Seven on Friday

ONE:
I hope everyone is out of Hurricane Florence's path as much as possible.  We are hunkering down here in Charlotte and expect a lot of rain.  My brother and his family evacuated to Savannah and may go further south today depending on what the storm does.  Molly Anne's school is closed today like most are in the Charlotte area.  Stay safe!

TWO: 
The most beautiful sunflower field near our house.  We missed the peak but we still loved getting to see it Tuesday after school!

THREE:
Molly Anne got her hair cut after school on Wednesday and she was so good!  All the girls in there just gawked over her haha!  She definitely hammed it up talking to them about everything under the sun.  I think it really got them when she unprompted said, "Thank you Ms. Christina, I love it and I'll see you next time"  as we left!  They all in unison said, "awwwwwwww!"   

FOUR:
My favorite iced coffee combo right now!  I'm not a huge coffee drinker but I'll have this a couple times a week!

FIVE:
A necessary girl's night with my besties! Good for the soul!

SIX:
Last week when I asked Molly Anne what she wanted to be for Halloween, she told me a Ghost.  I had no idea where this even came from.  Since when had she even heard of a ghost?  Well fast forward a couple of days and Kevin told me they had been reading a Halloween book and it had a ghost in it and that's where she got the idea.  I let it be.  Then a few days later I asked her again what she wanted to be for Halloween and she still said a ghost!  Ahh!  So I ordered this since she's obsessed with tutus and dresses.  It came in on Wednesday and she lost her mind she loves it so much!  It's 20% off right now with code HEYFALL until Sunday




SEVEN:
We've been working on being strong and tough by going into her classroom each morning and not flipping out about me leaving her there.  This transition to her new school went very smoothly for the first two weeks but now we have a little separation issue that we are working on.  Real life.  

Halloween Class Treats and Teacher Gifts

Too early for Fall and Halloween treats?!  I'm a crazy person and like to do these things EARLY!  Here are the treats I made for Molly Anne's teachers and classmates!

Teachers - I got them soap from Bath and Body works and these cute pumpkins from the Target dollar aisle - crazy!  I'm going to give them these treats on September 21st, the day before the first day of Fall (which is that Saturday)!

Children's treats - I tried to steer away from too many scary things! 

This is what's in their little cups and it's all from Dollar Tree or Target!  Cup, stickers, blank little book so they can use that for their stickers and stamp, a play-pack, glow stick and spider rings!

I also got little things for Grady's friends at Ms. Becky's which I'll share at some point!  They're from Target too, nothing fancy!

Can't believe it'll be October in a few weeks!

Grady is Four Months

Grady was 4 months on Sunday!  Here's what he's been up to!

1.  He is 17 pounds 3 ounces, wearing a size 2 diaper and size 3 at night.  Mostly wearing 9 month clothes.  He isn't a small dude!  He goes to the doctor on Friday so I'll find out his real digits then!  

2.  He is sooo smiley and happy!  He started at Ms. Becky's full time a few weeks ago and is doing well there.  Ms. Becky says he doesn't like to be put down or have her out of his sight.  I think I know where that came from haha!  That would be from me holding him 24/7 for his first 4 months of life!  We like to laugh about what I created.  He will get used to his new normal!

3.  He has been cooing, smiling and giggling this month a ton.  I think maybe his reflux is getting better?  He still gets that medicine along with a probiotic and gas drops every morning.  #highmaintenance :)



4.  He's still in physical therapy to get him moving more due to torticollis.  Hard to move that much weight yall!  He rolled over for the first time last night - tummy to back over his left shoulder.  I was so proud because we've been working really hard on this every day!  

He may be getting a band for his head in the next couple of weeks.  We'll know more later this week.  Minor in the grand scheme.  

5.  This month we went to Pawleys Island and he went on his first boat ride with his Uncle Clay!  I hope this was the first of many boat rides for these two together!



6.  He started eating bananas on Sunday and we did three days of those.  Today starts a veggie.  I need to review my old posts about feeding Molly Anne so I can be sure I'm doing it right ha!  He loved those bananas though!

7.  We start the bedtime routine about 6:15/6:30pm.  Bath, bottle, bed.  He's in the bed by 7pm.  He sleeps through the night until about 6:30/7am.  He started sleeping through the night a few days after his 3 month birthday.  He's had a couple of nights where he hasn't but that was possibly due to sleeping in a laundry room in Pawleys. ;) He slept through the night the first night in there but not the second.  Then the night we got home, since I had fed him in order to not wake the whole house at my brother's, I had to feed him again (only 1/2 bottle this time).  The third night, he woke but I didn't feed him.  Then he was back to normal and sleeping again.  

8.  Since he started sleeping, he has been so much happier during the days.  He plays a ton with those play mats where he can swat at the toys and grab onto them.  Not much else to play with at this point right?!   He isn't taking a paci very much.  I only sort of tried to get him to take one because I don't want him addicted to all of that, nor am I playing paci pong.  But honestly, he really doesn't care about it anyway.    

9.  This boy is the most hot-natured child I've ever met!  Also since he has grown so much so fast, I've basically quit buying clothes because he only wears them once and then he doesn't fit in them.  When he levels out, I may get him something other than a plain ole onesie!  At the rate we are going, he'll be a size 5T next summer!  

10.  Of course wonder-woman couldn't be left out of the pictures!  She always likes to help me pick out what he will wear and put his lion in his chair for his monthly pictures!  A look back at her 4 month update!

She is the sweetest big sister and I LOVE how she talks to him!  She gets this high pitched mama voice.  It's precious!  

Our Weekend

Little late on the weekend recap but here it goes!  

Friday started with these two...

And ended next door at the pool.  These two girls have had the best time swimming together this summer!  

When Mr. Drew brings home the big ice cream cones!  

Late night on our porch!  Good times!

The next morning was soccer and four of Molly Anne's friends are also playing at the same time this year - Gigi, Mary Scott, Emme and Levi!   I feel like she looks so grown up with her low pony!  

She played well and had fun with her new Coach.  Coach Eric!

Soccer Stars!

This boy watched from the sidelines haha!  But here he is back at home.  He's gotten so big in this bouncer! 

For dinner Saturday night we went over to the club with Kevin's parents and niece!

Grady loves his Nana!

Kevin's parents with their grandchildren!

So sweet!

Our family of 4!

On Sunday, Grady turned 4 months so we gave him some bananas and he loved them!  I used my ole trusty trick of putting the banana through the garlic press.  Works every time to create the perfect "mush" that babies can eat!  I started feeding Molly Anne at 4 months and it worked for us.  She has always been a good eater with no allergies but who knows if it was related to starting early!?!  Her pediatrician studied in New Zealand and is the one who encouraged us to start at this point with MA.  Grady has been getting 8 ounces four times a day.  I don't know that he can really take any more milk haha!  We let Molly Anne give him his first bite and she thought that was really cool!  So we'll be doing food with Grady at dinner every night now!

Mills is still very much into Molly Anne but I think Grady is growing on him!  Look at Grady checking him out!

We watched the Panthers game and grilled some filets to end the weekend!  No our TV isn't off-centered.  The mount that holds it up there allows it to be pulled down lower and twist.  Very cool! 


Hope everyone is having a good week!  I bought wayyyyy too much yesterday on the sale but I know Molly Anne and I will wear it!  It's still going on through tomorrow night! 

Lilly Pulitzer Sale and Mother's Day/Maternity Pics!

First, who is shopping the Lilly Sale this morning?!  Yessss....I am!  This is when I get all of Molly Anne's shift dresses for the next year!  Hard to believe I'll be buying a 4T this year.  Can't beat the (usually) $24 price tag!  I also hope to get a couple matching dresses because she wants to match me constantly these days.  I'm not all about matchy matchy but she loves it so you know I'll do it!  

I thought this would be the perfect time to share these pictures that Lindsay Hart took of us...the evening before Grady was born!  Yep I was soooo pregnant and I really didn't want my picture taken at all but my friend Sarah insisted and I'm SO thankful she did.  The best part - my Mom was already in town for Grady's birthday and was able to join.  This was the week before Mother's Day so these are very special to me.  I love my Mama and I love being a Mama!

My shirt (the Elsa), Molly Anne's dress and both of our shoes are all Lilly!

Love her!!!

She's like eeeek my life is going to change tomorrow when my sibling is born!  We didn't know it would be a boy that she can boss around for the rest of her life!

Hope you find something great on the sale!   Weekend recap coming up soon!

Six on Friday - Back to Work, Grady Update

ONE:
This week has gone relatively smooth except Molly Anne hasn't been thrilled with me leaving her a couple mornings when I drop her off.  I think that's what made my first day back to work the hardest.  She literally chased me down the hall in tears.  Bless.  It was after a long weekend so I think that was the problem...she used to do that at Ms. Becky's occasionally too.  Plus, I've never taken her every day, Kevin always has, and she's pretty attached to me.  She was fine the first two weeks and she loves her new school and teachers so I know it's not any of that.  It will shake out and get better.  

Two of my co-workers (my closer friends at my work) walked into my office Tuesday morning rright when I got there to welcome me back and I just lost it.  But they were so sweet and I quickly got my act together!  It was a big day yall, but I survived!

TWO:
This good mail was waiting for me when I got home on Tuesday and that was fun to open after the children were in bed.  All from Shutterbugs in Raleigh.  I'm obsessed.  Don't tell Kevin.  ;)

THREE:
I ordered this adorable stationery for Grady.  CAN YOU EVEN?!!!  All the heart eyes.  Note - I did have her change the font from how she shows it on the website.  



FOUR:
Molly Anne has been doing artwork every day at school and it's one of my favorite parts of picking her up!  I love seeing what she has been doing and of course I always snap a picture and upload it to my Instagram account that is solely for her artwork!  I thought this one was extra cute!

FIVE:
An update on little Grady.  He has practically lived in this Boba Carrier.  Literally best $100 we've spent in a long time.  It's magical - he literally falls asleep instantly in it.  Anyway, I've used this since day one.  I've never put him in a swing to fall asleep or to just be.  I've held him constantly.  But, I'm here to tell you that it doesn't matter.  Their head can still get flat from torticollis even if you do physical therapy from 2 months on and even if you hold them 24/7.  It's how he and Molly Anne were inside of me and it's just the way the cookie has crumbled.  I feel 100% confident there's nothing I could have done better for him.  It's the way it is.  

Anyway, he may be getting a band like Molly Anne did.  At this point, we are leaning towards doing it because of his facial features that aren't perfect.  The flat spot on the back right of his head is making his right forehead and right cheek protrude out.  We've already been to Cranial Tech.  It's already run through insurance and yeah it's still like $1,400 but that's minor in the grand scheme.  If he needs it and it's something we can do to help him, we're going to do it.  Period.  Money and inconvenience are the two reasons we would possibly not do it.  I know it's not an inconvenience to Grady because Molly Anne did not care an ounce.  In fact, looking back, it was such a blip on the radar even though it was a huge deal to me at the time.  Molly Anne's timing of how long she had to wear it was 8-10 weeks and she wore it 8.  Grady's estimate is 5-8 weeks so not terrible.

There we have it, I'm not sure what we are going to do but we'll see.  The prime time is 4-6 months because that's when they grow rapidly so we will be deciding over the next couple of weeks.  We are going to have more measurements done and evaluate those against the ones done a couple of weeks ago.  That's the plan for now.  Until then we are continuing with physical therapy and that's making him get strong!

(also, he was 17 pounds last Friday at the doc!)

SIX:
This boy and I have been going out for walks/runs after the children are asleep at nights and it's been so wonderful.  I forgot how much good a little walk around the hood can do for you!  It's helped my mind and made me feel better.  And Mills LOVES it!  Our neighborhood is so pretty and I love looking at the houses while going up and down the hills.  It's good for the soul!

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

Fresh Market Haul

We got back from the beach on Monday and had no groceries and I hadn't even thought of doing any meal planning.  I was too busy soaking up my last days at home before maternity leave was over.  Now it's back to reality with working every day and figuring out what to put on some plates for dinner each night.

Y'all know I'm a loyal Harris Teeter express lane shopper.  I don't even go in there...literally I've done express lane for 3 years.  Occasionally I like to go to Trader Joe's to get wine and cheeses and I also like to go to Fresh Market because their prepared food section is the best around I think!  Yesterday I had about 30 minute to zip in there with no children and I thought I'd share what I got.  I always like seeing other people's grocery store hauls because it gives me new ideas.  

I spent $125 total and this is everything I came home with.  Now let me break it down...

My friend Sarah has always told me about the roasted chicken plus two sides and cornbread for $14.99 so I finally did that!  When I got home I took all of the chicken off the bone and put it in a tupperware.  I will use that probably on a salad or maybe in a taco bowl.  The pasta salads we may use if we grill out this weekend or for lunches.  The cornbread...well I only got that because it came with the meal deal.

Speaking of meal deals - they have the Big Little Meals for $20 and I sometimes get that too.  It's usually something already made that you just have to pop in the oven.  I didn't need that for this week so I opted to not get it this time.  

Anyway, I got this tortellini pasta dish that will last the three of us for two meals.  And I love their chopped Caesar Kit!  I honestly probably won't eat the pasta but I may put some of the roasted chicken on the salad.  

This stuff I got for lunches and to fill in.  I've never gotten the chicken bites for Molly Anne but I thought they'd be something different for her than her usual Perdue chicken nuggets.  Kevin will love the shrimp cocktail and eat that for lunch one day this week or we may use it for an appetizer this weekend.  The sushi rolls are $5 on Wednesdays so I got two of those for lunch today and tomorrow.  

Milk, self explanatory.  I have been drinking iced coffee a couple days a week and I usually get the Stok brand from Teeter but this was on sale for cheaper than that is so I figured I'd try this.  And this no sugar added vanilla creamer looked good and I needed more creamer (I always get sugar free - no carbs!).  

If you haven't tried this Endless Summer salad kit from there, you're missing out.  My friend Kathryn brought it with the dinner she did for us after Grady was born and I got addicted.  Eggs because I've been making sausage and egg muffins for quick morning breakfasts.   A big thing of mixed fruit because I don't have time right now to cut many different fruits.  BBQ sauce that is from a local Charlotte guy that I thought Kevin would want to try.  

Snack stuff - Wasabi Wonder - I already got into this and it's so good.  Wasabi peas, almonds and cashews.  Okra chips and dried apple chips.  

Bananas just because, avocado for chicken taco bowls, tomato for sandwiches this weekend, apples for Apple Tasting Day at Molly Anne's school.  Had to get the honey crisp!

That's it!  

PS - Fresh Market doesn't know me.  I spent our money there.