Must Haves for Baby #2

I have been thinking about what things we need to get for baby #2 when he/she arrives. When we started shopping when we were pregnant with Kinley we knew we wanted to get all gender neutral big ticket items. The best idea ever! Just in case this one is a boy.  We I knew we would always have 2 so I didn't want to have to purchase a new car seat or stroller because we had one of each.

As of right now we have the car seat and bases, changing table, a rock n play, a swing, a bouncer and a stroller. I think that is basically all the big items. So now on to items we will need with baby #2.

1. New Crib

Initially we weren't going to buy another crib but I recently found out Kinley's crib transitions into a full bed so we are just going to buy another 4n1 crib for the baby. I knew her crib transitioned to a toddler bed but I didn't know it went to a full. Needless to say I was super excited!!

2. Double Stroller
I recently bought the graco ready to grow double stroller from someone who had only used it a handful of times. I think we will stick with that for a double stroller for now.

3. Solly Baby Wrap
I really really want a Solly wrap for this baby. I didn't use a wrap with Kinley. We used the Ergo and the newborn insert. I LOVE the Ergo but I didn't love it with a newborn. I have heard such amazing things about the Solly, so that is definitely on my list!

4. Aden and Anais Blankets
These blankets are the absolute best! They are light weight and breathable but provide enough warmth when need be. I have been trying to not buy Kinley more of these because really how many blankets does one kid need...BUT they are amazing! So I will be adding to our collection.

5. Breast Pump
This one I am torn about. I used the Medela Freestyle with Kinley and I still have it but I am wondering if I need to get a new one. I used that thing a LOT! Does anyone have any suggestions on that? Do I need a new one? I loved the convenience of the freestyle but my boobs didn't respond to it well. Maybe that is just because my boobs hated the pump. Could totally be! There was definitely a love/hate relationship with that thing!

6. Sophie
Sophie is a must! Kinley loved Sophie from the beginning! Hers was used a lot so I will definitely be getting the baby another one.

7. New Nursing Cover
I had a few of these with Kinley but I didn't love any of them. I am looking at the Milk Snob covers. They look wonderful and the reviews are great!

8. Halo Sleep Sacks
Kinley really loved being swaddled after we got through the initial fight. We will definitely be investing in some more of these because they get full of everything pretty fast! Everything to include poop, pee, coffee, lots of spit up and whatever else you can imagine.

9. New Clothes
Of course the baby will need new clothes! Kinley was a winter baby and this baby will be a spring baby. So the clothes will not be in the right season unfortunately. I am sure some of her clothes will get re-used but the majority will be new clothes. The new baby has to have something new, right :)

10. Humidifier
I didn't put a humidifier in Kinley's room for a few months after she was born and after I did I was very happy I did.  I always love having a humidifier in our room so I thought the kiddos would too. Though to be honest it is getting pretty nasty so I need to get a new one. Does anyone have any suggestions on humidifiers they love?

So besides the known diapers and wipes those are my 10 things we will definitely be getting for this next baby. If anyone has any other must haves please share!! I like to plan and start saving so all this doesn't drain our bank account at once :).

Hope everyone is having a great start to the week! And of course one cute pic from the girl that wanted every peanut M&M pack at the grocery store yesterday. I know it is blurry and I am sorry but it is too funny!

3 Tips for Making Moving Easier

I know I have been a little MIA lately but I promise I have been busy and dealing with other things. I am glad it is the weekend but they always go way too fast when you work one of the days. It really limits our time as a family so I don't spend a lot of time blogging on the weekends and lets be honest I haven't had much free time lately so unfortunately blogging has suffered.

If you read a few posts back we have been preparing to close on a house in a few weeks. Holy moly what a pain! They want every document you own and you have to provide every detail about that document. It has been draining that is for sure! Then trying to pack some things up but not live out of boxes has been interesting as well.

Here are 3 tips that have made this process a little easier if that is at all possible.

1. Have recent bank statements, current pay stubs and any other financial documents you may think you will need. Because guess what...you will need them! Luckily my bank statements and pay stubs are easily accessible for me so that was no big deal. I did have to run to the City to get copies of old W2's since I no longer work for the City I could not get them online. If you are looking at purchasing a house make sure you have copies of at least 3 years of past W2's. And if you have left the job contact them in advance because most companies will make you sign a release. With Matt being the only own owning our current house I have to provide documents that prove that. Luckily it wasn't too difficult to get but again if you know you are going to buy a house have these documents available to you. It will save you some time and sanity when you are waiting on hold for 20 mins to speak to a representative and then get hung up on and have to call back. Yes that happened. Grrrr.

2. Pack ahead of time. We Matt has been packing boxes for a few weeks now. I have really been slacking in getting on board with packing things up. Maybe I am in denial we are actually moving. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited but it is sad to leave our house. And I don't really want to be living out of boxes for weeks. So I have been procrastinating but I do know when the time comes I will be happy we have some things packed and ready to go. Matt started in the kitchen and left out only the essentials. I think next we will move to under the sinks of the bathrooms. Oh should that be fun. NOT!

3. Accept help. This is big for me! I am the type of person that wants to do it all on my own and not take help from anyone. My inlaws live down the street and they are always offering to help with Kinley. This is great! It is very hard to pack up boxes when your toddler is crying at your feet because it is getting close to bed time and she wants to be held. Unfortunately I think she will be spending a little more time at daycare in the next few weeks so I can get some things done. She loves it there and it gives her some play time outside of the house. This will make packing, painting and unpacking much easier if she is not screaming at my feet or touching the newly painted walls. I know we have a lot of awesome friends that are going to help us move too! I already told them beer and pizza! Who wants to miss that!

Those are a few tips that have helped us so far with this buying a house process. It is definitely draining and I will be very excited when we sign the final documents.

And of course I need to wrap up with a few cute pictures of my crazy toddler who is entering the terrible 2's early! She has been a handful in this process. I have to remember though it is stressful for her too. Her life is being turned upside down. Our house is all she knows. I anticipate moving to be hard on her. I hope it goes more smoothly than I am thinking. Twins they are!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Random Thursday Thoughts

Is it Thursday already? Yay!! That means I am off for two days! I love short weeks! I was suppose to be off on Saturday but they changed the schedule around. Lame!! Matt is off today too so we are going to take Kinley to daycare and enjoy the day together. It has been a LONG time since we have had any alone time and we are going to enjoy it!

Ready for some random thoughts? Well here goes!

I feel things have been so hectic lately and I am not sure where to start. My house is an absolute mess at this point; half packed boxes and boxes that need to be put together. I think this is going to be the new norm for a little bit. We did have the inspection on the new house and everything went great. There were some minor changes we wanted done and all of them we requested them to fix they are going to do! Woo hoo!! Things are getting there. We are just waiting on the appraisal and we are scheduled to close on October 1st. I think it is kinda surreal still. Even though we are moving down the street we still have to pack an entire house and unpack. All to move down the street. LOL. It is going to be worth it!

I have been contemplating what I am going to do with Kinley's room. Is it really time to turn her room into a big girl room? I have seen some fun inspirations on Pinterest but nothing that I am set on. We have been throwing around putting her in a twin bed but to be honest I am quite terrified of taking the leap. Does anyone have any helpful hints? I don't want to do a toddler bed because in a few years she is going to need a twin so I think we will just start there with some rails. I haven't been able to find a bed that I love yet though. Any ideas?

Kinley started back at daycare this past Tuesday and she loves it. We have the best daycare provider and she loves the kids. She was driving me a little crazy yesterday morning so I decided to pack her up early and take her to daycare. Wouldn't you know, we got there and she was fine. I guess she was getting sick of hanging out with me! Hey that is ok! I needed some space too. She jumped right in playing with the toys with her friend. She kept insisting on giving her hugs. It was the cutest thing! She gets along great with the other kids and had no issues going back after being off all summer. I'll be honest I was a little worried about it. Once again she surprised me and did awesome! She does love her cuddles with her Ms. E.

I have been missing my mom lately. She is coming out for Christmas and I couldn't be more excited! I am definitley not trying to rush Christmas but I am ready to see her. She hasn't been here since last winter. My sisters keep saying they are going to come out eventually so hopefully I will get to see them sooner than later. Unfortunately I don't see a visit to Colorado in our near future. There is just too much going on and we really need to focus on our family. Plus I was there twice this year. I wish it wasn't so expensive to travel there! Buying 3 plane tickets is not cheap! But hey it always works out!

I am not ready to believe fall is fastly approaching. I do love fall but I want more pool days! I didn't get enough of them this year! How does that happen?!! I think I need a pool in my backyard! Just kidding! I do not want that maintenance. Did you check out of fall bucket list?

What are some of your random thoughts lately? My mind has been so scattered the past few weeks. Sometimes life is crazy and you gotta slow down! I am going to enjoy my day date with my hubby. Happy Thursday everyone!!

Kinley Update - 21 Months

Let's do a Kinley update. Things have been so busy and there has been so much going on I haven't updated on her in a while. She turned 21 months on the 27th so we are getting closer and closer to that 2nd birthday. Did you read about my thoughts on her party? You can here :) The last update I did was at 18 months.

So much has changed in 3 months. This girl is sassy as ever and is growing up way too fast. She really is so lovable and sweet when she wants to be. She gives the best hugs and kisses. She was able to spend all summer with her Nanny at home. It was truly a blessing though I wonder how going back next week to day care is going to be. Her separation anxiety has gotten worse. Especially at night! Oh my!! You know all about that if you have been keeping up with us.

Let's start with some stats. The last time she was at the doctor she was 23lbs 12oz. I am not sure what her height was since they don't measure the height for a sick visit. She did get strep in the last 3 months AGAIN :(. I have no clue where she is getting strep from all the time. This is the third time she has had strep. Poor girl was miserable. It was awful! Luckily after we got some medicine in her she started to feel better after a few days.

Sleep: Welllllll the sleep has been awful the past few weeks. Actually it might be going on a month now. Ever since she got strep she has been in our bed. I am enjoying the cuddles but some nights she is so restless it is hard to get some good sleep. Like last night. I am dragging today. We are thinking about moving her into a twin bed when we move and hoping that will help her. At this point I am not sure what else to do. To be honest I am very nervous about transferring her into a twin bed but I have no other ideas at this point and I don't want her in my bed forever. What happened to my girl that was sleeping 630-6? Ahhh I miss those nights! Parenthood sure is a roller coaster. Though I wouldn't change it! I love her to pieces; even when she doesn't let me sleep! We have officially transitioned to one nap on most days. With going back to daycare next week I think that will work out best.

Eating: I actually think her eating habits are improving and we have outgrown the Mac and Cheese stage. She really doesn't eat much Mac and Cheese anymore. She does love plain noodles but has been trying more things. She really loves her veggies still. Broccoli and cucumbers are still favorites! She loves almost all fruits. She also loves turkey sausage dipped in Ketchup. For breakfast she usually has a whole grain blueberry waffle and some Greek yogurt. She loves yogurt! Lunch is whatever we throw together and for dinner I always offer her what we are eating and she will usually try it, though we usually end up with noodles and turkey sausage. If you open the freezer for ice you gotta be fast because she will sneak a popsicle really fast. She still drinks whole milk and water. She doesn't get any juice. In my opinion there is no need for the added sugar. We tried it when she was sick and she wouldn't even drink it. So hey maybe she doesn't even like it. I can only hope! But for now we will stick with milk and water.

Play: This girl in on the go! All the time! Being outside is still a favorite for her. We have gotten to do lots of fun activities this summer to include the splash pad and the zoo a few times. She hasn't been getting any TV the last 6 weeks. She was asking for it all the time. It was crazy! You would think she was watching it all day. She was getting 1 maybe 2 shows a day. She was throwing a huge fit when we wouldn't turn it on and she couldn't watch it. So we said bye bye to the TV and told her it has been broke. She asked for it for about a week and now doesn't even ask. We spent a lot of time at the park this summer. It was always a good way to wear her out in the afternoon. If you follow me on IG you know she learned to go down the big slide! It is so cute! She has been talking up a storm and I think learns new words every day. The list goes on and on! I wouldn't be able to name all the words if I tried. She loves her baby and we don't go many places without her baby. She also loves doing puzzles and coloring. We also made it to the beach a few times this summer and she LOVED the ocean!! It was hard to get her away from it! She is definitely her Mommy's girl :). One of her new favorite games is to play chase through the house or take the dog lease and attempt to walk him through the house. She thinks it is hilarious! It is pretty entertaining to watch.

She officially has all her teeth. We are now waiting on the 2 year old molars which I am not looking forward to! She constantly has her fingers/fist in her mouth so maybe they are already bothering her. This whole teething business is not fun! We are starting the potty training. The other day she wanted to be changed the second she was wet. The next day...she had no interest. We are just going with it. I am not wanting to rush her. I want to follow her cues!

I can't believe we are going to be planning a 2nd birthday in a few short months. It feels like yesterday I was pregnant and I was holding a newborn. I do miss my baby and our breastfeeding days. But she is getting older and I love the person she is becoming. She is truly amazing! She must get that from her mom ;).

I think that is a good wrap up of what is going on with her these days! Lots of transitions coming up for her soon. I hope she does ok!

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend! We can't wait to see some friends tomorrow!!

Letting Go of the Guilt

Ahhh it is Tuesday already and Monday is over with WOO HOO.  I survived another day. That has been my motto lately.

A couple posts back I was telling you all how we were struggling with sleep. You can read about it here. Well let me tell you it has still been a struggle. I don't know what is going on. A few weeks ago she had strep and ever since then we haven't been able to get back to where we were. We use to be able to put her in bed awake, cover her up and leave. She would sleep until about 6:30 the next morning.

The weird thing is she is still napping in her bed fine. No issues at all. She doesn't even fight me. Lays right down and lets me cover her up. Now when it comes to bedtime it is a different story. As soon as we are done with stories she starts fussing. I still do the same thing. I put her in her bed and attempt to cover her up, then I leave. 9 nights out of 10 she is crying. That is so hard for me, it breaks my heart! I don't want her last memory of the day to be me walking out of the room while she is crying for me. But I do it anyways. This is where the guilt starts.

I go take a shower and hope and pray she quiets down by the time I am done. Some nights she is some nights she is still screaming. If she is still screaming I go back in and have her lay down and tell her it is bedtime, sweet dreams, I love her and I will see her in the morning. She usually will lay down this time. So we are good for a few hours. Then the crying starts. We do start out there and try our hardest to stay there, but it just doesn't work :(.

The other night it was about 9:15pm. I went in and she laid down and I was able to leave. She was quite for about 5 minutes. I let her cry for a little and the screaming continued. I went back in and she laid down again and I told her I was right there and she was ok. I stood outside her room and she was quiet. I walk very carefully through our room, not trying to creak the floor, and climb back into bed. At this point it is 9:45p and after the past few nights we have had I am ready to go to sleep. 20 minutes go by and the screaming starts again. What is going on? So we do the same thing over again. This is on repeat until I can't take anymore and she ends up in our bed. Then we all sleep peacefully through the rest of the night. The end you think right? No I have so much guilt with her sleeping in my bed and I need to let it go. It is ok!

I have been trying so hard to be strong and keep her in her bed but honestly I can't take it anymore. When you have gotten maybe 2-3 hours of sleep for many nights in a row the endless screaming gets to you. I am human. I work full time, take care of a toddler and attempt to be a good wife to my husband. Insert more guilt here because I have not been the best wife or mom.

This has been very trying for Matt and I. We are tired and when you are sleep deprived you tend to get frustrated easier and snap faster. There have been many nights Matt and I have not been nice to each other all because of frustration and sleep deprivation. Is that an excuse, NO, but it is reality. The other morning I apologized to him for being mean at 2:00am and just hugged him and cried. This is so hard for me. And let me be honest as I type this tears are forming in my eyes. I am having a hard time with this sleep regression if that is what you want to call it.

I have found myself explaining our situation to many of my friends lately trying to justify her sleeping in our bed and why we end up with her in our bed. I am beginning to realize I don't need to justify what I do as a parent and why I do it. I am not harming my daughter and in reality I am probably helping all of us sleep by letting her sleep with it. Getting frustrated and being sleep deprived does anyone no good. It makes for days wasted on crankiness. These two are my world and I hate wasting days due to crankiness and frustrations.

At this point we are going to do what ever we need to do so all of us can get some sleep. I am going to try to stop feeling guilty about putting her in my bed and be thankful we are getting sleep. Being a mom/parent is very hard. Everyone will tell you something different. Shoot one person told me to put ear plugs in my ears and let her scream. I am sorry I just can't do that! And I refuse. If that is what works for you go for it. If I have learned one thing about being a mom, it is that you have to do what works for you in the moment. This moment will pass and there will be something else that is difficult to deal with. This is parenthood! It is a roller coaster.

My sister said something to me yesterday while I was telling her what was going on and it made me think. She said, "I think this habit can be changed in the future when she's older to understand so right now sleep is definitely more important than having her sleep in your bed." She is right. We create different habits everyday good and bad. This could be good or for some people I am sure they see it as bad. But right now this is a good habit for us because we are all sleeping. So I am going to quit feeling guilty about her sleeping in our bed and enjoy the sleep we will be getting. Judge away people, I am letting go of this guilt :). So for now this sleeping beauty will be sleeping with us.

Oh and on a happy note!!! We have put an offer on a house and it was accepted!! WOO HOO!!!! I know all you are jumping up and down for us if you have been reading about our frustrations with that. There is more here, here and here.  We have the inspection set for Friday! Hoping everything goes great and we are good to go! Keep us in your thoughts !

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday and this week flies by! I am ready to be off on Monday and spend some much needed time with some missed friends! It feels like forever since I have seen them.