Homework, a Lifeguard, and Nini

Before Liam's first day of school, the parents were given a bit of homework.  I may have squealed with delight!  I am more than thrilled to jump back into all things school.  I may just need a new set of pens & pencils for this!    My first assignment was to make a photo collage of Liam and all his favorite things, so naturally I got to bust out my glue stick.  Also, I had to fill out a Get to Know You questionnaire.  Conor asked if this was my project or Liam's...?  Mine.  Most definitely mine.  I forgot to snap a pic before Liam had to take it school, so unfortunately you all don't get to see the finished result which I may or may not have simply nailed!
When applicable, I asked Liam some of the questions.  I have to be sneaky about this though, bringing it up in an overly casual way, otherwise he won't really answer my questions.  Two of his responses left me with a big grin on my face...
Me: What do you want to be when you grow up? Liam: A lifeguard.  And I will sit in a special chair.
Me: What was something you did when you were little? Liam: Eat Nini!
Never before has Liam answered the "what do you want to be" question, so I was surprised when he was so confident with his answer!  He was either heavily influenced by his swimming lessons this summer or his Curious George Goes to the Beach book.  Either way, I'm pretty sure with his beach blonde hair & tan skin that he would be the quintessential lifeguard.  We'll see if this ever becomes a summer job of his.  Or perhaps just a halloween costume this year.
And that second question just melted my heart.  For those that haven't been reading here for long, "Nini" is the word Liam used for breastfeeding.  I was fairly sad when Liam weaned, especially when I thought about how he would forget that time of his life and those special moments.  It so warmed my heart that as an ever growing toddler he has not forgotten.  He has such sweet memories.  I can tell that he remembers how much joy it brought him.  Especially when he gets excited for Finn to nurse.  He knows that Nini makes Finn happy too!    While some might find that answer strange to put down for his preschool teacher, I was proud of his response.  Liam keeps growing into himself, and I love each day that I get to see more & more of the boy & man that he will become.  He is an extremely special little boy, who is destined to do great things!  I just know it!
And because every post needs a picture, and it needs to be somewhat relevant... Liam with his swim teacher Calli (and a possible first crush).

The First Day

I have thought about and imagined this day for three years.  When Liam was a baby, I would wonder what he would grow up to look like?  What would his interests be?  Who would be the little boy that would first call me "Mom" and be the first of my kids to go to school?  The beginning of school marks the beginning of a whole new phase of parenthood.  One day, you find yourself staring at those same blues eyes you fell in love with on the day he was born.  Except this time, those blue eyes belong to this adorable toddler who is sitting on your front steps, wearing a backpack, and  full of anticipation for his first day!  His legs are all scraped up, because he is a boy who loves adventure, & he is willing letting you take pictures due to the promise of a few measly chocolate chips afterwards.  

I pulled out of our driveway and found myself driving right behind another mom in my neighborhood who was also taking her boy for his 1st day of preschool.  And then pulling in right behind me was yet another neighborhood mom with her kids loaded in the car.  It was a surreal moment.  I was joining the ranks of the "big kid moms", just driving my boy to school.  It felt natural, like something I did all the time.  Yet my stomach was a little nervous & my heart a little achy.  And then I got weepy, oh so weepy on the drive there!

Conor & I both walked him into his school, helped him find his cubby...and then (gasp) whoever uses his cubby MWF left her stuff in there!!!  This sent Liam into tears.  Yep, he was devastated that someone else's stuff dare to be in his cubby!  I thought surely the morning was off to horrible start, but as soon as his teacher opened the classroom door, he gave me a big kiss and strutted right into the classroom.  He looked curious albeit a bit timid.  But he was in!  And happy!  And not missing me!  I watched him slowly take in the moment & begin to settle in.  Oh how my tears started up again.  And to break my heart just a teensy bit more, his teacher gave all the parents a little bag with kleenex, hershey kisses, & note that even welled up Conor's eyes.  All the feels!!!

I think I walked out of his school in a bit of awe.  I was fully expecting him to be sad about leaving me.  Really sad.  Need a few school days to adjust kind of sad.  That is what I was prepared for.  But my heart beamed at how confident Liam was.  I have spent his entire little life building a close a bond with him, one that is full of trust, & the end result has paid off.  He knew that I would be coming back for him, so he was excited to meet new friends and find out what all this "school" business was about!

After I got the last few tears out, I realized that Finn & I had a bit of freedom.  Time to get crazy and bust out as many errands as possible with only one child.  It almost felt like a vacation.  We hit Whole Foods for some grocery shopping (which is completely empty at 9am, so the experience was rather blissful), then the dry cleaners, then the post office.  I had an entire week's worth of errands done, and I still had time to clean up a bit at home before going back to pick up Liam.  I think I can quickly adjust to this new schedule!  Although, I was more than ready to get back to Liam and to hear all about his day!
The moment he saw me, he ran right into my arms with a huge hug!  I asked him how school was and his first words were: "It was so much fun!"  It was the best!  I was so happy to hear that he loved it so much.  During our car ride home I learned that he didn't like the snack, he went potty but forgot to wash his hands, some kids missed their mommies, he likes his teacher a lot, and their was a gingerbread man hiding in the kitchen.  Eventful first day!  
And he is already asking why he doesn't get to go to school "all the days"... I am certainly not ready for that!

Stitch Fix #7

Another Stitch Fix?!  So soon?  Yep, I loved my last fix so much that I scheduled another one right away.  For awhile, I was on the fence about how much I really liked Stitch Fix, but I think it's only getting better!  This time I went a little crazy on Pinterest, and instead of just pinning general styles that I liked, I pinned actual Stitch Fix items.  Since Stitch Fix has gained much more popularity lately, it's easy to search and find pieces to pin.  While I only received one item that I had specifically pinned, I think I will still keep with this method in the future.  So, my fix... 
Daniel Rainn Bilson Dot Print Pleat Detail Blouse I pinned this exact blouse, so I was ecstatic when it arrived in my fix!  I knew before I even tried it on that I would be keeping it!  It's perfectly feminine, with the white tank you see underneath being built in.  This is now my favorite piece in my closet!  Those buttons make it nursing friendly, so I may just wear it every day!

 RD Style Calandra Side Button Hooded Poncho

I was not a fan of this at all.  The sleeves are a bit strange, and the hood didn't seem to fit with the style at all.  Sorry this picture is so horrible and barely even shows the hood or side buttons, but really  just pass on this one! 

19 Cooper Clemency Split Neck Tunic

I wasn't a huge fan of this when I first pulled it from the box, but liked it much more on!  The print isn't exactly my style, but I loved the length!  It would be perfect with leggings and offer full butt coverage (did I just say butt coverage?!)

 Market & Spruce Aleah Heathered V-Neck Dolman Top

This dolman top was just okay.  I didn't love the fabric, and I thought the bottom was a tad too fitted.  It was a very pretty shade of blue; however, you could not wear it with dark denim otherwise you would be a blue monster.  I love how it complimented my heather gray shorts though.

Bancroft Kate Stone & Pave Disc Layering Necklace

This is the first piece of jewelry I have received from Stitch Fix, and I liked it!  My stylist thought it would complete the look with the Dolman top, and she was right!  It's a perfect length & subtle but pretty!  If I wasn't so obsessed with the dot print blouse, I may have kept this!

If you still haven't tried Stitch Fix, you really really should!  Join the cool kids! And if you use my link, I will thank you thank you and thank you forever!

Mama to a Pre-Schooler

Tomorrow Liam will walk into his Montessori classroom, and a whole new era will begin!  Liam's personality fits perfectly into this style of learning, so I know it will be something he loves (or perhaps grows to love).  Pre-school is not overly important in my opinion.  There is plenty of time for schooling, and he definitely doesn't need the socialization (we have plenty of that!).  Instead I think Liam will love the challenge.  He is so eager to learn!  His classroom consists of 3-5 year olds, so at this young age he will have the opportunity to learn from older kids, and then eventually mentor a younger child in the years to come.  I am seriously so excited for this new stage of life for him!

But let's be honest the emotions in me are running wild!  And I'm nervous!  It feels a bit like my first day too!  Tomorrow will also be Conor & my first day as parents to a pre-schooler.  We are entering a whole new world of PTA, school events, & new friends (hopefully)!  It's another step in our lives as parents.  By the time Finn goes to school, we will already have been doing this for years.  We'll already be immersed in it.  But for now, it's brand new to us all.  Exciting.  Terrifying.  Unknown.  But I simply cannot wait!

Even with all the excitement, I feel like I am mourning the gone days of Liam's babyhood.  It's the end of our endless days together.  For three years I have had him all to myself, every morning.  Liam & I are quite attached and spend nearly each moment together.  I have loved this special time of "just us."  While I have exposed him to as much as I could in his 3 short years, there is so much opportunity waiting for him!  I will miss him like crazy and am not quite sure what I will do for those morning hours two days a week.  I'm looking forward to that one-on-one time with Finn, but it will still be an adjustment.  Big changes are ahead, and (surprise!) I'm not fond of change.

It's hard to leave him in someone else's care.  To not be able to help him or look out for him.  But Liam is independent & determined.  I hope he shines at school and shows his new friends & teacher the friendly & sweet boy that he is!  I hope he is nice to others and makes their lives a bit brighter.  From tomorrow and onward he has many years of school ahead.  I hope he finds joy in it while gaining knowledge.  I have always thought that Liam will do great things for this world, so I cannot wait to watch him grow & learn.

It's a big day.  A big step.   I cannot wait to see what the future holds for my first little boy!

Oh Hey, Friday

We have quite the busy weekend, but with things that I'm excited about!  I'm hosting my book club tonight while Conor takes Liam to a birthday party.  Saturday we have an open house at Liam's preschool, and Sunday I will be at a baby sprinkle celebrating a sweet friend!  It all may be a bit exhausting, but full of fun as well as a few cocktails!  Here's my (sometimes) weekly five...   As always, thanks to Karli for hosting.

-ONE-

I always switch out our seasonal/holiday books throughout the year, and I'm particularly excited to bust those shh... "F-word" books out!  I like to add a new book or two when a new season rolls around, so of course I already found a fun Halloween-ish book...  Only a Witch Can Fly is utterly adorable!

-TWO-

While we are talking about books, our book club book this month is My Sunshine Away.  It's fictional but discusses many historical events that help weave the story together.  I enjoyed it, and I'm pretty sure all the others in my book club did too!  Tonight, we indulge in dessert, drink, & discuss!

-THREE-

Due to a few too many Starbucks runs since Finn was born as well as the influence of Nana, Liam is addicted to cake pops.  It's become quite the habit & a pricey one at that.  He can also recognize a Starbucks anywhere we go now...  So I may need to try my hand at some homemade cake pops.  These are calling my name and may just put Starbucks to shame!  Of course, mine will look nothing like this.

-FOUR-

We bought Liam a "backpacking" backpack for hiking as well as school.  He's pretty pumped about it.  But then, oh then, I spotted this dinosaur backpack & am reconsidering all backpack decisions!!!  This rocket is adorable too!

-FIVE-

When we have a few moments of calm in the house, I've been pulling out my camera and playing around with the settings more.  Usually Liam & Finn are playing together, and I am free to snap away.  Love looking through my shots later in the evening and seeing the sweet moments that were captured even if my lighting or settings weren't perfect!

TGIF friends!

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Pre-School Style

1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 Liam starts preschool a week from today!!!   I won't get into all my feels about that in this post, but I did want to share a little round up of my favorite fall pieces for the toddler boys.  I'm currently loving browns & blues this Fall.  The orange plaid shirt will also be perfect for a trip to the pumpkin patch & the jersey lined jeans are our favorites!  

A Sister Baby

Liam loves Finn.  His Finny, Finner, Huckleberry Finn.  He loves his baby brother fiercely.  Liam also just loves babies in general.  So now that we've had a sweet babe living in our house for over 3 months, Liam wants more!  A very specific more.  He wants a "sister baby".
We probably talk about a sister baby at least twice a day.   For instance, while we are driving in the car...
Liam: What's that big building? Me: A hospital? Liam:  Can we have a sister baby next time you go there?
Or he will randomly ask... "Is there a baby in your tummy yet?  Is it a sister baby?"
PSA:  I am not pregnant, nor do I plan on getting pregnant in the near future.  While we are fairly certain that we want more kids, we'll probably stick to the same 3 year age gap.  Liam will be waiting for awhile.  Since long term is still hard for him to grasp, I tell him that when Finn is no longer a baby & he is walking, then maybe Mama will have another baby grow in her tummy.  So I've at least bought myself some time.  Even with this knowledge, Liam still requests a sister baby daily.  If ever we talk about when Finn "popped out", he will always follow up the conversation with "next time, it will be a sister baby."
He is very convinced of this & insistent.  I've tried to explain that when we have another baby, it may be another little brother.  Liam says differently.  We read a book that has a boy baby & a girl baby, and every single time he points to the baby in pink and says "I want this one."  And he wants her to have bows in her hair.  Liam knows what he wants, and he's not letting up on this dream.  

I hear ya Liam, I want a sister baby too! But for now we will soak up every moment that Finn is still our little baby!

Oh Hey, Friday

This week just flew by which is always appreciated!  Liam was in a particularly good mood all week, so hopefully we ride that fun wave right into the weekend!  There is nothing big on the agenda, other than maybe a few house projects (like repainting our master bathroom).  Here's my (sometimes) weekly five...   As always, thanks to Karli for hosting.

-ONE-

Thanks for the help on my Stitch Fix decision!  The consensus was all of the first three items were amazing, and I should have kept them all; but alas, I only kept the first white top!  I am loving it!  Now if only I could fit into my pre pregnancy black shorts to dress it up a bit!

-TWO-

The new favorite book in our house is The Book with No Pictures.  It's written by BJ Novak (from The Office), so of course it's pretty damn funny!  Liam howls with laughter every single time!  It seriously has no pictures and requires a bit of understanding, so I would say this is a good book for 3+ year olds!

-THREE-

I'm not even going to say the F word (Fall, shhh), but I am starting to scout out some seasonal apparel for Liam.  September first is when I bust out the burlap & the pumpkins, and unfortunately, that day is not too far away.  Right now I'm loving these & these Halloween Pajamas (apparently bats are in this year?), and also this tee (also a bat version...'cause again...bats!).  And the best news is the come in both Liam & Finn's sizes!!!

-FOUR-

My zucchini plant is producing like crazy right now!  I tend to get bored with my usual recipes (my zucchini bread recipe found here), so I'm going to try some new stuff this year!  This lemon zucchini bread looks delicious.  Perhaps Liam & I will do some baking this weekend!

-FIVE-

I'm still planing a little rebrand for this space of mine, but I have yet to get my ducks in a row and get that process started.  This blog is drastically different from where I first started (mostly just documenting my 1st pregnancy for friends & family), so I want that to be reflected in the design as well as my posts.  For the first time, I'm asking all of you what you want to see/read.  Anything you wish I would write about or share?  Things you want to see more of? See less of?  I'm open to all your thoughts & opinions as I move forward!

TGIF friends!

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Brotherly Love

Liam & Finn have 3 months of brotherhood behind them, and it is love.  Liam was excited from the moment he heard that a baby was growing inside my tummy.  His interest in the baby throughout my pregnancy was so reassuring.  When we found out that Finn was a boy, I'm not sure that really meant much to Liam.  He was thrilled that a baby would be joining our family and did not seem to care whether it be a boy or a girl.  Liam is a very sweet & gentle soul, so I assumed (and hoped) that being a big brother would come naturally to him!
And come naturally it did.  Since Finn's arrival, Liam has smothered him with kisses daily.  Liam always wants to hold baby brother, touch his hand, kiss his face, try to pick him up.  Liam's love language is most definitely physical touch, and he makes sure to give Finn plenty of his lovin'.  Each day he gives Finn one of his toys (usually a car) to try and hold, just waiting for the day that Finn can drive them around too.  He can't wait for Finn to eat real foods, to crawl, to walk, to swim with him.  Liam pretty much wants Finn to grow up fast!  Although, I'm fairly certain Liam's enjoying this baby stage too!  
I know as they both grow older that their brother bond will only deepen.  I hope Liam will always look after & take care of Finn.  Just today when I started giving Finn a bath, Liam jumped right in to help.  He wanted a washcloth like mine & soap on it too.  He wiped down Finn's entire body over & over again.  I was able to sit back and watch Finn watching Liam.  Watch Liam ever so carefully pour water over Finn to keep him warm.  Watch him use the most gentlest of touch.  Both boys were smiling the entire time.  Seeing them enjoying time together is one of thee most heartwarming things.  

When deciding to have a baby, I was so excited to be giving Liam the gift of a sibling.  I truly believe it is a gift!  But of course, there was a tad bit of worry that Liam may have some jealousy or resentment.  We have seen none of that though.  Simply love.  Brotherly love.

Stitch Fix #6: The Postpartum Edition

Okay everyone, this is the first time I haven't already decided on the pieces in my fix before posting.  I only want to keep one piece (it's my little way of keeping my shopping in check), but I simply can't decide between the first three pieces!  This is the first fix I've received that I was not pregnant; however, I am only 3 months postpartum and still not fitting into many pre-baby pants or shorts.  I asked my stylist for looser fitting tops to get me through until I'm back down to my pre-pregnancy weight.  I have about 7 lbs to go, but they are coming off    s   l   o   w   l   y....

Papermoon Bankside Split Neck Tunic I really love this!  It's different than anything else I own!   Super comfortable & a little boho.  Would also be adorable with some black shorts.  

Staccato Tansy Cowl Neck Pullover Poncho

I have a thing for gray sweaters; therefore, I own far too many gray sweaters.  This poncho style makes it a little more unique.  It's a bit more lightweight than I was hoping for, but I still love it.  I also have a thing for cowl necks, so maybe this needs to be in my closet!

Staccato Amaryllis Poncho Cardigan

I'm obsessed with these colors!  That pop of orangey/red is beautiful.  Again this is somewhat lightweight (I tend to like heavier sweaters), but the poncho style is adorable!

Karen Kane Nomi Dress

When I first pulled this piece from the box, I thought "woof."  But then I put it on, & I actually love the style.  It fit like a glove & was still ridiculously comfortable!  However, the floral print is far too busy for my taste.  Plus, I can't nurse in this dress so I would never wear it.   Sending this back.

A few things to note here... You are probably wondering where my 5th item is...  Well, it was so hideous that it literally wasn't even worth the effort of taking pictures in.  It was really that bad.  Also, even though I need clothes that are nursing friendly, I did not tell my stylist that.  I can make almost any clothing nursing friendly if I need to, so I didn't want to leave that in the hands of my stylist and potentially miss out on something.  Overall, I was really happy with this fix!  So tell me...what shall I keep?!
And if you have yet to try Stitch Fix, do it!  At least give it a try once!  Waiting for your package to arrive is far more exciting than you would ever believe, and then....fashion show!!!