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.  

Under the Dress Shorts

Well I survived yesterday.  Barely ha!  Molly Anne had a melt down when I dropped her off but that's not unusual after her being home with us for a long weekend.  It still was extra sad especially since I had to go to work for the first time in 3.5 months right after that.  She chased me down the hall yall!  But her teachers were wonderful and she got settled right back into the classroom by coloring a picture!

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One thing I was not prepared for when Molly Anne started school was the requirement to wear shorts under dresses.  I was like come on, she is 3!  But evidently this stuff starts early and they should have their panties covered.  Plus, for the playground etc, it is cleaner and safer.  And I'm not sure why I was completely surprised because I was a crazy mama who never let her out of the house without a diaper cover over her diaper!

Anyway, my SIL to the rescue.  She recommended these two brands because they hold up well and last much longer than the $5 ones from Target.  I also got Molly Anne a white pair from Old Navy and I'll be honest, those are great but I probably shouldn't have gotten her white.  They were dirty from the playground after wearing them once. 

So here are the couple brands I ordered from Amazon.  I ordered a couple pairs of each - pink and navy of course!  I already have one pair of each from my niece and I'm leaning towards liking the Monkeybar buddies as far as comfort...they're Molly Anne's favorite so far.  

Hide-ees

And Monkeybar Buddies

Best Weekend in Pawleys

Sometimes you have a weekend that you never want to end.  That was this weekend for us!  

Early Saturday morning we loaded up and drove down to Pawleys Island to my brother's house for the long weekend.  

We got there and hung out downstairs on their patio looking at the water and watching football.  Grady liked the view!

I took my oldest niece to the Lilly store and we ran a couple other errands.  It was so fun shopping with her!  She's 10 and so much fun to hang out with.  Meanwhile, my SIL was showing my son all of my brother's fishing rods.  He only has a few hahah!  Is this picture not hilarious?!!

Saturday night Grady had his first non-family babysitter!  Ms. Teresa came and took care of the 4 children while my brother, SIL, Kevin and I went to the Beaver Bar in Murrells Inlet for the Tyler Farr concert.  

Chaos, but SO fun!

The next morning, Grady and I sat on the porch for his bottle!

The three golden boys attended the golden grooming salon by the three girls on the back porch!

Then Grady went on his first boat ride!  We took their new boat (their 3rd one at the moment ha) on the river.  


He loved it but those cheeks just laid on that life jacket haha!

Molly Anne loves some Aunt Emily!

Grady's first dip in the river. 

Then he took a nap.  Boat naps are the best, even if you're up on Sandy Island!

We hung out there with some of their friends.  Always good to see them.  My brother has lived in Pawleys for 18 years and I've gone down there a ton so I know a good number of their friends!

Pulling away

Nap time in the cuddy cabin where she may have had her eyes closed for 30 seconds.  Too much excitement!

It was pretty cool for my brother to take Grady out on his first boat ride.  We grew up going on the boat every weekend with my parents so this was neat.  Clay also took Molly Anne out for her first boat ride when she was 4 months old!

The girls went for a swim when we got back to the marina then we headed home to chill.  Molly Anne's head is hanging out of the green swing on the left of the below picture!

Molly Anne and Grady were in bed and my brother had grilled these steaks so we had an adult fancy dinner on the porch!

Then took the dogs to the end of the dock to let them swim.  That's Mills in the below picture with Gills leading the pack!

Mills was so scared at first but I got in with him and walked him over to the sandbar.  Then he loved it!

I got a little wet doing that.  It was beautiful out there on the creek.  

There we are out there!

Mills asleep on my brother and SIL's bed.  Spoiled rotten.  

We got up, had a good breakfast then got in the car to come home.  I just love that we had that time together with my brother and his family.  We always have fun with them and everyone gets along so well.  It's just easy!

It was sort of a rough ride home with Grady but he pulled through on the second half and we made it home.  We all took showers, did a ton of laundry and got ready for the week.  I was blow drying my hair and Grady was hanging with me (he loves the hair dryer).  Next thing I know, Molly Anne had gotten Grady his "blanky's cousin" just like hers and they were sitting together.  ADORABLE.  

We slipped next door and had dinner at Hilary and Drew's and had to leave abruptly because Molly Anne was done and done.  We came home at 6:15 and she was asleep by 6:21pm.  Literally.  Thank goodness we think Hilary and Drew love us because we essentially went over there empty handed and even went after we told them we couldn't come.  Then also showed up with one tired little girl.  

Thank you all for your sweet comments to my post last week about going back to work today.  I know it will be fine and go well but ahhh!  

Chat soon!