11 Months and 2 Years 4 Months

It's been quite a while since I've written one of these updates, but it's never to late to jump back on the blog to document my sweet babies' lives.

Arabella Therese 

Sleeping and Eating: In the beginning, it appeared that A was going to be just as easy as Gavin was. Well, I was wrong. She will be one year old on the 28th, and she is still waking up a few times a night. (Translation: Momma hasn't had a consistent night of sleep in a long time.) Keith and I are co-sleepers, and we've loved every minute of it. However, because I'm still nursing, I think Arabella wakes up a lot due to habit. She goes to sleep every night around 8:30pm and typically wakes up at 7:00am. She also takes a morning nap around 10:00am, and sometimes takes an afternoon nap. She's a light sleeper. 

As I said, Bella is still nursing. There were a few times early on where I wanted to quit, but it just became easier to nurse, and I'm proud that we've made it this long. :) She eats on demand, but can typically go 3 hours in between feedings. My girl has been timid when it comes to eating food, and still doesn't really care for it. Around 6 months she tried baby food, and I was constantly having to force feed her. I think it was a texture issue, as she does much better with table food. She likes bananas, apples, cucumbers, mac and cheese, and strawberries. I'd say her favorite is mac and cheese. She's never taken a bottle well, so we'll be going from breast to sippy cup. Even though she's not eating a lot of food, she's a healthy 20 lbs. and is definitely getting enough calories from my breast milk. :)

Likes and Dislikes: My sweet Belle Belle is the silliest, smiliest, happiest little girl. She is very affectionate and loves to interact with people. She has been crawling since 8 months and currently loves climbing up the stairs at our house, walking with her orange Vtech walker, and spinning in circles. She loves to play outside and go on wagon rides with Gavin. She also loves the water, and likes taking baths and going in the baby pool in our backyard. We are planning a beach trip next week, and I'm sure she is going to love it. :) She doesn't have a favorite song yet, but she loves Mickey Mouse and Sofia the First. Her favorite toys are her banana toothbrush teether, the Mickey Mouse Toy Laptop, playing cars with Gavin, the activity table, and the jumperoo. As for dislikes, she hates to have her diaper changed and hates it when I change her clothes. It's the craziest thing. I mostly have to pin her down and quickly change her. She is getting better on road trips, but still doesn't like to be in her car seat for long periods of time. She's a pretty easygoing, social gal, and I'm able to run errands for hours without much difficulty. 

Milestones: 

October 27, 2013 -- First move, Charleston, SC to Mooresville, NC 

November 25, 2013 -- First time trying food (Mangoes) 

January 28, 2014 -- First snow day 

February 27, 2014 -- First time crawling

March 4, 2014 -- First vacation, Orlando, FL and First time at Disney World 

March 7, 2014 -- First baseball game, New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers, Tampa, FL

Gavin Josiah

Sleeping and Eating: My handsome, crazy toddler has decided to take naps here and there. On those glorious nap days, he sleeps for about two hours in the afternoon. He typically goes to sleep around 9:00pm and sleeps until 7:00am. Although, some days he likes to stay awake until 10pm...11pm...12am!!!!! 

Gav finally kicked that darn bottle once he turned two, and started drinking whole milk a month later. For whatever reason, he never liked it. He has a healthy appetite, but his favorite foods are strawberries, tomatoes, cheese, cucumbers, cheese pizza, ice pops, and greek yogurt. He's still not a fan of meat, but he sometimes eats chicken nuggets and ham sandwiches. 

Likes and Dislikes: Gavin LOVES music. This little kid has a playlist on my phone and the iPad and he jams to songs from movies like Turbo, Frozen, Rio, Hotel Transylvania, and also music from MacKenzie Bourg. It's pretty funny, because his favorite song is called "Let the Bass Go" from the movie Turbo...and it's sung by Snoop Dog. That's right, my two year old Snoop D-o-g. Gav also has an obsession with car and trucks. Every morning, he wakes up and his first word is "race car". He has even gone as far and watched old NASCAR races on Youtube. I should be worried (because what mom wants her son driving that fast), but I think it's precious. His favorite TV shows are Sofia the First, Bubble Guppies, and Little Einstein. He is such an affectionate boy, and loves to hold hands and sit with his parents for snuggles. 

As for his speech, once he turned two, it was like the flood gate opened! He speaks very well, and is quite a character. He calls Arabella by name, and calls my sister Lauren, Arden. A few months ago he was walking around saying "Are you kidding me?" and lately when I start singing he says "Shhh. No...quiet mommy." Lol he is a little clown, and loves to sing also. I'd have to say that the best part of him talking has been when he says "Mommy, I wuv you." <3 nbsp="" p="">

Milestones: 

January 28, 2014 -- First snow day 

March 4, 2014 -- First vacation, Orlando, FL and First time at Disney World 

March 7, 2014 -- First baseball game, New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers, Tampa, FL

Two Under Two: 4 Months and 20 Months

It's been far too long since I've written a monthly update from my kiddos, so I figured I would do that today! In fact I don't think I've ever written one for Arabella. :( I'll start with her first:

Arabella Therese

Sleeping and eating: From day one Arabella has been quite an easy baby. When it comes to sleeping, she is now sleeps through the night. There are still those nights that she'll wake up once for a feeding, but at this point she sleeps great. In the beginning she was waking up two or three times a night, but during her first week she slept through the night as well! So I don't know! 

My sweet babies always sleep alike!

She is four-months-old now and goes to sleep for the night between 7:30PM and 9PM. Her naps vary throughout the day but she typically takes a good two hour nap with her brother (Thank you God for this!). 

As for eating, she's exclusively breastfed. Around month two I was getting ready to give up on breastfeeding, and she did have a few bottles of formula at that time. It was to the point where she was puking 4 to 5 times per day, and it was extremely frustrating. However, once I figured out that it was the cheese I was eating that was hurting her tummy, things got easier. Also, it was pretty difficult to get a good burp out of her. But that got easier as well. Now that she's four-months-old, I can pretty much eat whatever I want without her tummy getting upset. It's amazing to me that the milk my body produces feeds my daughter. She was 7 lbs. 4 oz. when she was born and now she's almost 14 pounds! 

Likes and dislikes: Arabella is such a smiley baby. She loves to interact with people, and likes to laugh and talk all of the time (I think she gets that from her Daddy ;). Her favorite things are swinging in the baby swing, sitting in her bouncy chair and kicking her feet, and talking to her daddy. She loves to be held, and seems to really like when Gavin talks to her. She also likes when we eat her toes, tickle her belly with our noses, and lay our heads on her belly. Unlike her brother, Arabella does not travel too well. Unless she is sleeping, she does not like to be awake in her car seat. But she does love the Ergo carrier and we've been using that a lot lately. She also just started sitting in the Jumperoo, but I think she's just a tad too small. No teeth yet, but baby girl loves to chew on fingers. :)

Milestones: 

October 5, 2013 -- Rolled over! And I missed it! I'm with her 24/7 and of course the first time she rolls over I was in the shower. But Keith got to see it and I'm so happy that he did. He didn't take a picture after, but I took one of them during a nap that same day. 

September 4, 2013 -- First time sick. My poor poor girl was sick only two months in. Gavin picked up a nasty viral infection and ended up giving it to Bella. I'm just so thankful that I was able to breastfeed her because she wasn't sick for long.

October 2, 2013 -- First official laugh. My girl has the best laugh!

Gavin Josiah 

Sleeping and eating: Our big boy is now twenty-months-old, and is a bit of a crazy toddler. When it comes to sleeping, Gavin takes a two hour nap in the middle of the day, usually between 12 PM and 3 PM. To go to sleep for the night he is usually in bed no later than 8:30PM. Although, we do have crazy days where he is up way past his bedtime and tries to skip his nap altogether.

He is eating mostly everything, and his favorite foods are strawberries, grapes, cheese, almonds, and potatoes. He's not a big meat eater, but he does like a good ham sandwich. Some of his other favorites include Greek yogurt, raisins, popcorn, hummus, fruit snacks, and cucumbers. He is able to eat with a spoon and fork and I am so proud of him. He also drinks lots of water and a little juice each day. Gavin dislikes whole milk (cold, warm, or mixed with formula, with chocolate syrup...he just doesn't like it!), and has been drinking formula to get nutrients. At this point I'm not sure what to do.

Likes and dislikes: Gav is quite the handful! (Hello, toddler life!) He loves to dance, watch Sophia the First, play with chase our cats (Torre and Abigail), and "read" his books. More than anything, he loves vacuum cleaners, brooms, pots and pans, and utensils. He will seriously choose the vacuum cleaner over any other toy to play with. Gav also loves to play outside, and since moving to North Carolina he loves to play on the balcony at our apartment. Music is also something that he enjoys, and some of his favorite songs are "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore, "Blue Ribbon Bunny" from Sofia, anything by Justin Timberlake, and Choo Choo Soul. Being the mischievous boy that he is, he is constantly getting into things and testing his limits and my patience. ;) He is a great big brother and so far, has been super sweet to Arabella, or "bay" as he likes to call her. He also likes to play with my hair, and usually falls asleep doing so. :)

Overall, life is more chaotic than I could have ever imagined, but also way sweeter than I could have ever dreamed. And I am just really thankful for these two. :)

Playing Catch Up

It's been two months since I've last written and so much has changed. For starters, I am happy to report that things are much better since my last post, where it seemed like my family and I were under attack. Here's what we've been up to:

* We moved again! For the fourth time in three years, my family and I have relocated. We are now living in North Carolina, in the lovely town of Mooresville (just 30 minutes north of Charlotte). This move was very sudden, but it is a great one for my family. Keith works mostly in NC, and now we will be seeing a lot more of him. :) So far we are loving Mooresville and cannot wait to start this new chapter with our kiddos.

* I started graduate school in August! I am currently taking my second class and enjoying the material. I'm in the online criminal justice graduate program at the University of Cincinnati, and currently contemplating transferring to a different school to enroll in an MBA program with an emphasis on criminal justice. Regardless, I am happy with this decision to further my education. :)

* Arabella is now four-months-old and Gavin is now 20-months-old! These two sweet (and sometimes crazy) kiddos keep me very busy, but I absolutely adore it. Being a mom is my greatest joy and I love that I get to spend my days at home with them. 

* We are selling our house in Charleston, South Carolina! Obviously we've moved to North Carolina, and we have decided to sell! The last time we moved we rented our house, but that experience was awful. So we're going to try and sell our house. This is such a huge decision for us. My husband bought this house back in 2008 when he was only 23-years-old. It was his first major purchase and means a lot to him. The fact that he is willing to sell this house means the world to me. Once it is listed, I'll post information for anyone who is looking to buy in the Charleston area.

*Halloween came and went, and while we don't really celebrate it I couldn't pass up the opportunity to dress up my kiddos. My little Eric and Ariel. :) 

That's all I've got for today. I'm off to unpack our new home and to spend time with my babies! I'm really hoping to write more. I feel like writing helps to not only document this beautiful life, but to also give me a second to reflect on everything, and have some "me time", too. :) 

I hope you guys have a lovely Monday!

(Halloween pictures were taken by the same lovely photographer who took my maternity and Arabella's birth and newborn pics. Tamara at Bump Meet Baby Studio. :)

Gavin's 1st Birthday and Party!

On Friday, March 1st, my baby boy turned 1! To celebrate this wonderful day, Keith, Gavin, my sis Lauren, nephew Joe, and I headed to the Charleston Aquarium. Gavin loved all of the fish and had a really good time smushing his face against all of the tanks. :)

Then on Saturday (3/2), we had our family and friends over for Gavin's birthday party! I started planning his party right after Christmas, so come March everything was done! We had a great time celebrating with everyone and I know that Gav enjoyed himself.

Adult and Kiddo Favors

Yummy Food

The Cake

Sign-In Table and Front Porch

Food Table with 12 Month Banner

Once all of our guests arrived, everyone ate and socialized.

Then we opened presents!

(I love this last picture! :))

And finally, we sang happy birthday and ate cake! 

The party was a major success, and I am extremely thankful for this amazing first year with my first born. He is an incredible little guy and I'm so happy that God blessed us with him! :)

Miscellany Monday

* Hi, friends. I hope all of you are doing more than well. I realize that it is almost the middle of March and I've only posted a handful of times this year, but I need to be honest. My blog had kind of become a burden. That burden turned into me not caring and ultimately having zero desire to write at all. I guess that's what happens when I keep going missing from blogland. However, over the weekend I was catching up on a few blogs that I love, and they reminded me that my blog doesn't have to be a serious space where I write all of these profound thoughts. My blog is whatever I want it to be. For me, it's a space where I can get my thoughts out on "paper", document Gav's milestones, pregnancy #2 and life in general, and just connect with all of you lovely ladies. So, here I go again. Making an effort to write regularly. I promise I'll do better this time. :)

* I want to share the link to a Thirty-One party that my mother-in-law is hosting for her great-niece, Ashtyn. Two years ago, Ashtyn was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at the age of four and is currently being treated in New Orleans at Tulane Hospital. Ashtyn's mom, Jacque, is a Thirty-One consultant and any additional income will help with medical bills and is much appreciated. Also, my MIL is donating all hostessing gifts to St. Baldricks! If you are in the market for a Thirty-One bag, please consider purchasing by clicking this link, and then going to "My Parties" and selecting the one for Pam Christmas. I have a few of these bags and love them! Thanks in advance! 

* For Valentine's Day, my family and I spent the day in Asheville, North Carolina. Keith needed to be there for work, so we decided to join him. We had a great day in the beautiful mountains, and spent our time at the Biltmore Estate eating lunching at Cedric's Tavern and exploring the grounds of the beautiful Biltmore! We arrived a little too late to tour the house, but did score some complimentary passes for our next visit. 

* Last week, my husband and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary. Due to Keith's work schedule, we weren't able to spend the day together, or even go out to dinner that night, but you know what? That was okay. Keith works so hard and I know that he does so for Gav, Arabella, and me. And we appreciate it that man so much. We did get to Skype a few times during the day and that made my heart so happy. On Saturday, we spent the day together (with Gavin, too!) and it was extremely wonderful. Keith, I love you more and more each year, and I am so thankful for this life that we have together. Thanks for being an amazing husband and father. You're my mais!

* On February 20th, my little man got his first haircut! I know it's probably not a big deal for many of you, but my sweet little baby got a haircut. Meaning that he's growing up, and is not quite a little baby anymore. *sigh* We went to a cute little kid's salon and Gavin did great! He sat on my lap and carefully watched a very nice lady cut off his golden hair. 

* Have you guys seen this? I'm not big on flash mobs, but I love the Big Bang Theory. :D

Well friends, that's all the miscellany I've got for today. I wish you all a wonderful Monday!