July Happenings

We started out the month checking out a new splash pad, Weston Hills, and it was completely empty and I was impressed at how nice the playground was!  I loved that the splash pad and the playground are right next to each other, and that it's mostly gated in from the outside, too.  Nolan actually warmed up to the splash pad and played in it for once (yay!) and Acelyn just hung out in the big girl seat of the stroller.  

I had lady chats with Acelyn before she took a snooze in the Solly around the house.  Nolan needed some selfie love as soon as she fell asleep, too.  

We spent a fun morning at the M Pool for 4th of July weekend. 

Harley was found taking a nap in the Dock-a-Tot, or as Jason liked to call it, the "Dach"-a-Tot.... Get it?!

We celebrated the 4th of July with photoshoots, flag cakes and fireworks!

Nolan decked his sister out in stickers, both during playtime on the playmat and during tummy time, right on her booty.  

Acelyn turned 2 months old!

At her 2 month well-check, she gave me a little preview of her college days by sporting her first toga.

Nolan showed off his singing skills and sang a bunch of songs to me one morning.  I figured I should probably record them because soon enough, he'll start saying all of his words correctly and his toddler talk and the way he sounds will be completely different!  

We spent a morning at Babies R' Us where Acelyn napped and Nolan window shopped.

Nolan started a 4-week session intro to swim class at the rec center, and he really enjoyed it and talked about his class and what he learned for the rest of the week!  He learned the proper way to enter the water, back floating, blowing bubbles, kicking, and "ice cream" scoops as a way to paddle through the water.  It's more of a class to get him comfortable with the water rather than learning technique, and the age range is from little babies to 5 years old.  We're just glad he enjoyed it and wasn't scared at all!

Another HUGE milestone was reached this month... Nolan is potty trained!  He was well over being ready, and I had gone back and forth before Acelyn's arrival whether I should train him around March-April.  I hated the idea of having to teach him twice if he regressed with Acelyn coming home, so I decided to hold off a few more months until we were in a comfortable "normal" state around here.  July seemed to be the month, and one weekend I just decided, "Let's do it!"  So, we said Bye, bye! to our diapers and hello to the undies world.  We used a little revised 3-day method, and stayed at home for 3 days and finally ventured out on the fourth day, and through the entire process, Nolan did AH-MAY-ZING and only had a few accidents total!  The times he did have accidents, it was simply because he was distracted (i.e.: eating at the table, playing outside, or when company came over), and once we were aware that's what was causing the accidents, we were more diligent at reminding him more often to use the potty during these distracted times.  

As far as our method, we used a reward sticker chart, prizes, and (hilariously) a system that every time he went, he would get a penny to pick out of our change jar, and got to place it in his piggy bank.  This was by far the smartest thing we could do because he LOVED it and we weren't constantly rewarding him with sweets or toys, which was nice.  Pooping received a little extra incentive in the beginning, and he would get a fruit snack or two every time he pooped on the toilet, whereas pee was just a coin and a sticker to go on his chart.  Once he reached the "Big Circles" on his potty chart, he could choose a prize from the treasure chest (which was really just dollar store goodies and Matchbox trucks).  He wore his undies that he got to pick out (Thomas the Train and Disney/Pixar undies), and only wears pull-ups for naps and night.  

We couldn't be more proud of how well he did and with such ease, and sure are glad to only have one in diapers now!  Woohoo!

We took our first venture out during potty training to a trip to Grandma's house, but made a pit stop at 7-11 for Free Slurpee Day!  I was surprised that Nolan drank his because normally, he's not a fan of cold things (like popsicles and ice cream).  And don't worry, Acelyn's just holding mine for me. :)

Acelyn spent some time in her crib while I put laundry away, and I think she was wondering what on earth this thing was for... surely I won't be leaving her in there anytime soon, away from me! 

After going through pictures of Nolan when he was the same age as Acelyn, I realized there are a bunch of things we haven't been doing with her that we did with him.  So, we busted out the high chair and she joined us for lunch that day at the table!  Nolan absolutely loves having her sit next to him, and she loves watching him closely (in whatever we're doing) and kicks her legs with excitement!  She kicks so much, that I had to take the tray top off because she kept banging her knees on it!

Little lady had a quick mini photoshoot and made some funny faces for me!

Nolan fell asleep with all of his stuffed friends, and has started snuggling the heck out of them every night and nap now.  It's a process to go through and talk and organize all of them before he settles down each time he goes to sleep.  

Acelyn tried the Bumbo chair for the first time, and Nolan loved that he had a different angle to play with her.

The next day, we went out and bought a Sit-Me-Up, because we were told it works so much nicer than the Bumbo.  We were pleasantly surprised and it gives Acelyn so much more support, plus I like that there is more of a barrier between her and big bro... since he's still not the most gentle!

We spent a morning with the Luks family downtown eating donuts and playing at Container Park!  The donuts were so good and Nolan looked like a little goth-child after eating his Pokemon donut, which obviously had black icing on it.  The bathroom was amazing, covered in Simpsons art, and Nolan thought it was hilarious and so cool since (watch out: bad parent alert) since we've been watching it lately during dinner.  It was early, so we tried to beat the heat and took a walk over to Container Park for the kids to play, but it was just humid and we couldn't fight the sweat!  The boys built a huge block wall and tagged up the chalk wall since the playground wasn't open yet, and then we got the heck out of there after a bit because it was just too hot!

We jetted over to Nolan's swim class right after our busy morning, and the next day, we spent more time with the Luks at Black Mountain pool.  The only picture I got of the entire day at the pool was Acelyn, just napping away in the shade, naked and all.  

We tried a Naturesutten pacifier that Jess let us borrow, since Acelyn isn't the biggest fan of pacifiers and I'll try as many as I can to find that unicorn one.... and she gave me this look as soon as we tried it out.  That was a big fat nope, in case you couldn't tell.

Acelyn woke up with smiles and stretches one morning. 

Our first baby and our last baby napped together on the couch.

Acelyn wore her hair different one day and styled some bangs!

And another day, tried out a top knot wrap.  These aren't much her thing since her head is just SO small still, and they really just engulf her and don't stay on!

She looked adorable on her flamingo blanket that has easily become the new fav.

Another weekend came and we had another successful swim lesson.

Acelyn got a new bath lounger and absolutely loves it!  (We couldn't find a pink one, and I was tired of shopping around).  She loves to kick her feet in the water, and I feel comfortable that she is decently sturdy in it for when I attempt to give both her and Nolan a bath together.  Unlike most babies who relax in the bath before their nightly routine... this chick gets crazy and excited in the tub!  We've started doing baths consistently every other night and will probably move to every night in the near future.

We played around with Snapchat filters one afternoon and I died from the adorableness!

Acelyn looked super peaceful snuggled in for a nap while I cooked dinner.

We had another fun photoshoot and Acelyn gave me the sweetest smiles and giggles!  Then she stripped off her clothes and I drooled over her baby chunk!

She wore her brother's camo shorties and I was shocked to see that they fit, since he wore them closer to when he was 4 months old.

Nolan and I built a pretty sweet fort and we played in it for 3 days in a row. 

At the end of the month, we took a trip down to the Bellagio to visit the summer display of the Conservatory.  This was probably one of my favorites that we've seen at the Conservatory, and I'm always in such awe of all the detail to every flower!  When we first entered, Acelyn woke right up and showed us she wasn't that impressed with her "Not Impressed" face.  The middle section had a walk through aquarium, plus a fun LCD display of an aquarium that was illuminated on the floor and ceiling, with moving fish that Nolan thought was hilarious.  Once Acelyn was a little more awake, she was totally into checking everything out and stayed super content just watching everything around her, while Nolan wanted his picture taken with every.single.thing.  After we spent some time there, we took the tram over to Monte Carlo and visited the Park area at the T-Mobile Arena and had lunch at Shake Shack, which never disappoints.  We had a long morning and afternoon out, but both of the kids did amazing, and Nolan talked about riding the tram for days afterwards! 

We had a busy month and lots of pictures, and we wouldn't want it any other way!!  ...Until next month!

Nuby Snoozies Plush Pacifier Holder & All Silicone Natural Flex Pacifier {a&n Product Review}

Acelyn has been a tough cookie when it's come to taking a pacifier, so when Nuby sent us the All Silicone Natural Flex Pacifier, I was crossing all my fingers and toes in hopes that it would be our unicorn paci.  Being a breastfed baby, we've had a rough road with introducing and using a pacifier, and although she still refuses to suck on anything but Mama.... she still really took to teething and cuddling her newfound friend in the Nuby Snoozie Plush Pacifier Holder, which keeps her satisfied to comfort and soothe, and that's a win in my book!

I love how Acelyn can have a great grip on the soft, plush giraffe, and she gets her best hold on the Velcro loop that attaches the pacifier (which can also attach to most brand pacifiers with handles) to her lovey giraffe.  Even better, because of the Velcro loop, this means we can get as many washes and sterilizations of both the pacifier and the plush that we choose, which is a must with a little who likes to drool and teeth all over!

The set comes with the Nuby Natural Flex All Silicone Pacifier, which is the greatest little teething helper Acelyn can get her hands on these days.  She loves to soothe her gums on the collar nub, and can often be found shoving either the cherry nipple or the collar into her mouth, giving the cutest wrinkle nose face while doing so!  The pacifier is BPA Free, which makes me feel great knowing what's going in her mouth is safe and comforting for my babe. 

The pacifier can be found for ages 0-6 months as well as 6-12 months, and also comes in a cute little monkey plush, too.  We love our giraffe and I especially love that it has small enough limbs for Acelyn to grab in any direction.  Both the plush and the pacifier can be found at Babies R' Us and is coming soon to Amazon.com.  Be sure to check these cute sets out, you won't be disappointed!

Nuby sent these products to review, but did not compensate me to write this post.  All opinions and thoughts are of my own.  

You can find Nuby and all of their great products by following their social media sites here:

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest 

Acelyn: 3 Months

It is absolutely unbelievable to me that Acelyn is already a quarter of the way through her first year!  Total ugly crying over here!  She has grown so much in the past month, both physically and in personality!  She still continues to be an easy-going baby, mostly hanging out and just chilling with us throughout our days.  She does have her feisty moments when she is hungry, and boy, does she let you know!  She can definitely go from 0-100 in no time, so I know she'll have her diva moments, but if that's all the crying I'm getting for now, I'll take it!  

Acelyn has a contagious smile and can be found smiling almost every time she sees a face.  She especially loves it when you say, "Hi!" or "Hellooooo" to her, and she greets you back with a huge grin and sometimes even a giggle.  She most recently has found her voice with screeching and screaming, and loves holding a conversation with you with lots of coos and gaas.  She has favorite toys in her Zebra stuffed animal, her hanging butterflies, and sucking on her hand.  That thing can always be found in her mouth, I'm afraid she's going to start sucking off her skin soon!  Acelyn has found her feet and she is often found laying on her back with all her limbs in the air, especially if she's playing with her hanging toys or on her playmat.  She also has been introduced to her Exersaucer and high chair this month, where she enjoys spending a little bit of time hanging out while big brother shows her the ropes of her toys or mealtime! 

She's doing much better at tummy time in terms of strength, and can hold her head and chest up off of the ground for a couple minutes at a time.  She has rolled to her sides on a few occasions, but has still not completely rolled over on her own yet.  When she's laying down flat on her back, she's learned to lift her booty and push up to scoot upwards.  She loves sitting up and spends lots of time in her Sit-Me-Up, and is working on her own balance and skills often on Mommy's lap or on the couch.  

Acelyn is definitely starting to have preferences and making them known, and although she still doesn't take (any) type of paci well, she does snuggle blankets between her face and her hand, and even more recently, started sucking on her super soft muslin blankets to put herself to sleep.  

Here is a look into the rest of Acelyn's 3 month news!

Height, Weight & Sizes:
Although we didn't have a three month well check (we will again at 4 months), I did weigh Acelyn right before her 3-month birthday (at 12 weeks), and she clocked in at exactly 12 pounds, 1 ounce.  She has gotten super, super long, and based on our rough estimate at home, it looks like she is around 24.5 inches long!  She has gotten so long, that we had to move up in pajama sizes to 6 months.  Her other jammies fit width wise, but her little toes were getting so squished!  For onesies, rompers and bottoms, she is fitting well in 3-6 months with a few 0-3 bottoms still fitting her well, too.  We moved up in diaper sizes, also, graduating from a size 1 to a size 2.  They are a little roomy, but we always prefer more room over too tight in the waist, so I think we will be in 2s for a while.  I finally packed away her newborn clothes and took out her fall and winter larger sizes, both of which I couldn't believe the time had come for! More ugly cries!

Feeding:
We continue to breastfeed successfully (woohoo!) and have formed a nice little groove in our day with feeding, continuing the trend of eating every 3 hours during the day and every 4 at night.  I'm actually waking her to feed in the middle of the night for a little control over our sleep, otherwise if I let her go, she wakes around 5AM and by the time we are finished feeding and burping, we only get about 45 minutes of sleep again until Jason and Nolan are up for the day.  To maintain my sanity, I continue to wake in the middle of the night so I'm not super groggy for the day... because no one wants a groggy, crabby Mama!  We will probably try sleeping through the night around 4 months if I see her time between feedings lengthens out a bit, but for now, we have a good rhythm.  She has an adorable habit of throwing her hand inside my shirt when she nurses, which is the cutest thing ever and melts my heart every time she does it.  She also has started crunching up to try to sit up super quickly when she is done nursing, looking at me right away and smiling, like she's saying, "Hey Ma, I'm done! Now let's play!" like she just can't wait!

Since we decided to go out a few times this past month, we've tried having Acelyn take to a bottle, and she just won't have much of it.  We have tried different bottles, nipples, positions, times... and every time she only takes in about an ounce and she's over it.  She never cries and doesn't seem starving, but it's still nerve-wracking to know she isn't a fan of the bottle, especially when I'm away from her.  We'll keep at it and hopefully one day she'll decide to like it!  

Sleeping:
We're keeping on our E.A.S.Y. schedule and Acelyn seems to have found a nice little routine that she follows daily, unless we go out for a while, which then throws her off and she just adjusts and deals (which is so nice!).  Her naps, although still around the same times as last month, have actually shortened, and she tends to only nap for about an hour max at each one during the day.  Her night time sleep is still solid and even when she wakes to eat and have a diaper change, she's half asleep still and goes right back down without a fuss.  She has started taking naps in her crib (in her Dock-a-Tot), which are hit or miss since she wakes up and realizes Mom isn't around, so sometimes she will nap in her swing or on the couch if it's during Nolan's nap, too.  She's a fan of rubbing her blanket on her face between her cheek and hand, and sometimes will even suck on the blanket to put herself to sleep.  She still isn't a fan of the paci, but will take the Soothie sometimes if I can convince her.  She likes to sleep both confined and snuggled or open and spread out, but it depends on her mood and if she's not positioned how she wants, she will make sure she gets her way!  We've also gotten into the routine of bath time every other night with Nolan, and she absolutely loves her new bath seat!  She splashes and kicks her legs so much and just watches Nolan while he plays, and loves every second of spending time in the water.  It's a nice routine to have, and I'm excited to start doing it every night when she's a bit older when the water and soap is not so harsh on her sensitive skin.

Likes:
Smiling and laughing, especially getting "scared", she thinks it's hilarious 
Watching Nolan do everything
Sucking her hands.. nonstop.
Her toy Zebra
When we say "Hiiiiii" or "Hellloooo" to her
Snuggling her Little Unicorn muslin blankets
Hanging in the high chair while Mommy cooks dinner
Screeching
Kicking her legs like crazy
Bathtime
Watching T.V. (Daniel Tiger is her favorite... or maybe it's just because it's big brother's favorite!)
Flying in the sky (lifting up over my head), bouncing around on my knees... I call her my little daredevil because she likes all the scary thrills!

Dislikes:
Still hates her carseat
Bottles
If she is set on a certain position she wants to be in (laying flat or sitting up) and she's in a different one (holding her), she squirms and whines to let you know!
Sucking boogers out of her nose (yuck!)

We love this munchkin so much and are loving watching her grow!