Five & Six Month Favorites

Months five & six are a whole new ballgame. Our little munchkin is teething, sitting up, sleeping in her own room & learning new things every day! This calls for constantly changing up toys, teethers & all other forms of entertainment to keep a smile on their face!

Here are our current favorites! And as always, suggestions welcome for anything great that we may be missing out on! :)

 

Baby Jogger City Mini - We are OBSESSED with this stroller. It is probably in my top five favorite baby items of all time. Now that Harper isn't toted around in her car seat all the time, we have been using this stroller much more often. It is so easy to open and fold back up, rides like a dream & is super easy to steer with one hand, which I think is a huge plus for strollers. Plus, this thing is seriously cute!! The sun shade rocks for when we are outside and she is so comfortable in it if she hangs in it for a long period of time. I can't say enough good things about this stroller!

Baby Jogger City Mini

Aden + Anais Security Blankets -Bought these while I was still pregnant because I found them on sale & thought they were super cute. I got a lot of recommendations from other moms about how much their babies loved them so we finally got them out for her when she started sleeping in her crib. She LOVES them! I swear they help soothe her to sleep. She loves to put it over her face when she is tired, and the breathable material is perfect for that. I think it is so cute seeing her love a blankie.

Aden + Anais Security Blankets

Plum Organics Baby Foods -While I have every intention of making my own baby food one of these days, these are just too easy and convenient while she is still so little. Easy to take on the go, taste good (you better believe I try them all!) and I know they are good for her. Plus, call me lazy, but I love being able to squirt it onto the spoon without needing to wash an additional food bowl.

Teething Tablets -These have been a lifesaver a few times. She has two full on bottom teeth now, and her top ones are starting to come in. They are tiny little tablets that dissolve immediately under her tongue, and honestly give her instant relief.

Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets

Pie Gnon Teether - From the makers of Sophie the Giraffe (our other favorite teether!) this cute little critter is a big hit with Harper. Easy to hold & she loves to chew on the little ears...er.. whatever those things are on the top of it's head.

Vulli Chan Pie Gnon Soft Chew Toy

Fresh Food Teether - This thing ROCKS. You cut up a piece of fresh fruit, we use apples & pears) and put it inside the little net for babies to chew on when they are teething. Harper is endlessly entertained by chewing on this & sucking the juice out of the fruit. I've also heard that babies love ice cubes or even frozen beast milk in them, although that might be messy. The first time we gave this to her, we seriously high-fived watching how much she loved it. Good stuff right there.

Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder

Soft Books -  I kinda forgot about these things until my mom picked one up the other day, I think it was a Happy Meal toy. Harper could not get enough of it!! We got her a few other ones and she will play with them forever. She loves the ones that make crinkly noises, plus she loves to put them in her mouth. Notice a trend here?

Feel and Learn Soft Book

Harper's First Trip to Iowa

We survived Harper's first plane ride & a long weekend traveling to Iowa! It. Was. A. Blast! This was the first time Harper got to meet most of her family... all of her aunts & uncles, great grandparents and honorary aunts/uncles made up of all of our friends! It was such a fun time. We also took her to our favorite pizza place, Happy Joe's (all of you Iowans know what's up!) which happens to be the food we served at our wedding! Pizza & beer is just our style!

 

Confetti One Piece from Carter's

 Harper also got to meet her future husband (by arranged marriage of me & my one of my best friends, of course!) little Mr. Talan! He is seven months older and seriously could not be any cuter!! They went in for the kiss right away and then played blocks together (how romantic!) it was definitely love at first sight! Best news ever, their family is coming to visit us for Halloween so these two cuties can dress up together for Trick or Treating!! Costume details to come :)

 

Ruffle Diaper Cover from The Gap

We also had Harper & her cousin Easton together for a little photo shoot to give pictures to my husband's family for Christmas this year. How cute is this?! This lemonade stand was supposed to be outside, but of course, the weather effed that right up. Still turned out adorable! This is just a proof, hoping to share more pics soon!

 

Picture by Timeless Photography & Design

Then it was off to the lake for my brother's wedding!! Harper wasn't a huge fan of the crowds so she didn't get to hang very long at the rehearsal dinner. It was such a fun time seeing all of our family and friends, and of course sporting some cowboy boots while in the Midwest! :)

 

 The wedding was Saturday and it was BEAUTIFUL. The bride chose a gorgeous charcoal & yellow combo. Harper had a long morning meeting family and getting passed around for snuggles so she didn't stay for much of the wedding either. We did manage to get one family pic, which I will love forever!!

 

Grey satin dress from The Gap & Yellow Headband from JamesonMonroe on Etsy

Michael Antonio Yellow Pumps from Amazon

Once Harper was asleep with Brandon's mom in the hotel, we got our party rock on! :) Literally, wedding reception entrance song was "Party Rock" by LMFAO and we clinked our beers, chugged them, put our sunglasses on and did the Running Man into the reception. 

I know, grow up Peter Pan! You would think we were in college again for the night. Such a fun time!

 

Then comes the fun part. The tradition that started as a surprise to me at my wedding, my dad & four brothers dressing up as the village people and doing the YMCA to get the party started on the dance floor. This year, my husband (the hot biker!) replaced my brother (the groom) and they were at it again. It was epic!!

 

And what's a wedding reception without a photo booth to document all the fun that was had?! :)

After an amazing celebration, we got to wake up to this sweet little face at 7 am saying "Hey mom & dad! I sure hope you aren't hungover, because now I'm ready to party!" 

Our trip was AMAZING & we were so happy to take Harper back to Iowa. We are going again at the end of September for the Iowa Homecoming Game, we can't wait to take her to our old college stomping grounds! It's time for our favorite time of the year.... FOOTBALL SEASON!

I can't believe it is almost Fall.. I am so excited!! Only a few more days to get The Owlphabet Nursery Print from j&paper for only $10 on Sale until the end of August! 

 Coming soon, our 5 & 6 month favorites!

Funny Faces

We captured this hilarious video of Harper the other night after dinner, just some of her funny facial expressions here make me laugh so hard! When she gets startled to see me taping her, I laugh so hard every time! Hope you enjoy this cuteness overload!

We also crack up at her hands that she always has up, like she just doesn't know what to do with them! I know, I am totally being that mom, but seriously, I can't get over my kid's cuteness! :)

Such a big girl!

Sweet little Harpsicle is sitting up on her own! I can hardly believe it! But it is just in time for her six month photo shoot that is on the horizon.

Next week we are traveling to Iowa for my brother's wedding. It will be the first time Harper will meet most of our friends and family... And her future husband that we have arranged with my best friends little boy! :) Can't wait to share pics when we get back!

In the meantime, I wanted to thank everyone for the great advice on Harper's whack sleeping habits. The last entire week she has actually been sleeping through the night!! She recently learned to roll onto her tummy to sleep and somehow she now sleeps great! The positions we find her in are seriously too cute. I wish I could take pics but wouldn't dare flash a camera with the chance of waking her little butt up! :)

The Makings of a Playroom!

When we moved into the our new house, I think the room I was most excited to decorate was Harper's playroom/my office. It was a funky layout, I planned to make it super colorful & of course couldn't wait to paint a chalkboard wall! I am so happy with the progress so far & wanted to share a few pictures!

In the background there you see Harper's soon-to-be growth chart! Saw the idea on pinterest of course & I think there is a similar one at Pottery Barn, so we decided to make our own! I will post before & after pics with a tutorial once it is finished. You can hardly see it, but the bottom is "ombre-d" with gold glitter paint! :)

A colorful tissue garland, simple desk & chair from Ikea and colorful accessories were everything I had in mind! I also stole the rug from Harper's room while we wait for another one to come in the mail. It is from Home Decorators Collection and I wish I could have one in every room!

Some organization on a shelving unit from Ikea, Crate & Barrel baskets that I have all over the house & more accessories on the side wall. This is where I will eventually hang a colorful gallery wall & house all of Harper's toys.

Pillows & a blanket on the floor for Harper to get her roll on! Also, there are two small pocket doors that go into the alcoves of where the garage is. I have a million ideas of what I want to eventually do with these, hoping to turn them into little playhouses & maybe even a toy "bakery" complete with an awning one day! Good thing my husband is a handyman! :)

I also printed one of my favorite etsy prints to hang in the room! If anyone is interested in purchasing this for your fun playroom or nursery - I wanted to offer the digital OWLPHABET print at a discounted price of only $10 in my etsy shop! :) This price will be good for the entire month of August! 

More to come as we make more progress (and probably paint more chalkboard walls!) all around the house!