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Friday, April 25, 2014

Sensory bin - finally made one!

Since last summer I have been wanting to making a sensory bin for Rylee. For whatever reason I never crossed it off my to do list. Rylee's chore is to feed our old lady pug. Recently she continues to scope the food after she overly fills her bowl and continues to play in the dog dry food container.  Today I made it my mission to make one! And to spend under $20! 

What you'll need:
》dry beans 
》storage container
》scoops
》small trinket toys

Step #1
I went to target and bought a 15 qt storage container and four 2 lb bags of beans. I found the scoops and tongs in the dollar {impulse section}


Step #2
Dump all the beans into the storage container and start gathering little treasures.  I am person of theme so I grouped treasures and activities

Rylee received  these cute blocks from Santa! You can use a few sets and hide them in the beans and encourage your little to look for each piece to build an animal

I've had these wooden pictures forever.  They are from michaels and are very cheap, 2 for $1. You can encourage your little ones to make pairs or group my theme.
 "What do we see at the beach?"
"where are the balls?"
And I found the bead necklaces for $1 for four in the party section of target.

Stringing beads is a great fine motor skill! You can hide the beads in the beans and string them as they are found.


Lastly, I threw in some worms and an easter egg. 

Rylee couldnt wait to get her hands into the beans and find the worms. She played for a good 20 minutes using the worms and scoop tools!



I also used a small container to store all the different treasures for the sensory bin. Easier to store and easier for others who are babysitting to use the sensory bin. 


have fun!

Thursday, April 24, 2014

19 weeks

This past week seemed very rough. With our little peanut struggling with night terrors and 5am start to every day, I am struggling to focus at work and stay awake for a little alone time with my husband. I'm craving a few moments to get started on a few crafts to celebrate Rylee's second birthday. Summer is 30 work days away. Looking forward to have more time at home and spend more quality time with Rylee before her little world is rocked by sharing me with her brother. 



How far along: nineteen weeks
Weight gain: one pound
Best moment: Seeing our son on the black and white screen at the ultrasound
Miss anything: Nope
Movement: Lots of little flutters and shiarp kicks
Cravings: Anything hot & spicy
Mood: very tired, due to a sleepless toddler. A little grumpy with work stress.
Gender: Boy!! 
Looking forward to: naming the baby! And summer vacation! Also order a few books for guidance with our strong willed daughter and learning to add more grace into our marriage and parenting





Monday, April 21, 2014

It ends with laundry

When I was pregnant with Rylee, I made so many promises and vows on how I would handle middle of the night feedings and toddler tantrums. How I would be the perfect parent. How inwoukdnstick to my guns.

I vowed to always steam a pacifier or wash a toy that hit the ground.
Broke that vow when my mouth or shirt easily cleans it off.

I vowed to not give in to opening food packages at a store.
Broke that vow when the simple trip to target for toothpaste turned into a war of peace or scream over goldfish.

I planned to keep nap time and bed time scheduled perfectly time.
Broke that vow when fire works at Disney were too magical to miss.

I promised to never let dishes or laundry come before mommy daughter time.
Broke that pinky promise when bunnies needed to be washed for bed time snuggles

And who was really affected by these broken vows and promises? No one. Maybe my ego. Rylee didnt seem to mind. But what the unplanned and unpromised perfect parent moments changed me.

The t shirt cleaned toy was giggled over.
A sweet sign language of "thank you" was given after goldfish was opened.
The light in her eyes sparkled during castle fireworks.
And thd clean bunnie was loved to sleep.

The millions of miles I have walked to and from her crib have changed in how I make promises to be a better parent.  I am far from perfect.  Perfectly filtered instagram photos dont always show the chaos in trying to juggle it all.

But I am really trying to keep my promise in leaving the mess to clean for a later moment. To let laundry pile and fold when no little hand needs held or picked up for one last cookie. And gosh its hard. The inner control freak and everything must be in its place mind sometimes freaks and want to jump through my unwashed hair.

But its just laundry. It can wait

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Just a coat of paint

A sweet friend of mine gave this awesome armoire to me! Its always awesome when peopdiy project. The initial plan for the armoire was to be put in the baby's room. After we got it home my husband suggested using it apainew place to store my craft supplies.

The armoire has great character. Just needed some tlc. Ryan reinforced the legs and added shelves to the closet portion.


I painted the mirrors using chalkboard paint. This was my first time working with chalkboard paint. All my chalkboards are boards purchased from home depot cut to fit into frames. Between the two, I prefer the chalkboard board. Mostly because I use markers vs actual chalk {eek the textured of chalk gives me goosebumps}. But so far the paint is holding up alright. I went with a color vs the traditional black {still debating if I like it}

I purchased the paint from lowes -  called tranquility. 
{I used the same color to paint both the armoire and Rylee's toddler bed}



You can't really see in the photos but applied to coat of primer and used a brush to applied one coat of mint colored paint. The brush strokes gave it a textured feel and a glimmer of white shines through.

I replaced the small mirror with a burlap canvas. Im a fan of different textures and mix of fabrics. I used brads to add the paper onto the burlap. 

And to really make our friday full of painting, I painted Rylee's toddler bed. 
I have a major obsession with painting everything! I used the same color as the armoire {tranquility-maybe the name will help her sleep in it?} 
Primed and painted two coats of paint. Planning to move her to her new bed next weekend. Wish us luck :)



{please excuse the mess in the sunroom and baby room. We have been spending the last few weeks getting rid of junk and moving our junk around the house to make room for our little one}

P.S. a special thank you to my husband for help in always making my projects a success and reminding me its ok to do something just for me

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Holiday cards

I am a huge lover of cards. Always have been. I have kept every card from the moment ryan and I began dating. I have Rylee a card for special holidays sihce the day she was born. Maybe its the special way a card says everything you want to say in the perfect way.

Rylee's sweet soon to be aunt shelby (even though I've called her aunt shelby the first time she held Rylee) has started a beautiful tradition of sending Rylee holiday cards in the mail. I love getting snail mail! She's so thought in her choice of cards from the words, to pictures, to adding stickers or something fun inside.

I hope she carries on this sweet tradition with Rylee.  I have saved every card (some are ripped and drooled on) for Rylee to treasure when she is older.

18 weeks

18 weeks pregnant today!
Baby b is the size of a sweet potato. Hmm. Comparing baby's growth to food is odd. So I'm baking a sweet potato in my oven

How far along: eighteen weeks
Weight gain: none
Best moment: feeling ryans hands on my belly as he tries to feel the flutters and sweet kicks I feel
Miss anything: eating a publix sub smoothered in turkey lunch meat
Movement: yes! Flutters and a few swift kicks!
Cravings: something spicy and buffalo sauce
Gender: boy! Narrowed name choices down to two...will share as soon as we decide!
Mood: relaxed. Excited to start working on the baby's room
Looking forward to: Friday! Our 2nd trimester ultrasound.  Excited to see the baby on the big screen!

When I was pregnant with Rylee,  I spent so much time in her room. I took time and thought to color of the shelves, placement of the rug, and organized books in her closet.

I would rock in the chair and wonder what she would look like, how she would smell, and how her voice would sound when she first spoke my name.

I've been spending time in the baby's room with Rylee watching her explore the new space and listen to her say "brother" when we're rocking in the chair. She leans into my belly, gives a high five to her brother and I never imagined her being a big sister.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

17 Weeks

A few mommy blogs I follow are sharing their pregnancy week by week. I enjoy reading their weekly updates.  So I took a few ideas from each mommy and made my own. Enjoy :)

How far along: Seventeen Weeks
Weight gain: none
Best moment: Rylee has a pretty good understanding (well the best I think a toddler actually can understand) there is a baby growing in my belly. I'll ask here where is our baby and she rubs my belly or point. She now kisses my belly and says "oh baby" and sometimes she whispers to her little brother, as if shes sharing secrets of the outside world.
Miss anything: Wine! Vino! A drink made from grapes!
Movement: definitely feeling little movements. Felt a whopper of a kick a few days ago.
Cravings: tacos! Which if you know me is really nothing new. Also craving salty chips and spicy foods
Gender: BOY!!
Mood: I asked my husband what my mood was and he said depends on each second of the day! Hmm. I'd say happy. A little stressful due to work but otherwise pleasant...for this current second lol
Looking forward to: finishing up clearing out our guest room, aka dumping ground of laundry, and getting paint on the walls for our little boy!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Still the wife

IIn December of two thousand ten, vows were exchanged on a cool crisp evening, under the lights of an old fire station. He said I do and I said I will. Poof! We were married and titles changed from fiance to husband and wife. We danced the night away. Celebrated with loved ones and wishes the night to never end. We went home that night and I danced in my wedding dress to music he played. We opened presents and read cards till 4am. We mass big plans with our wedding gifts and felt relieved to no struggle to pay for my last semester of school.

Marriage was a journey I forever wanted to be on. I always wanted to be a wife. And now I was.

I will never say marriage is always easy. It isn't. Its a life long dedication to never give up on each other. On dreams made on a wedding night. Vows made while loved ones take witness.

We bought a first house a year before we married. It will be give years this Thanksgiving that our first home will still be ours. It was...well still is our little fixer upper. Ryan has taken a house on the corner and gave us a place to make memories. Our house started as a place for just him, me, and our pugs. We've said good bye to our first pug in this little house and made room for another. We've had late nights of movie marathons and hot days of yard work.

We did if together as husband and wife.

Before our first anniversary I became pregnant with our first child. We we're excited! Nervous! Eagerly waiting to see how our lives would change. And boy did it! We moved from husband and wife to parents. A well formed team without uniforms.

We no longer have late night movie marathons but early morning viewings of brave and tangled. House projects are put aside for reading books and buying diapers. Dreams consist of a new house with Mira outdoor space for slip and slippers and playhouses.

And in that chaos that usually fills our days, sometimes I forget we were husband and wife before we became pro diaper changers and lullaby singers. Some days feel like a tag team wrestling match. When one can't last another moment in the toddler smack down, we tag out for that chance to drink out tea hot and fold a laundry baskets of princess dresses.

We sneak out for date nights as much as possible. We have learned being husband and wife is so important to be good parents. Set the example of love for our children. Rekindle our dreams and remember we're in this together.

Just the other night, as we fought our sleepless child back into dream land, I laid in bed just thinking how far we've come. We went from high school friends, to lovers, wedding planners, diy home make overs, struggling to put me through school, college grads, husband and wife, careers, a baby, and babe number two on its way. We've grown a lot as husband and wife. I forget that sometimes.

Its hard to feel wife like with a grouchy toddler on my hip, a half written grocery list, and a frozen pizza in waiting for dinner.

But its in the middle of that night, with our daughter sleeping like a troll between us, he reached for my hand, whispers she's asleep, and reminds me through all the chaos I'm still his wife. The person he loved before our life became complicated and will love through the madness of the day.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Little mornings

On days I am home, I have a little morning activity for rylee. It must be the teacher in me to have a morning activity but they are so easy and fun. And they aren't preplanned, just a random activity for her to get her brain and little fingers moving.

Most mornings I use stickers, puzzles, matching socks, nesting bowls, straws she can string Cheerios on, the list is endless.

Today I brought out Easter eggs. We bought them yesterday and she kept calling them balls plus saw me trying to put them away today and insisted she explore them.

I three some on the flow and let her self explore how they open. She loved it! On her own she figured out how to put them back together. Just in that 25 minutes we played with the eggs we talked about:

Asking for helping vs whining
Colors
The word egg
Shape
Matching colors
Open and close
Body awareness (the egg is on your head)

And now she's off pulling all the diapers from her basket! At least for those few moments she sat and focused on something other then destroying everything in her path, or maybe she was just scheming a plan the entire time. Hmm.

And Some Mornings Daddy Jumps In On The fun

 
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