Summer Starts Here

Memorial Day weekend was pretty uneventful over here (surprise!), mostly bouncing around from the pool to the patio, with some pancakes in between. This was Harper's first trip to the pool this year so I was anxious to see how she liked it. She referred to it as the "huge bath", was nothing short of terrified at first, but then decided she loved it & had no intention of getting out. We went all three days this weekend & I think she is officially excited for her swim lessons.
I even got seventeen uninterrupted minutes of floating around the nearly empty pool on my giant seven foot swan with a bud light lime. Dreams really do come true.

 Swan from Zulily

 We had friends over for a BBQ & some festive sangria, where I went to the (totally worth it) trouble of making homemade french fries just to use my new french fry cones! ;) I scored six of these bad boys at goodwill, washed them up & Brandon spray painted them gold. I'm kinda obsessed with how they turned out & feel like they need donut holes in them pronto.

 

Heart Sunglasses \\ Grey Elephant Onesie \\ Striped Tassel Dress \\ Hello Onesie

Monday morning, Brandon woke up extra early & took the girls so I could sleep in. He made a big batch of blueberry raisin pancakes (per the toddler's request), got a double dose of Harper's shopping cart to the ankles while putting Ellie down for her morning nap & finally bribed me with an extra large iced coffee to wake the eff up. 

Isn't "bring-your-kids-to-work-day" the next major holiday on the calendar?

Hope you all had an amazing long weekend with your friends & family! So happy tomorrow is already Friday, I already need another weekend in my life! ;) 

One Month of Eloise

Our little Eloise is officially one month old. It really seems like just yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital, although I imagine that is somewhat a result of the last thirty some days all running together since a good night's sleep no longer distinguishes them from one another. :)

I love her newly acquired baby rolls, chubby thighs & wrists really are the cutest thing ever. Her hair is still thick & dark as ever, it seems like it is growing a bit although I fear it will all fall out like Harper's did. Her eyes light up when she hears our voices & when we take her outside. She loves baths, tummy time & loud music/white noise. She is also mesmerized by her big sister, Harper dances circles around Eloise & it is pure entertainment for all of us.

She is the snuggliest (is that a word?) baby there ever was. She wants to be held all the time, nuzzles her little face right into your neck & drapes her arms over your shoulder. If she falls asleep, she will wake up as soon as the thought of setting her down even crosses my mind. We are working on getting her to stay awake more often during the day, with four actual naps in her crib or rockaRoo rather than catnapping all over the place all day. She gets a bath around 8pm, her last feeding around 8:30 & then goes to bed around 9. We started putting her in her own room just a few nights ago & the last few days have been the best in terms of sleeping. She is waking up around 12:30 (awake for about 45 min), then again around 4, but then she fights going back to sleep & I usually end up feeding her a little bit again around 5:30. Then she goes back to sleep until about 7:15.

Despite the fact that Eloise & Harper look similar as babies, especially in their facial expressions, they couldn't be more opposite in every other way. We had so many breastfeeding struggles with Harper, but it has been quite easy with Eloise (we have only had to supplement with a little bit of formula). Harper projectile vomited after every feeding, Eloise has spit up less than a handful of times. Harper loved a paci & being swaddled, Eloise isn't a fan of either. I love that they have similarities but it will be fun to see Eloise grow into her own little person as they become best friends over the years.

And in case you just came for the pictures...

Eloise Ruby, we love you so much & you are the sweetest, most perfect addition to our family. This month has just flown by, as I'm sure the time will continue to do. We want you to stay little forever but also can't wait to watch you grow & see the little person that you become. 

Happy One Month, Ellie girl!

Happy Memorial Day

A few years ago, I called my oldest brother, Josh, who is just a few years younger than me, to chat. At the time, we were living in Florida & he was living in Iowa with his fiance. We talked for a few minutes, just catching up when he mentioned that he was walking along side the highway to the nearest gas station, as his truck had just run out of gas. It was the middle of summer, over 90 degrees in the late afternoon, and easily five miles to the nearest town. It took me by surprise since he was in such a good mood, answered my call & asked how I was doing as if nothing was happening on his end. My first reaction was to ask him why he wasn't pissed off. Why wasn't he angry or cursing or busy calling one of our parents to come help him out. That's when he said something to me that I will never forget. "Sis, when your best friend dies & you actually have the worst day of your entire life, you learn that there's no sense in getting upset or complaining about stuff like this." 

He was right. My entire outlook on life changed the day we had that conversation.

My brother's best friend, Blair, died while they were in the Navy together in 2007. Blair spent many holidays at our house during the time they served together. He was a "pretty tough guy" & could drink us all under the table. He was part of our family, but more importantly, he was part of someone else's family, I can't imagine the heartache his parents went through. He was too young, too kind & entirely too much fun. 

 Here's to you Blair. And to all the rest of the men & women who have served, are serving & have given their lives for the freedom that we have today.

Our Week + Friday Favorites

Happy three day weekend! Our pool opens tomorrow so we are looking forward to taking the girls for the first time. Of course Ellie will probably just nap in the shade (and I might as well) but I'm excited to see Harper's reaction to the water since she was so young last year. I hope she loves it! It's no lie that I'm ready for a poolside cocktail more than ever! These two have given me a run for my money this week. Thankfully I feel like I have finally recovered from my c-section, which is a huge relief. I am still running on very little sleep, Harper seems to have more energy than ever & turns out, Eloise is one of those "hold me or I'll scream my head off" babies. So, it's been a wild ride but we are getting used to it! ;) As they say, the days are long but the years fly by.

Eloise is officially one month old today!! Sweet baby girl, I love her so! I told Harper we would celebrate Ellie's one month birthday with some ice cream outside before her nap. Of course this was the messiest thing ever & while she went to look down at all of it dripping down her shirt & legs, she dipped her top knot right into her cone. I effing love toddlers.

Headband \\ Heart Pants

Another highlight from our week? Harper learned her full name. So cute, right? Until she decided that must mean that my name is Mama Eve Garvin, which is what she calls me now when she really wants my attention.

Some of my favorite finds this week include this pom blanket tutorial (which is exactly what I had in mind for making curtains for Ellie's room, excited to see I wasn't the only one who thought using a hot glue gun was a good idea) & this (more pom trim!) swim coverup.

Target has the cutest new maxi dresses, you have probably already seen them in stores, they fit so cute & come in a few different colors. I love the grey & green! And this palm leaf canvas tote would make the perfect beach bag, especially since it's on sale this weekend! I am also loving this recipe for Citrus Champagne Sangria, sounds like an acceptable Memorial Day weekend cocktail. Or even an acceptable breakfast, right? :)

Cheers to the weekend, friends! XO

Summer Bucket List

With summer just around the corner (and quite a few extra hours in my day in the wee hours of the morning), I thought it would be fun to put together a summer bucket list. Harper is now old enough where we can tell her what we are going to do the next day or over the weekend & she will remember (and get very excited for it)! So while the days get hotter, we have a fun list of things to do to & memories to make.

1. Go on a picnic.

2. Throw water balloons.

3. Take Harper to play at the splash pad.

4. Go to the sno cone truck.

5. Have an outdoor movie night.

6. Visit the aquarium one more time before our annual pass expires. Harper is going to love it even more now that she is so obsessed with Finding Nemo & The Little Mermaid!

 7. Go to the farmers market (and stock up on homemade jelly).
8. Take a day trip to the lake.

9. Watch lightning bugs from the hammock.

10. Take Harper to play mini golf for the first time.

11. Go Camping! Brandon & I have a camping trip planned for just the two of us, but it would also be fun to do a little backyard camping with Harper as well. We will at least roast marshmallows if nothing else.

12. Go swimming. Lots of swimming!

13. (Attempt to) fly a kite.

14. Watch fireworks & do sparklers.

15. Make homemade popsicles. Loving these squeeze pop ice molds, perfect for little toddler hands.

Since our mornings have been starting around 6 am lately, we have plenty of time to get our three ring circus out the door & can be outside for a while before it gets hot. This morning we met friends for breakfast & then went to the park so Harper could go down the "flide" a few hundred times. It's all fun & games until Harper threw a handful of mulch on Ellie, "baby sissy play too!?" and a swarm of bumblebees the size of bulldogs showed up to crash the party. Oh the joys of a playground.

 Summer Dreams Tee \\ Baseball Tee Onesie

Nothing makes me happier than my daily adventures with these two little ladies, especially if they involve donuts & lead to long overlapping afternoon naps.

PS. Did you see!? Little teeny tiny newborn legs are no more, miss Eloise Ruby is sporting some thigh rolls & I. Heart. Them. They go perfectly with her tiny double chin & chubby cheeks. Obsessed is an understatement.

Brickyard Buffalo Guest Editor

I am so excited to be over at Brickyard Buffalo this week as their guest editor, picking a handful of my favorite items for both mama & mini. So many fun hair accessories, home decor & more, from lots of sweet & talented ladies that I am thrilled to support! :)

 I hope you love these picks & are able to get them at a great price before they're gone! Do you have a favorite?! One can never have too many oversized glitter bows, right? A huge thank you to Brickyard Buffalo for having me, it has been such a pleasure working with you & I am so honored to be a part of the fun! :)

And because no post is complete without these little kissable faces.

 Pajamas old from Crewcuts (similar here & here) \\ Gold Dot Crib Sheet

Baby Number Two Gear

Let me preface by saying that we absolutely LOVE having two kids, it has been such a fun adventure & we adore seeing the girls interact with each other. It is so much fun (most of the time) to experience the newborn stage a second time, knowing how quickly it passes & allowing you to savor every sweet little moment just a little bit more. That being said, baby number two is a game changer. The second you leave the room to change your newborn's diaper, you can bet your ass your toddler is now guzzling your iced coffee & unfolding an entire basket of laundry.
I know it will be second nature in no time, but it's crazy how all of a sudden you can't believe you ever thought having one kid was hard.

I put together a few of our favorite things that we have found most helpful now with two. Not pictured is the movie Frozen, which has quite possibly been the best thing that has ever happened to our daily routine. 

Baby Jogger City Select Double Stroller \\ Summer Infant Dual Video Monitor
Solly Baby Wrap \\ Boon Lawn Drying Rack \\ 4moms rockaRoo

Double Stroller \\ We chose the Baby Jogger City Select Double Stroller after lots of research & so far, we LOVE it! It is such a smooth ride, so easy to push & easy to manipulate the different ways to use it. I wanted something that would grow with the girls, so for now, we are using the carseat attachment (this adapter specifically for the Peg-Perego Infant Carseat that we have) but will eventually have it ride with two seats. There are tons of different options, I am a huge fan of that. Plus, the basket underneath is giant & that is always a win in my book!

rockaRoo \\ The 4moms rockaRoo doubles as both a portable infant seat & a full on swing, with a rocking motion that soothes her right to sleep. I also love that it is low to the ground so Harper can see Eloise when she is in it, she is always sitting next to her talking to her or giving her "toys." It also has an adapter to plug into your ipod/iphone to play music, DJ Harper's favorite feature! ;) 

Dual Camera Monitor \\ We bought this Summer Infant Dual Camera Video Monitor because the one we originally had didn't support a second camera. We love Summer Infant because the video quality is the absolute best. With the handheld monitor, the screen automatically switches every eight seconds between cameras so you don't have to constantly check it. Definitely a must have so you can rest assured your babies are safe when they're sleeping in the other room.

Baby Wrap \\ I recently bought a Solly Baby Wrap after hearing so many rave reviews & am so glad that I did! It is so soft, lightweight & most importantly, I really feel like Ellie is perfectly snug & secure when I wear it. I am surprised with how much I have used it already, both around the house so I have two hands to do things with Harper, but also just about everywhere we go solo since I can't lift the carseat out of the car on my own for a few more weeks. Plus, it comes in so many gorgeous colors, the grey stripe & orchid are my favorites. No surprise! ;)

Boon Lawn Drying Rack \\ We had the smaller sized grass one forever, but with double the dishes & even less time to put things away, this larger drying rack is one of my favorite baby items ever. I love the fun & functional design. And when your baby dishes are just piled in the sink & you have absolutely no intention of washing them any time soon, this drying rack works just as well for wine glasses.

I hope that this is helpful to those of you about to welcome baby number two. More than anything, we have found that taking the time to give each baby the attention that they need is just as important as spending time all together as a family. Sometimes it's easy for each parent to take one kid & do their own thing, but embracing the chaos by getting out & about together is what it's all about.
Even if you do feel like a traveling circus. :)

Blue Dresses (sold out, similar romper style here) \\ Mint Blanket c/o Little Hip Squeaks

Under the Sea

Harper has been obsessed with The Little Mermaid lately, one of my favorite Disney movies from when I was a kid. I always said I wanted to be a mermaid when I grow up when I was younger, which may have had something to do with watching the movie hundreds of times in my grandma's waterbed with blankets wrapped around my legs. Quite the imagination I must have had. Is it too late to teach Harper to call a fork a dinglehopper?!

With hot summer weather on the way, these mermaid & sea inspired goodies have me longing for the beach!

Sea Diver Tank \\ Diaper Pouch \\ Plush Whale \\ Ruffle Swimsuit

Mermaid Swimsuit \\ Pool Tee \\ Mermaid Doll

Eloise has already been looking tropical while basking in the sun inside, I think blue is her color! ;)

Seahorse Pajamas

 We are currently working on our summer bucket list, which I hope will consist of more than just sticking stickers to our faces & playing our new favorite game "guess why Eloise is crying". I know patience will be tested all around & there will be more chaos than ever before, but I am looking forward to making so many fun summer memories with my baby girls!
Homemade popsicles (also read: frozen margaritas) & kiddie pools are on the horizon.

Just the Three of Us

So far as a family of four, we have tackled the dreaded first grocery shopping trip, doctors office visits & even a few strolls around the block. All quite successful. But, yesterday! Yesterday was our first day home, just the three of us, which I was both terrified of but also looking forward to in a way. I have been excited to see how we would be able to make a routine together, but with this slow c-section recovery it has been hard to do everything that I want to, mostly picking up Harper when she wants me to.

We started our morning off snuggled in my bed watching Nemo, I fed Eloise, Harper ate cheerios & I guzzled my first cup of coffee. Harper wanted to hold her & they watched the movie like this together for a few minutes, I couldn't take my eyes off them. Too much cute! Showering & getting dressed was totally out of the question, but at least the girls made it out of their pajamas.

Eloise is taking cat naps most of the day, despite how much I try to keep her awake. It gives me a lot of one on one time with Harper though, which is so important right now. We kept busy with loads of sticker books (courtesy of grandmas), puzzles & playing dress up. She also wants to do everything I do, which of course had me laughing so hard when I caught her using my scarf to tie her cat stuffed animal to herself because that is how I have been wearing Ellie most of the time lately. I helped her get her scarf in position (instead of tucked into the back of her diaper like she initially had it) & she just loved it.

Striped Terry Pajamas

The hardest thing so far is being able to tend to Ellie's feeding schedule while still being there for Harper, and re-learning how to do all things one handed. Their naps overlapped by about one solid hour, so I had a chance to pick up some of the messes, make a second iced coffee (amen!) & attempt to peek at my email inbox, although I desperately wanted to just take a nap with them. By the late afternoon, everyone was restless, including me, but we pushed through to the finish line by playing hide the Easter eggs for the 203984th time.

And then, when Brandon shot down the idea of "no dinner mondays" I took the laziest but most delicious route ever & made one of our old favorites, hot ham & cheese subs! I thought I would share because it takes approximately ten minutes from start to finish & all mamas need a dinner shortcut every now & then.

So. One loaf of Italian or Cuban bread from the bakery (cut lengthwise & lay open on a baking pan), layer with sliced ham (or turkey) from the deli, cover in shredded mozzerella cheese & broil for 3-5 minutes (watching very closely) until cheese gets melty. We like to add Marzetti's ranch veggie dip & lettuce, but you can add anything you normally like for your deli sandwiches.

Overall, being outnumbered went better than I expected, but it won't be long before we all go stir crazy if we are stuck in the house. I see frequent park trips & donut dates in our very near future. Things can only get better from here as we start to develop a routine, right? Or maybe they won't, it is summer after all. Tis the season to be carefree! ;) I would love to hear any tips from moms of toddlers/babies if you care to share!

Friday Favorites

What a week! I am so looking forward to some weekend fun & relaxation before I am officially flying solo with both girls home with me next week. I am freaking out just slightly. We had such a fun week, celebrating Cinco de Mayo with some pineapple margaritas on the patio.

My recipe went a little something like this: 1 cup tequila, 1/2 cup triple sec, about 8-10 freshly squeezed limes, 1 cup pineapple juice & 1 cup pineapple orange juice (simply orange brand). Mix together, pour over ice & garnish with lime & fresh pineapple wedge. I don't measure everything perfectly so you can definitely do more or less of some ingredients depending on your taste. They were so so good!!

A major perk of the warm weather is being able to bring Harper's highchair outside for dinner, gotta love not having a mess to clean up! Well, other than the actual mess of Harper herself! ;) Her favorite outdoor activity these days is picking up pinecones & hitting them with her little golf clubs. Such an imagination she has!

We finally got out of the house this week since I can drive again after my c-section, we did some much needed shopping & a few coffee dates. I have been wearing Eloise in my Solly Baby Wrap that I finally decided to buy, such a great investment. I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle double-strollering quite yet, so this has been an amazing way to take both girls out together. I am currently putting together my "baby number two favorites" post & will be sharing some of the things that have been lifesavers for us. If you have something amazing to share, please do! :)

Some not-so-favorites from the week? Our new sleep schedule which is the equivalent of "never", although I can't really complain because overall Ellie is a pretty darn good baby. And her cuteness really makes everything okay in my book. I had my first experience trying to nurse while trying to put an overtired, unhappy toddler down for a nap (all while not being able to pick her up). Holy moly. Hats off to all moms who do this regularly, I had no idea what I was in for!

It is officially getting HOT in the south which means it's time for the girls to rock some sundresses & rompers! I am in love with this denim bubble romper for Eloise & totally wish it came in Harper's size.

I have been on a swimsuit hunt for quite some time & have officially fallen in love with this floral print (which is on sale this week!). Harper starts swim lessons soon too which makes me so excited for lots of pool time this summer. I also can't wait to put Eloise in all of Harper's baby swimsuits that I love so much, although I'm not sure she is squishy enough to fit in them quite yet! ;)

Mother's Day is this weekend, it seems so fitting to celebrate both my mom & mother-in-law right now after all of the help they have been for us over the last few weeks. After having them stay with us & cooking together a bunch, my gifts are going to be recipe books! This recipe tin or this recipe book are both beyond cute, especially filled with some of your own favorite recipes & even some mixes (like fajita seasoning or cookie mix in a jar) to go along with it!

I hope you all have the best weekend!! You all are some of the kindest, most inspirational moms I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, I hope you all enjoy your mother's day celebrations with your families!

Eloise's Newborn Photos

So excited to share a few of our favorites from our newborn session this week. I am obsessed with the way the girls expressions are captured, it shows so much of their personalities! I know it will only be a matter of time before they don't look anything like these pictures, time is going by much too quickly already.

This just might be my very favorite picture, Harper's big blue eyes just melt me & I love seeing the girls side by side! :)

As always, a huge thank you to Scobey Photography for capturing these precious moments in our lives as a now family of four. You're the best.

Girl Print Swaddle \\ Gold Sequin Heart Hairclip \\ White Flower Hat \\ Star Print Swaddle
Heart Swaddle \\ Feather Headbands \\ Harper's Grey & White Dress