm thinking a fault right now. We are staying positive and will make the right decision for our family and will find someone that is right for us!

What do you working mamas do for child care? She is getting older now that maybe a we need to look at other options besides a nanny! Plus I do not want to go through this again. Two nannies in 6 months! I'm done!

On a positive note we have Kinley's 15 month check up on Thursday! I am super excited to see how much she has grown (though she has probably lost weight because she hasn't eaten in 4 days)! But she has learned so much in the last 3 months. It truly is amazing!

Last night I was telling yelling at the dog to sit "down" so I could feed him. Clear as day Kinley yells down!! It was so awesome! Matt and I immediately looked at each other like WOW!! It sure makes my heart melt to watch her grow every day!

Happy Tuesday everyone!! Hope this day is better!!

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Good Reads

Happy Hump day! It seems like it should be Thursday and it is only Wednesday! Sad sad!! I am looking for suggestions on some good reading. I really like mindless reading but something that gets me in!

I am currently reading Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I am about a 1/3 of the way through it and I am really enjoying it.



I also just got done finishing Captivated By you by Sylvia Day. A crossfire novel. This was a fun read! If you loved 50 Shades of Grey this is a definite must read. I am hoping to see the movie! Not this weekend because I am sure it will be packed but hopefully soon!!



Recently I also read If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman. I loved these books! And I have to say the movie If I Stay was just as great in my opinion! It was a different read than what I would normally pick but definitely a great read!



So if anyone has any book suggestions I would love to hear them. Hope everyone has a great Thursday Wednesday!

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Valentine Goodies for the Littles

Is it really February 2nd already! That means Valentine's Day is only 12 days away! I have never been a fan of Valentine's Day. Just an excuse for restaurants to create elaborate menus with astronomical prices. But.....now that I have a little I love every holiday including Valentine's Day. There are so many fun things out there! It brings so much joy and excitement to me to put together little goody bags for Kinley each holiday! When I was little we always got little treats so I am happy to carry on the tradition. Here are some of Kinley's Valentine's Day goodies. Shhhh....she may or may not have already gotten them :)



1. Books books and more books: Our favorite book is still Llama Llama Halloween so we definitely knew we would be adding Llama Llama I Love You to our collection. And what is a Llama Llama book collection without Llama Llama himself. Thanks Nana for sending us Llama Llama a little early so we could snuggle with him. Some other good Valentine Day books included The Biggest Kiss, Where is Baby's Valentine and Happy Valentine's Day Mouse.



2. Target Silverware: Targets $1 bin has won me over again. Kinley is starting to use silverware so this was a great add to her Valentine goody bag. 

3. Love yoga pants: When I saw these on an IG shop I follow I knew these were a must for Kinley's wardrobe. Thanks Kennedy Collections!

This girl has been so miserable this weekend! Molars are kicking her butt! 

4. Glitter Bows: What would a holiday be without adding more bows to Kinley's bow collection #bowobsessed we are! I made these ones on clips for her. She hasn't been keeping her headbands on so clips it is these days! 

5. Wow Cup: We haven't actually used this cup yet since I just bought it but I have read great reviews on it. We have been bottle free for a few months now and she does great with a straw cup but I wanted to give a regular cup a try. I will give an update how we like it later on! 

6. K is for Kissable: Another IG shop! They get me every time! The Blue Envelope has so many awesome shirts to choose from it was hard to pick just one. We will definitely be getting another one in the future.



7. LOVE fridge magnets: This set came with the alphabet and some great animals. I am really hoping these will occupy Kinley while I am trying to prepare dinner some nights.



8. "K" wine sippy cup: Ok...this one isn't for Kinley. Mommy always needs something for the goody bag too and there is nothing better than a stemless wine glass. Another IG shop! Thank you Thepinkpolkadotcc! I love it!!

And since I miss my tiny tiny little so much, here is a throwback Valentine's Day photo from last year!