Six Months With Evelyn

My tiniest love is half a year old, and I seriously think this going to officially go down as the fastest year of my life! I am so excited, though, because all the fun milestones like eating solid food, crawling, and talking are on the way, as well as Evelyn’s first holiday season!

I’m not sure about Evy’s size right now but she feels around 15 pounds…we will find out for sure on Monday at her 6 month checkup. She’s in size 6 month clothes (some of which are even getting a little snug!) and size 2 diapers. She is finally starting to like tummy time more, but is still not a fan of rolling over. After tons of practice though, my girl started sitting up this month, and her world has been so much happier ever since! 

 

Along with finding her new favorite toy (a.k.a. her toes), we finally got to see what she thinks of the little tikes swing (big fan!) and she got a new Skip Hop Activity table which she looooves. 

We also started adding in some solid food adventures this month! She’s hit or miss about purées, and BLW is more about playing than actually consuming food, but that just means she’s going to take it slow which I am completely okay with! However, she had zero problems sharing her sister’s popsicle. ;)

Happy 6 months my Evers! It just keeps getting better with you!

Baylee’s 7th Birthday Interview and Party

I am finally getting a chance to post Baylee’s birthday interview and a few pictures from her small Descendants themed birthday party! Having a birthday and starting school all within days of each other is a lot of work, but better late than never!

 Baylee's 7th Birthday Interview 

Favorite color?: pink, blue, purple, & white

Favorite toy?: My American Girl doll “Star”

Favorite food?: pizza

Favorite TV show?: Number Blocks

Favorite game?: Monopoly Jr.

Favorite snack?: Z-Bars

Favorite animal?: dolphin 

Favorite song?: “Queen of Mean” -Descendants 2

Favorite book?: “The Secret Mermaid” series

Best Friend?: Natalie & Kennedy

Favorite Cereal?: Raisin Bran 

Favorite thing to do outside?: swim

Favorite drink?: Lemonade

Favorite holiday?: Halloween 

What toy do you take to bed with you at night?: Warmies Unicorn named “Rainbow Cloud”

Favorite movie?: “Descendants 3”

Favorite place to go?: Disneyland 

We had her party on Saturday and it was so chill and so much fun! She has been Disney Descendants obsessed for the last few months, so when it came time to pick a theme she knew exactly what she wanted! I still can’t believe my big girl is 7 and going to second grade now! 

 

Five Months With Evelyn!

My baby girl is 5 months old! It feels like it went by in the blink of an eye, but I’m honestly so excited for the next 7 months. The second half of the first year is absolutely the best!

Evy is 14 pounds and is wearing size 6 month clothes and size 2 diapers. Her hair is finally starting to come in and is super light, I think she will be a dirty blonde or strawberry blonde as it grows more! She still hates tummy time and hasn’t rolled from belly to back yet, but she’s thisclose to rolling back to belly. She’s getting super strong and can prop sit with the boppy or some help from mama. Her playmat is her favorite place to be when she’s awake, but sleeping in her crib is a close second. ;) When girlfriend wants to nap or go the bed she wants it NOW!

We had a rough month going through her 4 month sleep regression and leap 4, but it seems to be getting better every day. She’s sleeping better at night now and only wakes up once, naps are hit or miss but okay for the most part, and she’s mostly been a happier baby the last few days. As far as I know she still hates the car, but I’ve managed to not have to take her anywhere for two weeks so we shall see!

This month was mostly uneventful, but Evelyn had her first Father’s Day with Daddy, and her first 4th of July! Both holidays were great, it’s so much fun to have all 3 of my girlies to dress up and enjoy special days with now!

We spent a lot of time outside playing, and she still adores any attention from her sisters! She also tried baby oatmeal and puréed apples. She’s definitely not a huge fan of food yet, so we are going to take it nice and slow and start BLW once she is 6 months!

 

Mommy loves you so much my littlest princess! Happy 5 months!

Four Months With Evelyn

  My tiniest love is four months old, and I am so excited for all the fun that is ahead of us! If I’m being honest, months 3-5 are probably my least favorite of the first year because of the sleep regression and common fussiness of the age, but Evy has made it pretty dang tolerable so far! She was sleeping 12 hours straight at night for 4 weeks, but I knew it wouldn’t last and just recently she started waking up again at least once, but honestly I’ll take it over every 2-3 hours ANY NIGHT! 

She is a growing girl and weighs just over 12 pounds and is 23 inches long. She is in size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes now. This month she found her hands and started bringing toys up to her mouth to chew on them! Her pediatrician said she can feel teeth on the way, but my girls tend to spend months teething before a tooth finally erupts, so I’m curious to see how long it takes!        

Evelyn’s favorite things to do are: spend time with her sisters, wiggle around and play with her toys on her playmat, and practice sitting up! She hates the car with a passion, but I am hoping that changes soon, because taking her anywhere is miserable. Other than that though she’s a happy, smiley baby most of the time! She’s perfectly content hanging out in her swing watching everyone move about the house, which is so lovely. Also, just a few days ago she has started to truly giggle and it’s absolutely the sweetest sound!

This month Evy had her first dip in the pool and loved it so much! I know we will have plenty of pool days with her things summer. We also had her baptized in the Catholic Church along with her sister, Natalie, and it was just a perfect day! 

Mommy loves you so much, my Evy! Happy 4 months, beautiful girl!

Three Months With Evelyn

The fourth trimester is officially over, and my girl is 3 months old!  It has been, by far, the fastest 3 months of my life (though the days are long...I wont lie) My little chunka is weighing around 12 pounds now, in size 1 diapers and 3 month clothes. She’s full of smiles and giggles, and thinks her family is just so funny! She’s also currently more obsessed with sleep than any baby I’ve ever met. She takes 3-4 naps a day and sleeps 11-12 hours straight at night. Her big sisters did not start doing that until they were MUCH older, so I wait every day for her the flip the switch and start waking up again! I make a night bottle and stick it in the fridge every single night just in case she changes her mind.

 

Miss Evelyn is fully on formula now, and it’s been such a blessing to both of us. She no longer cries through every meal, and my mental health is so much better. I will definitely miss our breastfeeding days, but happy babies and happy mommies are way more important than breast milk! 

This lazy babe of mine hates having tummy time 95% of the time, so she still hasn’t rolled over, but her neck is getting stronger every day! She has two sit-me-up chairs (one upstairs and one downstairs) and they are her favorite thing ever. She just loves to sit up and see her world! She’s also still a big fan of her swing, but her favorite place to be is in any of our arms. I definitely think that’s a third baby thing, there’s always someone willing to give cuddles! :)

Evelyn ended her third month of life with her first Mother’s Day. It was so wonderful to get to celebrate with all 3 of my perfect girls! 

I love you to the moon and back, my sweet Evy! I can’t wait to see what the next 9 months has in store! Happy 3 months baby girl!

From Two Kids to Three

I get a lot of messages asking how the transition from two kids to three is, so I thought I would put it all in a blog post! My reality is that three is absolute chaos, I am constantly losing a war with my house, and I have never used the term “shit show” as much as I do now, but it’s also precious & wonderful, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! 

The truth of it, though, is that everyone’s experience is going to be different. I personally think I have handled the transition from two to three better than I handled one to two, but that was also a crazy season of my life. Brian was finishing up the fire academy, and he was only home 1-2 days a week until Natalie was 2 months old, and then he started doing 72-96 hour shifts as a probationary firefighter for the next year. Needless to say, I did that transition virtually on my own, and it broke me. This time around, I had Brian home for the first 7 weeks, and then when he went back to work it was for only 24 hour shifts. Evelyn will be 3 months old next week and he is just now starting back to 72 hour shifts, so I am VERY blessed.

Other than situational, however, I think a big part that makes it more bearable is low expectations. Once you experience the leap from one kid having all your time and attention to having to split it, that third split kind of comes naturally and you go in to it knowing it’s going to be great but it’s also going to suck a little. I knew the extent that I would be exhausted and worn thin, so I was able to prepare my brain better. I also knew how quickly the first few months go by, so I tried to really soak it in and enjoy it for what it is. 

Here are some tips I have for surviving the transition from two kids to three:

1. Tag team, especially in the early days. If you can have your significant other take over with the big kids that way you can focus on the baby it truly helps. I spent time with the girls but he took care of most of their basic needs like food, clothes, and bedtime routine while he was on paternity leave.

2. Get the baby on a routine sooner than later. The first few weeks are kind of all over the place, but as soon as you can get baby on a eat, play, sleep routine; it will change your life. Plus, babies truly love to know what comes next, so you will be benefitting them as well!

3. Spend one on one time with each child every day. Even if its for 15-20 minutes while the baby is napping, try to devote some face time where they don’t have to compete with a sibling. It can change jealous feelings and help their attitude so much!

4. Lower your standards. This is not the time for a spotless house and a home cooked meal every night. I am still taking advantage of Instacart and Door Dash, and the house is nowhere near sparkling all the time, and that’s okay! Also, the kids have way more screen time than they did before the baby was here, and that’s okay too! This is just the season we are in, and it will change before we know it.

5. Give yourself grace and self care. You don’t have to love and be happy every moment. I have had my share of “OMG what did we do???” thoughts, and I have learned to let myself feel them in the moment because they’re always fleeting. There’s not a single thing I would do different, and I feel so blessed to have my three wonderful girls, but I know now that it’s okay if I don’t feel like being the best mama I can be sometimes. When I get the opportunity, I take a nap or a nice long bubble bath for some “me” time. It also helps me reset if I get to go somewhere alone, like a Target and Starbs run. Self care is not selfish, so remind yourself that often!

Love to Dream

Just recently, I started using the Swaddle Up from Love to Dream for Evelyn, and her and I are both big fans! I love how cute it is, and that it truly works to help her self soothe and stay asleep in both her crib and bassinet.

Unlike traditional swaddles, the Swaddle Up allows baby to keep their arms up by their head/face which is not only a more natural position, but it also allows them the opportunity to use self soothing techniques like sucking on their fists. The snug fit helps calm the startle reflex and helps baby feel secure so they can fall asleep faster and sleep for longer intervals. Also, one of my favorite features is the two-way zipper so that middle of the night diaper changes are fast and easy.

Love to Dream also makes a selection of transitional swaddles, sleep suits, and sleep bags for baby as they get older and bigger, and we are so excited to try the whole line! Click here to shop for the best and easiest swaddle ever, and as always please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions!

***This post was sponsored, but the opinions are all my own.***