Fri-yay!

It's been a long time since I've shared some random favorites, or really popped in on a Friday at all.  So hi!! Conor flies home from a business trip today, and we are just thrilled to see him.  Then we'll be at the lake house, so consider me checking out!  Here's some recent favs...
-ONE- I have a deep love for the seasonal Mrs. Meyers hand soaps!  Peony & Lilac!  So so perfect for spring.  I'm currently waiting for own peony bush to bloom, which usually happens the first week of May!  It's one of the plants I totally plan on digging up and bringing to our new house when we move.

-TWO- For a few years now I've been trying to find a natural deodorant that works for me.  I realized that I needed one with a smaller amount of baking soda, otherwise it would cause me to break out.  Finally, I found the perfect one, Primal Pit Paste (such a terrible name I know... I swear all natural deodorants have bizarre names).  They have tons of amazing scents (or unscented for the boring type).  I find mine at Whole Foods, but Amazon always has my back too!

-THREE- I've been holding off on placing some small shop orders because I'm really hoping there will be some Mother's Day sales!  One thing in particular I'm eyeing is a Wildbird ring sling in Owlette, but they typically sell out as soon as they restock!  It's really looking like my Mother's Day present should just be a small shop shopping spree for me and the new babe!   

-FOUR- I jumped on the bandwagon and listened to S Town recently.  While I loved the podcast as a whole, and thought John B. was quite the character, I don't know that I loved how it ended.  I wanted more?  Regardless, it's a good listen!  I pop in a headphone at night when I'm laying down with the boys to put them to sleep which helps prevent me from falling asleep.  It's a good way to wind down at the end of the day. 

-FIVE- I'm really loving these poplin poppy sleep shorts.  But I'm doubtful they will work with my pregnant belly.  And by the time that is gone the days of long pj pants will be here.  Still, that poppy print is speaking to me!

Happy Friday everyone!

22 Weeks (Bump #3)

For a few days, I actually thought I was 23 weeks.... third baby problems.  Since my hair & make actually happened to be done on Sunday, and the light was shining in perfectly, I had Conor snap a few photos for this week.  Last Thursday, we had a midwife appointment where she shared many of the details from our big ultrasound.  I seriously love my midwife!  She is such a wealth of knowledge herself and is always so open with me.  I love how she shares all the little details; I find it all so fascinating.  So this week, I bring you some midwife tidbits.  If you don't want some TMI facts about my pregnancy, feel free to skip this post!

Tidbit #1:  I have a lot of amniotic fluid!  It's still in the normal range, but on the upper end.  This explains why my belly seems to be so so large for this point in my pregnancy.  My midwife said that I'm carrying around roughly an extra half gallon of amniotic fluid compared to most moms!  The good news with this, is that it creates more space for the baby, making a breach baby far less likely.

Tidbit #2:  I have an anterior placenta, which means it's attached in the front.  My midwife's exact words, "So if you thought this baby was calmer, he's not!"  I totally thought this baby moved around much less, but apparently it's all due to that placenta he has to kick me through.  And now that I know this, his kicks do feel different, as if there is a big cushion between us!

Tidbit #3:  I have a really long cervix!  This only serves me & my large babies well!  Sometimes you will hear of a woman with a short cervix needing it sewed shut, because it can't support the weight of the baby.  This will never be a problem for me.  Thank goodness, because I'm fulling expecting this baby to hit the 10lb mark!
I love learning more about this pregnancy, my body, and birth as a whole.  I cannot say enough good things about our midwife and this experience.  I feel like all the extra knowledge is empowering, and it helps me to process any birth trauma that still exists from Liam.  I'm already looking forward to our next appointment!

Weekend Recap

We had a first in our house this weekend!  Both boys slept through the night!  It was as if God smiled down upon us and decided "I shall give these two parents the gift of sleep tonight, and I won't even make the pregnant one have to pee!"  Finn strolled downstairs and into our bed around 6 am, Liam followed an hour later.  But after crawling in bed with us, they kept on sleeping!  So not only did they last the whole night, but then they still decided to sleep in!  8:30am has become our new wake up time, and I am loving it.  It was the perfect way to get our weekend started.
Saturday was for soccer; a game which Finn actually watched most of from my lap.  Huge success there!  House projects (Conor is still working on some shelving for the nursery).  And fishing!  It was a somewhat last minute plan due to the gorgeous weather, so we didn't want to travel to far that evening.  Meaning, it wasn't a drive into the mountains event.  But I had heard of a well stocked local pond, so we ventured out there.  A mere 15 minutes from our house.  It was a pretty spot among some wetlands.  Lots of fisherman, not so many fish bites.  Only one actually.  So no fish were caught.  Finn was ridiculously loud (he gets this from my side of the family), so that couldn't have helped.  We'll be working on quite voices and a titch more patience next time.  Regardless, it was good peaceful family time as the sun was setting.  Finn was all about the worms, while Liam was hesitant at first but not to be outdone by little brother.  We liked the spot and will surely be back.  Liam has hopes we're going to get him his own fishing pole!

Sunday was for brunch up at Snowbird.  Conor is traveling much of the next month, so we wanted a big last breakfast together before all our time apart.  It was one of those meals where our children actually behaved wonderfully.  Table manners were top notch.  And Finn ate his weight in bacon and then proceeded to literally drink the maple syrup.  So much syrup, everywhere.  We emptied my pack of wipes.

We also stopped by one of our local greenhouses to pick up a few starters.  Conor insists upon getting the garden going early, while I'm a wait until Mother's Day kind of gal.  So we compromised with just a few essentials.  I promised Liam he could pick out whatever plant he wanted, to plant wherever he wanted.  Once he laid eyes on the pumpkin plant, there was no going back.  We grew pumpkins our first fall in Utah, and while I love them, they take up so. much. space.  But I promised, so we'll have a pumpkin patch again this year.

While getting the garden ready for summer and planting our few things, we found some worms!  They were immediately added to the container in the fridge and will be used for our next fishing adventure.  Freshly dug worms are always best!  I can already tell that I have will have some wonderful helpers in the garden this year and can picture the many hours we will be spending outside.  Our strawberries are blossoming, or raspberries have tiny buds.  Ooh, I just can't wait!

After an absolute crazy Monday of trying to get all. the. things. done., I'm packing up the boys and heading up to Washington to visit family for a bit tomorrow!  Hoping for lots of relaxing at the lakehouse & quite possibly getting the boat in the water for the season!  Wish me luck on the solo flight.  Finn's last flight before he is two.  Which means he's sitting on my lap.  Even though he's huge.  And even though my pregnant belly is huge.  And Finn isn't really one to just sit.  So yeah, wish me luck!

A Little Utah Love (with Minted)

I've been wanting a gallery wall in our house for a long time, but... there isn't exactly a good space for it.  At least for the kind of grand gallery wall that I have been picturing.  However, we did have a random little wall that needed something, so I deemed that space the perfect spot to share family photos.  When Minted reached out with the opportunity to add some artwork, I jumped right on it & placed an order immediately!

Right now is their Semi Annual Foil Event!  These babies only go on sale twice a year, so snag a print while you can.  The promotion runs until the 24th, so there are only a couple shopping days left.  I'm loving everything from their quotes (i love you that is all), to their personalized art (custom footprints), but especially their state maps (Utah)!  All of our recent family photos perfectly capture our now 4 plus years here; it seemed fitting to have a map of Utah in the center of all our photos.

I never thought I'd have Utah pride, nor have anything in my home that was "Utah".  But here I am, totally embracing the place we call home.  Proud even, of the life we've started here.  The city by the mountains that our boys are growing up in.  This is likely not our forever place, but it's our right now.  And right now we kinda sorta love it.  And I know our boys do!  There's a reason we refer to this place as Beautahful & Salt Lake Pretty!

So if you have a little state love you want to share too, get your self a foil pressed state map!  They are gorgeous.  And they shine.  And they'll make you happy.  Or if you're feeling like you wanna get in the holiday spirt, and snag some fun Christmas prints long before the season begins, jump on that opportunity!
Minted gifted me with free produced in exchange for my honest thoughts.   I truly love the products & the company, so supporting them is easy.  Affiliate links used as well.  

Easter 2017

I was super relaxed about this holiday.  So unlike me, but hey, pregnancy will do that to you.  Fortunately, I had been stashing away things for the boys baskets for well over a month, so at least I was prepared in that department.  We kept things simple, I didn't have huge expectations, & the day went off beautifully!

Each year, we have a huge egg hunt with all the neighbor kids.  To avoid any conflicts with church, it happens early.  8:30am early.  And we are not early risers.  I made sure to set an alarm, so we wouldn't miss any of the festivities.  When my alarm went off that morning, both boys were snuggled up in our bed, having made their ways there at different times throughout the night.  Sometimes I'm not quite sure when.  I do love waking up their sweet faces.  I so badly wanted a slow sunday morning complete with sleeping in, but I also knew that I wanted the boys to have time to explore their baskets before the hunt.   Conor snuck out of bed to hide our hard boiled eggs, and then we woke the snoozers.  We had to remind Liam it was Easter morning, and he then bounded out of bed in search of his basket!  It was one of those moments that so reminded me of my own childhood.  Baskets were opened.  Smiles all around.  Then dressed as quick as possible.  My kids were literally running out the front door, the last ones to arrive outside to begin the hunt!

Finn knew exactly what to do & got right after it.  Delighted with each & every egg he found.  He felt that about 10 eggs was sufficient, and then called it quits to open them all.  And then try to open all the candy.  Never asking for help (in fact refusing it), and eating far more treats than he probably ever has had in his life thus far.  Liam hunted forever & ever.   Not quite convinced that all the eggs had even been found.  He was in one new yard after another.  Sprawling our entire street.  Finally, with an overflowing basket, I convinced him to join his brother for the egg opening.

Then it was brunch (quiche, all thanks to Conor), sadly no mimosas this year.  Church, which I feel like we barely survived.  But we did.  Naps for all.  We went to our neighbors for dinner; it seems this year we have traded off hosting holidays.  I'm such a sucker for tradition and can never let go of certain family recipes, so while they hosted, we still brought the main course.  An Easter ham with raisin sauce.  It was such a lovely break to only bake the ham and not worry about my clean (or lack thereof house) and hosting duties.  Such a fun evening, with kids playing every where, Finn putting back three helpings of meat, and wonderful company.

Already looking forward to all our Easters to come,  especially our next when we'll have another boy in tow!

21 Weeks (Bump #3)

Putting on my Easter best (no bonnet unfortunately) is the perfect reason for a little bumpdate!

Total Weight Gain:  11 lbs.  Right on track for that 30lb weight gain, but not a lot of wiggle room.

Morning Sickness?  Dare I say it's gone?!  Gone!  Completely gone!
Symptoms:  Feeling super lightheaded.  Multiple times a day.  Going to mention this to my midwife at my appt this week.  I've also just felt lazy in general this pregnancy.  Not so much with the boys; we still get out and have our adventures.  But I do feel like I've been dragging more on house duties & leaning far more on Conor than I ever have before.  This continues to be my hardest pregnancy (but I should note, still easy compared to many others).  
Food Cravings/Aversions?  So I finally googled to see when those damn cotton candy grapes would be available.... not until september!!!  Grr!  No real cravings for the week, but I did have a huge aversion to smell of some halibut I bought (which is typically a fav), so much so that I couldn't even eat dinner that night.  And I swear I could still smell it for the next two days even after taking out the trash multiple times and a visit from my cleaning lady.
Name?  Just hung up on a middle name.  But I am so so ready to officially name this boy!
Nursery Progress:  I posted my inspiration here in case you missed it.  Like I said, we won't put together a nursery until we are in our new house.  But when we get closer to my due date, I will put together a corner in our bedroom.  I also need to clear out closet space for the the first couple months of baby clothes.  I'm really starting to nest!
Movement:  Both Conor & Liam have felt the baby move, and it's so so special for me each time!  I haven't tried yet with Finn; I'm waiting for it to be more noticeable and more frequent before I test his patience.  Baby had his first case of the hiccups, which is always one of the most adorable things.  Although in general, this baby moves the least by far.  Often he waits until I have a relaxing moment to myself, where I get to sit down before he really gets moving.  Otherwise it's just a kick here or there while we are out & about.
Position:  We had our big ultrasound and baby is perfectly healthy & growing right on track!  The ultrasound tech had him measuring just two days behind my due date, so nearly perfect.  I'm still predicting an August 30th arrival (three days late, just like his big brothers).  He's currently head down, yet folded in half with his feet by his head.  Really hoping he moves out of that position before he keeps getting bigger and won't have a chance to.  It was wonderful getting all this good news, and we are feeling super confident about our midwife and the home birth experience to come!
Liam's Thoughts:  A sweet memory I never want to forget... Liam & I were listening to my Joshua Radio Pandora Station when John Mayor's song The Heart of Life came on.  Liam told me it sounded like the songs playing when babies are born (from home birth videos we've watched), and that this song should play when our baby is born.  I will make sure to have it on our playlist now.  In fact, I think I may just have that station playing while I'm laboring.
Finn's Thoughts:  It's still kisses, and "hi baby!", and belly rubs all day long with him.  Any opportunity to lift my shirt up is utilized!

Looking forward to our midwife appointment this week.  It's something the boys really enjoy, as do I.  I'm just truly enjoying this time right now, trying to soak it all in.  This may (probably will be) our last, so it is something to be treasured for sure!

Succulent Nursery Inspiration

Finally sharing some of my inspiration for this third baby's nursery.  I have loved getting more creative than usual and finding inspiration everywhere!  It all started with the Prickle Pots line from Little Unicorn and developed from there.  I definitely know I will use that bedding & have a hanging terrarium, but from there I just want a neutral palette and to find things that compliment the space.  I tend to keep things super minimal!  As I've said before, I won't really put together a nursery until we move into the new house, likely when the babe is 1 or 2 months old.  However, we will still set up the crib in a corner of our bedroom, and make some closet space available as well.  And because I'll need a little flair, I'll probably have the hanging terrarium up too.  I need to do just a little bit of nesting at least!

1.  Prickle Pots 2.  Benjamin Moore Pale Smoke 3.  Honeycomb Wall Shelf 4. Hanging Terarium 5.  Merchant Hamper 6.  Design Seeds Palette
I cannot wait to see this space come together; I'm sure it will be my very first project in the new house!  Likely, my inspiration will change & involve before I ever get started, so follow my pinterest board to keep up with my ideas.  And of course, fill me on an succulent goodies or things that would simply be perfect for this theme!

Weekend Recap

Oh this weekend was a good one!  Which was much needed after having Conor away on business for part of the week and then getting back home later than expected.  It was filled with so much good family time.  Often we have commitments to fulfill or a long to-do list, but not this weekend.  It was relaxing, lazy even, at times!  Truly the best.  Friday night was the most blustery of any windy day ever, which was just screaming for some kite flying.  Liam was terrified that he would blow away with his kite; Finn we were concerned actually would!  Finn would also randomly let go of his kite and truly challenge my get up & go skills at 5 months pregnant.  But I triumphantly chased it down each time.  The stormy skies & snowcapped mountains made for quite the beautiful setting.

Saturday was for errands, which is typically rather boring for me.  Except Conor somehow makes Costco the most magical place ever.  And the boys love it there with him.  I was on board strictly for the samples.  And Finn has never forgotten that sweet sweet taste of Costco pizza, so each visit there is now dubbed "pizza time"!  We made a coffee run, loaded up on t-ball swag (eye black necessary), & had the crock pot working hard all day.  And somehow I managed in a solo Target run after assessing the Easter basket situation on the top shelf of my closet.

Sunday morning was for egg dying.  Premature?  Possibly.  But gorgeous weather is coming for us, and I feared that with all the warm temps & sunshine, we just may never have a good opportunity before Easter.  Finn was obsessed, wanting to dye eggs rapid fire style.  Lots of stirring with the spoon, as if that would make the color darken faster.  Liam was far more methodical and focused.  Oh how their different personalities shine during activities like these.  Eggs were broken throughout the entire process, so I whipped up a batch of deviled eggs with the wounded soldiers.  Didn't even know I had the craving until I tossed that first one back.

Naptime, then we hit the slopes which were covered in two feet of fresh snow!  It seemed like it would be the perfect spring skiing day, but the snow was actually rather sticky & many runs were closed due to avalanche control.  Yet, somehow we still rode in & out of the trees.  Occasionally Liam would be stuck in near waist deep snow, but we was strong & determined.  The afternoon absolutely exhausted me, so I know how hard his little body must have been working.  We earned those post ski french fries, and I really banking on him sleeping hard tonight!

Tomorrow kicks off Liam's Spring Break, which I am actually pumped for!  I love having him home, with no schedule to worry about (that means everyone can sleep in... I hope!).  Plus, I treasure this time with just the two boys more & more as we get closer to having a newborn around again!  Cheers to the week ahead!