Day O' Love

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite minor holidays, it's so nice to have a special day just for telling our loved one's how special they are to us and how much we love them. Plus it is a holiday that doesn't come with a lot of stress or to do items, but rather a day to just have fun and get lots of sweets!

My valentine went above and beyond this year and surprised me with tons of special little goodies that meant the world to me. I awoke to a sweet card and a box full of sour apple blow pops (my absolute favorite)! Later that afternoon, I was completely surprised to get a delivery of a cookie bouquet!  Christian knows the way to my heart is through cookies and he did not disappoint!

 

These may or may not already be gone!

 

Friday night we arranged to swap date nights with my brother, so we had my three precious nieces over for pizza, ice cream and movies!  It was complete chaos but oh so much fun. Christian and I decided right then and there that we would NOT be having 5 kids.

 

 

Don't worry...baby boy was right there in the mix of girls...he held his own and wasn't phased by the mass of little girls.

 

Saturday night was Christian and I's turn for a date night and so we made our annual trip to Fleming's Steakhouse. It's our favorite special occasion night and it did not disappoint! Steaks, blue cheese wedge salad, mac and cheese and lots of great conversation and reminiscing made it a night to remember!

 

I love this dude more than anything! He is my best friend and I love doing life with him.

 

Oh and sweet Weston came with us to dinner and didn't make a peep! 

 

He is such a trooper!

 

 

 Overall it was a fabulous weekend! I love these guys so much and they totally have my heart!

 

 

 

 

Weston----One Month Old

Weston Hayes you are one month old. Things are starting to settle down and feel a little more normal. I will be the first to admit that life with two has kicked this momma's boo-tay! Weston you are easy peasy and a calm baby boy...it's your wild sister who is giving us a run for our money!

I knew life with a 2 year old and a newborn would be tough but I didn't really comprehend the logistics of doing everyday tasks. Going out in public is pretty much not happening right now because I can't do it with two! I know it will get better and things will soon become second nature...I promise Weston...we aren't always this crazy! (Hint: giving momma a few more hours of sleep will make a world of difference in my sanity)

I'm finally starting to get you on a schedule. The first 4 weeks, you pretty much slept all day and I knew there was no point in trying to force a schedule. You are so easy and I know once we get a good daily schedule down pat, you will thrive even more.

Here's a typical day at 5 weeks old

7:30 wake and feed
9:15 nap
11:00 feed and awake time

12:15 nap
2:00 feed and wake time

3:30 nap
5:15 feed and wake time

You usually snooze for about an hour, anywhere from 6-7. I wake you and we do bath time around 7.
We try and keep you up and active as much as possible in the evenings, but you are prone to getting fussy at night.

I usually put Aubrey down around 8:00 and that gives us time to spend with just you! I feed you around 8:15 and then we attempt to put you to sleep around 8:45. You wake up around 12:30 AM and again around 4:30 AM. It's not too terrible and I'm adjusting to the current sleep schedule as best as possible. Hoping you will start going longer stretches soon!

You are a great eater...getting really fast and efficient. You love to be held and rocked and aren't afraid to voice those wants and needs. You love your sissy and bless your heart have been stepped on and kicked too many times to remember. I promise...Aubrey will get the hang of this sissy things soon.

You are just the most precious little guy and I can often be found sneaking off to spend some one on one time with you. I LOVE rocking you and I threw all my baby-wise commitments out the window once I found out how much I enjoy to rocking your precious self to sleep.  You are just so cuddly and sweet.

Weston Hayes...you are the sweetest little guy in the world and this month has been so special getting to know and love you. Can't wait to see you grow and develop.  We love you Weston!!

5 must-haves for a newborn

Today I'm linking up with 5 on Friday and I am sharing my five must-haves for newborns. I also need a reason to post super cute pictures of Weston! HA!

So here we go...my five absolute-must haves for a newborn...in no particular order.

1.) Wub-a Nub
We were given a "WAN" by my sister for Aubrey because I complained that her noonie kept falling out at random times during the day and she would get angry and frustrated. Well my sis did not disappoint when she introduced the Wub a Nub to our family...and it has been a lifesaver ever since. They are just a simple noonie attached to a small stuffed animal. The stuffed animal weights the noonie enough to keep it in their mouth and even if it does fall out, the baby is more likely to be able to find it and put it back. It's also a lot easier to keep up with because if you drop a regular noonie...that thing will roll for days. Good luck getting those back if dropped out in public. Here's my sweet man with his Wub-a-Nub and as you can see he loves to cradle those hands around it...or in my opinion he's holding onto it for dear life because his sissy is near.

 

 

2.) Infant Gas Drops
This is a must have for those first few months of a newborn's life. Weston and Aubrey both dealt with gas issues and it's just not fun watching them squirm and writhe in  pain. Weston has definitely had it more and at night he is in constant pain. I give him these drops before every feeding and I really have noticed a difference. He is sleeping longer stretches at night (praise the Lord) and I think it's because he isn't so uncomfortable. I also put him on his belly to help relieve the tightness and he seems to like that.

3.) Moby Wrap
My cousin gave me this after Aubrey was past the stage of needing it and I really wish I had bought one for her newborn/infant stage. It is nothing but a really long piece of fabric but it is a lifesaver. It took me about half an hour to learn how to use it, but once I got the hang of it...I absolutely love it. I can put Weston in it and he will not make a peep for hours. Plus I have both hands available and ready to grab my busy two year old! I mean...hug my two year old! I will wear him when I'm out in public and it really helps keep nosy, touchy people away because he's almost hidden and out of reach. Plus he loves it because it's so much like being in the womb!

Please excuse my no makeup and pajamas but this is how we keep him happy even late at night!

 



4.) Boppy
I know some women say they never use the boppy, but I am a daily user of this bad boy. It is a must for me when nursing because I am not good with holding Weston without any prop or assistance. My arms just get too tired and he seems uncomfortable. I used it for 14 months when nursing Aubrey and it is still in perfect condition today for little man. I'm not ashamed to tote this pillow with me wherever I go. I also use it to prop Weston up just for lounging around. I also use it for when little cousins or sister wants to hold him.

 

This was too cute of Bre not to include. But notice the Boppy is never far from reach!

 

 



5.) Sleeper gowns
These were a hard sell to my husband...until a 3 in the morning diaper change woke Weston up for hours...now they are a must have in our house! These are semi girly and that is what turned my hubby away, but now that he sees the practicality...he's a firm believer. 

When you do a mid-night diaper change, the last thing you want to do is wake up baby by un-buttoning nine hundred buttons, not to mention the difficulty of snapping them back in the perfect order when you are sleep deprived and exhausted.

Enter the sleep gowns...just cover those little legs with the elastic gown to keep warm, but remove quickly for 3 am diaper changes. Weston never knows what hits him and bam...he's clean and ready to go back to bed! Trust me...all fashion worries go out the window when you are in desperate need of sleep. Oh and if they have the sleeve cuffs that turn inward to make little gloves...even better.

That my friends is my 5 must-haves for a newborn.