Life Lately

Life has been super busy over here with summer time in full swing and preparing for the baby. We have been doing SO much this Summer, which I'm thankful for since we will be slowing down in the next few weeks. Our days have been full of parade's, rodeo's, fireworks, carnivals, staying up and sleeping in late. I've loved soaking up the last few months of it just being us and the boys! I'm so thankful that these two have eachother and I can't wait to see them with their baby sister. 

I'm 35 weeks pregnant this week and starting to feel pretty miserable. Girlfriend doesn't have much room to move around and she is super low. Braxton hicks have been kicking up especially at night making me extra tired. I've gotten to the point where just getting out of the house is tiring so I'm excited to start slowing down and getting some rest. And you guys, the waddle struggle is so real. 

I'm happy to say we are pretty much ready for the baby...finally. We went and got her a new car seat a few weeks back and we realized that all three of our car seats would not fit in our little car. Let's just say I freaked out a bit, A new car was not in the plan and it was all so overwhelming. But we did end up finding the perfect Ford Explorer Sport that works perfect for our little family. The second row has two bucket seats so Ryder will be able to walk back to the third row and buckle himself while Gage and the new baby will be in the second row. Plus, it's so cute!!

I've also hit my nesting phase and over the weekend I decided everything needed to be done and it needed to be done right that second! So on Sunday I did a million loads of baby laundry and put the husband to work finishing up the nursery. In the process I realized I have a thing for stripes and apparently Halloween is on my mind....

The next few weeks are sure to fly by and I'm already flooded with emotions as we are on the countdown to the birth of our last baby. So if you need me, I'll be over here soaking in every last minute of this season of our lives. 

Xo

Preparing For Postpartum

With this being my third baby, I've made it a point to do some better research regarding postpartum care. I feel like it is so important but is never really talked about. I really struggled after I had Ryder but did a little better after I had Gage and I am hopeful for a great postpartum recovery with baby #3 next month. So I've rounded up a few of my favorite postpartum essentials to share with you and hope it helps a few of you mama's out there. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obviously a good pair of sweat pants is a must. Something that isn't too tight to lounge around in the first few weeks months after giving birth.

 

Staying hydrated is so very important while you recover and as your milk comes in. This cute Glass Water Bottle is perfect for those days where you just can't get enough water.

 

Nursing bra's are obviously a must for breastfeeding but I have had the hardest time finding comfortable night time bra's. These bra's are comfortable enough to wear and night but have enough coverage that you could wear them out and about as well. Add in some of these adorable Re-usable nursing pads are you are set!

 

Postpartum depression is no joke And I have definitely struggled with it in the past. Essential Oils were my best friend after my last deliveries and I found they helped so much. I am still doing more research on good blends for postpartum depression but Lemon and Lavender are a must have.

 

Postpartum Sitz Bathi will help soothe and heal downstairs. I wish I would have found this sooner!

 

 

Nursing Salve. nuff said.

 

 

Oat Mama Lactation Granola Bars to help with milk supply and they make a perfect snack for the nursing munchies.

 

Help. Ask for help and lots of it! Have someone help make meals, watch other children and clean up the house. Rest is so very important for recovery and is also the hardest thing to do after birth.

 

Obviously everyone's postpartum recovery is different. Most of us know the medical necessities you might need after giving birth whether it be C-section or vaginal. Thing like pads, pain medicine, ice packs, perineal bottle, numbing spray, tucks pads etc are all things we need to aid in recovery. Anything to help make you more comfortable during the process is a must have and I'd love to hear everyone else's postpartum essentials!

 

Have a great weekend friends!! xo

Long Live Summertime

We are smack dab in the middle of Summer and loving every minute of it. These past few months have flown by and I can't believe it is already mid July. 

Before you know it we will be sending kids back to school and sipping on pumpkin spice latte's, Walmart already has their school stuff out. So we are making sure to take advantage of as much summer bliss as we can. 

Being 8 months pregnant in this heat has been no easy task. Hiking and park trips early in the morning and swimming in the pool close to dark has been keeping us cool {and sane} this month. Although hiking has taken my waddle to whole new level. 

Getting these two back on a schedule when Summer is over is definitely not going to be easy. Every night we say we are going to get them to bed early, then the sun starts to set and we find ourselves running around the yard in Jammie's. I do have to say though, I love that they sleep in until 9-10 most mornings. 

We went to Hobby Lobby the other day and I'm not going to lie, my heart skipped a beat when I saw their Fall and Halloween goodies on display....then I snapped out of that craziness. Long live Summertime!! 

Gage's New Bed

Last weekend we put Gage in his new big bed as well as put the boys together in the same room. We were going to wait a little longer until we made the move but when I got his bedding in the mail he begged to sleep in it. And I do have to say, it's actually going pretty well. I was really terrified to move Gage out of his crib because he is such a good sleeper {something that Ryder was not} and I didn't want to mess up his schedule. I thought having them share a room would be the hard part but it is actually really working in my favor. The first night Gage got out a couple of times but when he saw that Ryder wasn't getting out he stayed in his bed. They did talk and giggle for a little bit and he did lay in bed a little longer than normal before he fell asleep but that's about it. We have struggled the past two nights only because we are having a hard time getting back on schedule after the holiday weekend. The boys are wanting to stay up late, sleep in with a nap sprinkled somewhere in between. So we have had a few late nights of them going crazy in their room. I did threaten to separate them and they both cried like babies, two peas in a pod those two. Hoping to have a better night tonight. 

Nap time is a little bit different for Gage because Ryder doesn't nap so he's in their room by himself. I do lay with him for a minute and that helps but I'm hoping to not have to do that for long. 

As far as decorating goes their walls are pretty much empty right now. I do have some cute little signs scattered throughout that just need to be hung on their wall. {Hint hint husband....} I'll do another post once their room is finished. 

 

 

For the bedding the boys chose this Forest Friends Comforter Set from Pillowfort and it is even cuter in person! Plus, it makes my black and white monochrome heart happy. We added a couple pillows {this and this one.} and also got this Bear Nightlight which goes perfectly with their bedding and emits the perfect glow for bedtime.

 

As far as rails go we did the same thing we did with Ryder and used these foam bumpers that go underneath the fitted sheet. I cannot rave about these enough. They keep him from rolling out but are also soft enough that he can climb over. Plus, they look so much better than bulky rails. A lot of people asked why I don't just use pool noodles under the sheet but these are much larger than pool noodles and they are not rounded which is what keeps him in the bed.

 

 

 

As far as advice goes to those who will be transitioning their kids out of the crib soon, I wrote this post a long time ago when we transitioned Ryder and I basically just stuck to that. The only thing I want to add is have patience and lots of coffee on hand :) 

 

And now with Gage out of the crib the fun part starts, We can finally start on the nursery! I didn't realize how much I do NOT have for the nursery until the room was emptied. But putting her crib together made my heart burst.

Cheers to it almost being the weekend!! xo

Independence Day

Another 4th of July has come and gone and it definitely didn't disappoint this year. I swear each year gets even better than the last as the boys get older and can enjoy it more. Ryder and Gage are both finally at an age where they can participate and can stay up late without having complete meltdowns. With that being said we partied hard all weekend! 11pm became the new bedtime and we filled our days with swimming, baseball games, the aquarium, sparklers and plenty of junk food. 

{Catching lots of rays and side eyes 👀 at the pool}

{I wasn't lying when I said they make this face when I say smile for the picture, every. Single. Time.}

Oh how we love you summertime! 

I'm looking forward to a relaxing rest of the week while I catch up on the post holiday house work and some rest while we try to get back on schedule. We are trying to do as much as we can with the boys before August, but this mama is tired! I hope you all had a safe and fun holiday weekend. 

Land of the free, because of the brave.