Snowday S'mores & Sledding

There's really not much to say here other than snowdays rock! ;) We certainly aren't used to getting a few days off work in the middle of the week, not to mention such a good excuse to play outside! We dug up Harper's Carhartt overalls from last Christmas (which somehow still fit her) so we could stay outside longer than one wet pair of pants would have lasted & took full advantage of our two-day-Iowa-winter.

I think she will be pretty bummed when all the snow is gone!

Fleece Jacket \\ Carhartt Overalls \\ Hat & Mittens from Gap last year

We may not have been prepared for this winter weather, but our neighbors were most definitely not prepared to see us taking full advantage of it by putting socks on Harper's hands & taking her sledding down the front yard (and halfway down the street) in a laundry basket.

 And then we made s'mores because I desperately needed an outdoor activity that didn't involve lugging my pregnant self up a hill. Harper carefully lit each marshmallow on fire & then immediately pulled it out and proudly said "heee-yee-go!" It was pretty much the best day ever, but we were back to our regularly scheduled programming bright & early this morning.
Which was almost okay because we were out of coffee. ;)

A Snowy Atlanta

I think it's safe to say that the snow situation here in Atlanta has gotten a little out of hand. A few inches of snow & the city has officially shut down, which sounds a little crazy to us Northerners. Unfortunately a little unpreparedness & way too much traffic (think ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag), has lead to hundreds of cars stranded on the roads. Our hearts go out to all of the kids stuck overnight in schools & school busses, people who have run out of gas on the interstate after sitting for over eight hours in gridlock & those who have had to walk miles in the snow to get home to their families. 

I have heard horror stories from years past about what would happen if it were to snow here, and turns out, none of it was an exaggeration. So at noon yesterday, Brandon made his way home from work, along with my brother who sat in traffic for a few hours, and we have been snowed in ever since. Harper is all sorts of obsessed with the snow & we just might be too.

We've made homemade soup, makeshift sleds (which apparently don't accommodate the extra fifteen pounds I have packed on) & fires both inside and out. And after literally ten trips outside to play in it, Harper still has her face plastered up against the window yelling "more sneow! more sneow!" So, more snow it is!!

Hoping those of you who are affected by this weather are staying safe & warm! XO

Valentine's Day Goodies

I am a sucker for Valentine's Day, all of the bright colors & cheerful prints bring just a little glimmer of Spring! So today we are rounding up some of our favorite goodies to make your Valentine's Day just a little extra festive, including some giant heart shaped balloons & the most amazing smelling candle that has ever existed!

Mittens \\ Heart Balloons \\ Heart Print Onesie \\ Heart Nesting Platters

Essie Knockout Pout \\ Raspberry Peach Macaron Candle \\ Raspberry Sorbet Body Wash

My new obsession with mittens might just be enough to make me love the cold weather for just a little bit longer! A really little bit.

If you follow me on Instagram (@jlgarvin) you may have already guessed what we did with our afternoon. A snow day in Georgia!!!  When I picked Harper up from school today she could hardly contain her excitement, screaming "Whoooooaaa! Pretty!" as we drove home. Of course, as soon as I saw the first flake I ran outside & put a bowl on the porch so we could collect snow to make snow cream!! I didn't realize at the time that it was going to snow two full inches, so my bowl was buried. But, we did make snow cream & it was just as delicious as I remembered. Such a fun treat for kids (and pregnant ladies) of all ages.

 Fingerless Gloves

Our snow cream recipe is simple: 1/2 cup of half & half, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, a splash of pure vanilla extract & 4-6 cups of freshly fallen snow! :)

Despite a few fistfulls of snow in the face & approximately eighty changes of clothes, we had a blast playing outside. Hoping that it manages to stick around for one more day so we can pretend (ok barely pretending) that we are snowed in & do more fun stuff. You know my motto!

26 Weeks

Less than three months until baby girl's estimated arrival! 

Maternity Top \\ Scarf from J.Crew (similar here) \\ Maternity Leggings

Happy Camper Sweatshirt (c/o) \\ Tights by Trumpette (similar here)

How far along: 26 Weeks

Gender: Girl

Weight gain: 15 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Still mixing maternity & regular clothes, but mostly just living the pajama life since it's too effing cold to leave the house.

Stretch marks: No

Belly button in or out: Out

Sleep: Sleeping well but can never get enough of it! 

Best moment this week: Finally being able to say three months to go! :)

Worst moment this week: Probably a three way tie between a migraine, a major Harper meltdown over her love/hate relationship with balloons & a nightmare restaurant experience.

Miss anything: Energy & ice cold beer in a frosty mug.

Movement: Lots of movement & even a few cases of the hiccups this week!

Cravings: So. Much. Cereal.

Queasy or sick: Feeling good!

Looking forward to: Warm weather & Harper's birthday!! So hard to believe that she is going to be TWO! :)

Making Valentines

Harper & I are both still battling colds, plus it is officially winter outside again, so we attempted to deal with our mad cabin fever this week by making some handmade Valentines to send out. Cute hearts cut out of construction paper, scribbled on with crayons and slathered in stickers & snot. 

This girl lives for arts & crafts. We spend most of our days at home playing with her five different types of crayons, coloring on the chalkboard & making masterpieces with her magna-doodle. This has been a great way to teach her the alphabet & her numbers, she has gotten really good at identifying them all just from me drawing them a thousand times over. Her new favorite thing is for us to draw balloons for her & then she will draw the string attached it, although she refers to it as the balloon's tail. Love this girl & her ever growing vocabulary.

By the end of the day though, everything is a bust. She is over her crayons & the play table has likely been flipped upside down. Even her dolls are fed up, they are smashed into the bottom of her toy shopping cart covered in cans of cardboard food & all the rest of her art supplies.

And there's nothing scarier than a toddler with a shopping cart full of toys, hauling ass down the hallway with no regard for your bare ankles.

Anyway, back to the Valentines, we are keeping it pretty simple this year. I plan to put some festive pictures of her, with all of her handmade goodies & probably some heart shaped lollipops in little envelopes with some confetti to send out to friends & family. I am not the best at sending snail mail so I love to have a little extra fun with it for holidays. Hopefully I will get them sent out by Thanksgiving! :)

Dress from J.Crew Outlet (similar here) \\ Tights by Trumpette \\ Headband

 Heart Garland \\ Play Table \\ Sippy Cup from PBK (similar here)

Hope you all are staying warm (and staying sane!) as Spring takes it's sweet time to arrive. Happy Hump Day! :)

Nursery Plans for Baby Girl

As soon as I found out that we were having another girl, I knew that I wanted her nursery to be totally different than Harper's was. I knew we would reuse our Jenny Lind crib, glider & changing table but, they are all very neutral so they are easy to work with. We decided to go with white walls, bright, bold pops of purple, natural wood tones & gold accents!!! So so so excited for this color combo!

This shade of purple is hard. I have always loved it but always shy away since it's impossible to find multiple things in the same shade. I like to refer to it as "neon lilac," can't remember where I saw that once, but it stuck with me & I feel like it describes the color that I am always drawn to just perfectly. Then all of a sudden Radiant Orchid is the color of the year, so there are beautiful shades of purple everywhere! This is where the fun part comes in. In order to really incorporate all of the colors that I wanted, I decided to paint my own giant canvas to hang above the crib! I haven't painted since college, so it was really fun to get everything out again & make something special for the room. I am so happy with the way it turned out & hope that it is a piece of art that we can keep around forever!

And, with the most fun collaboration ever, I got to work with my sweet friend Erin of Candy Kirby Designs to come up with the most beautiful fabric inspired by the painting! I can't wait to share more details!! Do you spy some of the fabric tucked in the basket?! :)

Here is the look we are going for in the space!

I will be using a gold lacquer tray that I already had on the changing table to hold some essentials, along with a few neutral baskets around the room to hold books & stuffed animals. I have loved these star print swaddle blankets forever so I am excited to use them in the room, along with a gold polka dot sheet for the crib. Swoon! I am still on the hunt for the perfect crib skirt & changing pad cover.

I also love the idea of a gold leather pouf as the ottoman to the glider, but not so sure how functional it would be, especially for the high price. And of course, a tissue tassel garland is a must! :)

 Here are a few "before" pictures of the room, it is a little bigger than Harper's but gets less light. I haven't decided if I really like the archway window, but it is getting covered either way by bamboo blinds (the same ones we have in our dining room) because I want the light to be blocked out for the baby to be able to sleep.

Next steps are assembling Harper's big girl bed, moving it to her room & putting the crib in here as soon as the paint is fully finished. Then we will work on window treatments, adding a rug & continuing to switch furniture from one room to another. Good thing we still have three months.

Hope you enjoyed the first little bits of baby girl's nursery! I can't wait to see all the other amazing Radiant Orchid goodies that pop up over the next few months that we may be able to incorporate in the room! :)

XO

4moms rockaRoo Giveaway

This weekend, we finally had a chance to get a few things done in preparation for baby number two. Painting her nursery, organizing her closet & pulling out some of Harper's baby stuff that has been stored away for over a year. I am getting so excited to see all of Harper's teeny-tiny baby clothes be worn by her little sister!
And even though baby girl will be rocking lots of hand me downs, she will be doing it in style in her sweet new rockaRoo! :)

We have been huge fans of all 4moms products & were so excited about all of their new baby gear that launched late last year. The rockaRoo was at the top of the list!
The rockaRoo rocks like a rocking horse rather than a traditional baby swing, which maximizes the sensation of motion for your baby. It does all of the hard work for you, but is also light enough that you can pick it up & move it to any room of the house. This is a must have feature when you have a new baby that you want to keep by your side at all times.
Aside from the super fun, modern design, it has five speed settings (so you can really get it rocking!) & a removable newborn insert to hold even the tiniest of babies & make them feel secure. It also has an MP3 plug-in, so you can play your favorite music right from your phone.

I just know baby girl is going to love it & Harper will have so much fun playing DJ for her while she rocks! ;)

And, the most exciting part! 4moms has generously offered to give away a rockaRoo to one lucky reader! All you have to do is enter below & a winner will be chosen at random within the week. You can also follow along the 31 Days of rockaRoo tour for more chances to win! Best of luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The rockaRoo was gifted to us by 4moms, however, all opinions expressed are 100% my own.

25 Weeks

How far along: 25 Weeks

Gender: Girl

Weight gain: 15 lbs. at my 25 week appointment, so still right around the same weight as I was at 21 weeks

Maternity clothes: Yes, and a round up of all of my maternity favorites can be found here!

Stretch marks: No

Belly button in or out: Out

Sleep: Sleep is not so good this week, after catching another cold. 

Best moment this week: Another doctor's appointment confirming baby girl is doing well.

Worst moment this week: Missing out on most of our weekend in bed with a migrane & a cold. Harper has also had a cold again for the last few days after going back to preschool/mother's morning out. Kids germs are the worst & I am so ready for cold/flu season to be over.

Miss anything: My immune system.

Movement: Baby is a mover & a shaker! And a future chalkboard maker? 

Cravings: Strawberry cupcakes, Nutella & milk. Together or separate, I wouldn't mind either! ;)

Queasy or sick: Another week with just a little heartburn, but overall feeling good.

Looking forward to: I can't say this enough, looking forward to SPRING! We need to open the windows & get some fresh air! Plus Spring puts us just a little bit closer to meeting baby girl!

Also, this story. Just too good not to share. 

In the midst of Harper & I both being sick this week, we made a little couch bed & snuggled for a while the other morning. I must have gotten sucked in to the entertaining episode of mickey because I totally forgot that I had set my full iced coffee on the ground next to us. When Harper finally decided she wanted to get down, she climbed off the couch & immediately punted my coffee across the living room. Before I could even sit up, she yells "oh no, sweetie! i got it!!" (she now calls Brandon & I "sweetie" because we call her that all the time), she takes off running to the kitchen & comes back with a single Boogie Wipe to clean it up. I couldn't stop laughing, I had to grab a bath towel since there was an ocean of coffee soaking into the carpet, but Harper just kept dabbing away. She surprises me every day with the new things she says & does, but this one totally takes the cake. 

Maternity Style Favorites

I've never claimed to be a fashion blogger, I'll be the first to say that my style sways much more towards comfort than anything else. Especially when it comes to maternity style. On the rare occasion that I'm not just wearing pajama pants & a sweatshirt, these are some of my favorite & most comfortable maternity pieces.

One \\ Two \\ Three \\ Four \\ Five \\ Six \\ Seven

A lightweight jacket, soft v-neck tees that stretch forever (and come in a ton of fun colors!) & a maternity maxi are my must haves. I have still been wearing my regular jeans, though unbuttoned of course, but I don't think I'll make it to the end of this pregnancy without a maternity pair! ;) I also love some good seamless undergarments, they will make you feel comfortable & hide all of the lumps and bumps that come along with gaining a few pounds.

If you're looking for basic, everyday tops for layering, the Pure Body Maternity Long Sleeve Tees are the absolute best. They are super stretchy & can be washed a million times without losing their shape. Asos Maternity is my favorite resource for super affordable & cute dresses, especially for holiday parties or baby showers (you can find some of my favorites on my maternity style board). Aside from those basic pieces, I don't typically buy any other maternity stuff. Open cardigans or flannels & empire waist shirts or dresses are always options too since you can wear them in your regular size all through your pregnancy, especially paired with skinny belts! :)

Happy Camper Tee \\ iPhone Case

I think I am finally past the "whoa someone had one too many donuts" belly, even though whoa, I've really had one too many donuts, but I think I officially look pregnant.
I also officially look tired. Harper was up at five this morning sneezing into her hand & rubbing it through her hair. And since I have the immune system of a, well, pregnant lady, I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before I'm doing the same.
Good news? Tomorrow's Friday.

Baby Countdown & Ramblings

We are officially in the double digits. Less than 100 days until baby girl is scheduled to make her arrival & I am scared shitless.

We have opted to have another scheduled c-section, planned for April 23rd if she doesn't decide to come on her own before then. To be honest, it wasn't really a tough decision for me. I really struggled with the idea of having a c-section with Harper, I initially felt really let down at the thought of not being able to deliver her naturally & was also terrified for the procedure itself. We worked through it, I came to terms with things not going as planned (because really, do they ever?) & I decided to leave it in God's hands, rather than constantly worrying about all of the things that could go wrong. This time around, having a c-section seemed like familiar territory to me. I had a wonderful experience (read Harper's birth story here) & a really amazing recovery, so it made the decision pretty easy.



I had my 25 week appointment today, baby checked out great & the doctor informed me that even though it doesn't officially matter quite yet, she is also breech. One of the worst parts about my pregnancy with Harper was the feeling of her head in between my lower ribs, always feeling like it was tearing through my upper abs, so I'm really looking forward to that again. My doctor also reminded me that if I do go into active labor before then, which would be uncharted waters for me, not to eat before we come to the hospital to have the c-section. He knows me all too well, I totally would have been slamming donut holes the whole drive there to ease my nerves.

The funny thing is, the rest of my pregnancy & the c-section aren't really what scare me, it's what happens next. What will life be like with a toddler & a newborn? I laughed the other day when Harper came barreling around the corner with a baby doll in each hand, hair in her face & her giant sparkly tote bag just barely hanging on her shoulder. Then I realized that was going to be me in just a few short months. I worry about how Harper will adjust & how our entire family dynamic will change, although, she loves babies more than anything so I guess I should be more worried about her taking her little sister into her teepee when I'm not looking.
 
I also went through some rough baby blues for the first two/three weeks after Harper was born. I was obviously incredibly happy & in love with her, but for some reason couldn't help feeling sad all the time. I was sad that my belly was empty, I was sad that she was growing too fast, I wanted to go back to our hospital room & live there forever. I hated when anyone else held Harper, or even worse, when anyone told me to go take a nap or a shower, they may as well have told me to go jump off a bridge. I cried myself to sleep one night thinking that our cat didn't think we loved her anymore. Holy shit. So  needless to say, I'm borderline terrified of that hormonal roller coaster ride.

Not to mention, breastfeeding. I shuddered at the sight of my pump the other day as I pulled it out of the closet (I exclusively pumped with Harper, post can be found here). I am praying for an easier experience this time around but at least I feel like I am going into it with a teeny tiny bit of knowledge, like that I should eat & actually allow myself to take naps, instead of running myself on empty.

So there you have it, a little bit of how I'm feeling today as baby girl has been dance partying in my belly since four this morning. Despite all of my fears (and thoughts of another round of post-partum hair loss), I really am over the moon excited for April. I mean, we can do anything with a little coffee & a baseball cap, right? :) The countdown is on.

Black Bears & Heart Shaped Things

Our weekend consisted mainly of trying to pretend that sixty and a half degrees was warm enough to feel like Spring (yes, I totally must have southern blood because I was still freezing) & checking a few things off of our lengthy to do list of stuff to do before we can paint the nursery.  I also accidentally drew a kitty for Harper at her play table, which has resulted in her asking me to draw approximately five thousand more since Saturday morning. Hand cramps from holding teeny tiny colored pencils are no joke, which is all the more reason why we need warm weather to get here so we can spend more time outside. Except I had a terrifying dream recently (blame it on the pregnancy) that we got attacked by black bears while we were on a walk in our neighborhood. So. Maybe we will stay inside until I forget about that one.

Moving on.

Valentine's Day is only a month away, which means it's time for the mini style roundup of all things red, glittery & heart shaped! Seriously, that Cupid sweatshirt?! Boy mamas, you totally win the outfit roundup with that gem!!

Cupid Sweatshirt \\ Stripe & Heart Scarf

XOXO Onesie \\ Red Glitter Shoes \\ Heart Sunglasses

Sequin Heart \\ Red Heart Skinnies \\ Striped Heart Pants

I am loving all of the black & white for Valentine's Day style this year, including this heart print maternity dress for my fellow pregnant mamas. And you know I would totally wear those striped leggings if they came in my size! ;)


Harper has been rocking her heart sunnies from last year, I pulled them out right after Christmas & she wears them every day, although usually upside down.
The sun never sets on a badass.

Glitter Heart Hair Clip \\ Dress & Leggings from Gap last season

Happy Monday to you all! XO

24 Weeks

Scarf (H&M, similar here) \\ Sweatshirt (J.Crew Outlet) \\ Maternity Leggings

How far along: 24 Weeks

Gender: Girl

Weight gain: 15 lbs.+

Maternity clothes: Wearing mostly maternity stuff now & plan to do a round up of some of my favorite maternity items soon. Currently loving these maternity baseball tees paired with either leggings or jeans, but definitely looking forward to maxi dress season!

Stretch marks: No

Belly button in or out: Out

Sleep: Sleeping great but having lots of crazy pregnancy dreams! I woke up the other night after dreaming about seeing the baby's face perfectly (after she partially emerged from my total outtie belly button) & her face looked just like Harper's but she obviously had a full beard.

Best moment this week: Having a little warm weather & sunshine, an afternoon of grilling & playing bags (cornhole) was the perfect cure for the little bit of stir crazy cabin fever that we were starting to feel!

Worst moment this week: Getting my new Victoria's Secret swimsuit catalog in the mail. Woof.

Miss anything: This week I have really been craving sushi!! And of course, wouldn't mind having a yummy glass of wine with it either.

Movement: Lots of movement all over. So curious about whether this babe will be breech or not like Harper was!

Cravings: Fruit (raspberry, cranberry, strawberry), Chocolate (dark chocolate especially), have been majorly craving crab rangoons & all sorts of Chinese food lately.

Queasy or sick: A little more heartburn this week but otherwise feeling good.

Looking forward to: Painting the nursery this week! So ready to start seeing the room come together.

Harper 22 Months

It's been a while since I've done a monthly update on Harper & she has changed so much over the last few weeks! Her vibrant & silly personality always puts a smile on my face. She is curious, independent & way smarter than we give her credit for. If she sees or hears something once, she remembers it forever, which can be good & bad! ;)

Leggings \\ Sweatshirt \\ Skirt from Gap Outlet

Age: 22 Months (almost time to quit counting in months)
Clothes: Wearing mostly 18-24 & 2T. Loving taking some of her old dresses & putting them on her as tunics with cute leggings. She is wearing a size 4 or 5 shoe, depending on the fit. She is obsessed with wearing sweatshirts "fet-shirts" & socks, and surprise, she already loves picking out her own clothes to wear.  She pulls random things out of her drawer & says "pretty!!!!"

This is one of my favorite pictures of her, I went in to wake her up from a nap one afternoon & remembered that she had put a pair of my socks over her pants & insisted in sleeping in them. These were the socks that I bought for my hospital bag & wore when she was born. I could not help but laugh & even tear up a bit when I saw her sleeping in them, with the heels halfway up her little legs. Not to mention the total cuteness of her holding her baby doll's hand.

Favorite Foods: Pasta, Apples, Cheese, Blueberries, Raspberries, Avocado, Goldfish & Toast.
In order to get her to eat more fruits & veggies, we have been making smoothies lately because she never turns down something she can drink from a straw. So far, she loves everything. She thinks it's all ice cream, which she calls "keem!" The cutest.

Favorite Words: Animals & animal sounds, love you, miss you, uh-oh, hi & hello, outside, upstairs & downstairs, and our favorite "mama's mess!" or "dada's mess!" any time she sees my clothes on the closet floor or Brandon's things all over the garage. We both crack up at it. She calls kisses "missys" & always says "awwww!" after she gives them.
Also, out of no where the other day, she pointed at something & said "Whoa! Look at that!" We had no idea she could put together a full sentence so we were both totally shocked.

Favorite Activities: Oh, where to begin! This little girl is enthusiastic about everything!! She loves to color "cuddy", play with headbands, chasing the cat, play in her teepee, read books, do puzzles, go for walks, swing, dance & finally, snuggle!! We rarely turn the TV on but it is fun to put on a movie every now & then or turn on an episode of Mickey, she is obsessed! She loves to do anything in the kitchen that is "helping", so playing in the tupperware or pots & pans, unloading the dishwasher (Brandon almost fired me as a mom when he realized that Harper puts away half the dishes on her own) & sitting on the counter to help cook.

Favorite Things: Right now she is still smitten with all of her Christmas presents (you can see them in this post), mostly loving her stackable crayons, stickers & pushing her toys around in her wagon (which has been one of her favorite toys for over a year now). She is so in love with her little baby doll & carries it everywhere, she dances with her & sleeps with her. One of many reasons why I know she is going to be such a good big sister.

Signature Moves: Dancing, singing & sending herself to time-out when she stands on the kitchen chairs. Giving hugs & kisses to everyone in the room, including her baby dolls & the cat (we are trying to teach her no kissing the cat, but she insists). Sneaking up behind us to tap us on the leg & say "run run run!" when she wants to get chased.
 

Mom's Proudest Moment: The time I took baby doll's clothes off her to wash them & it was TRAGIC. Harper's world came crashing down for a solid forty six minutes while they were in the dryer.
Also, I got in the bad habit of opening things in the grocery store for her, like a little box of goldfish or pretzels. Which she then not only spills or shotputs across the store if we go by cookies or balloons (because she would rather have that), but she also throws a fit when I take them away once we get in the car. A six minute drive home from the store is really the equivalent of an eternity when your child is screaming & crying. I got myself into this mess & it has spiraled out of control, so we are working our way through "operation snackless & tantrumless grocery shopping" these days.

Dad's Proudest Moment: Bouncing Harper into a complete backflip on the indoor (kid-safe) trampoline. She laughed her ass off, but mom didn't think it was so funny.
 
Other Milestones: She rarely sits in her high chair anymore, she likes to sit like a big kid at the table with us instead, I am trying to decide on a booster seat for her & have been looking at either the Bumbo seat that has straps or something to just give her a little more height like the Oxo. It will be so weird to not have a high chair at the table for a few short months! ;)
She counts to five and says please & thank you (and bless you after anyone sneezes).
Most importantly, she seems ready to start potty training! She asks to sit on the potty & always tells me when she has a dirty diaper (and wants it changed right away). I was going to wait until her birthday to start but we have decided to try it sooner, like within the next two weeks! Just waiting to pick out a potty for her & some big kid undies. I will do a separate post on that though when we are ready to get started! :)

I love this age so incredibly much. I never want to forget all of the cute things she says & does, she amazes me on a daily basis at what she is learning & always has me in tears laughing.  I really can't put into words how much I love her, but I think that is all part of being a mama. 

Love beyond measure.