Tuesday, August 25, 2015

five months


Size: We are working our way through our last box of size 3 diapers and making the transition to 6-12 month clothes. At 4 months, Ezra was the exact same height and weight as her brother, who topped out at 21 pounds at 7 months old and stayed that way until just after he turned one. So, we'll see! Everyone still assumes she's older than she is because of her size. I don't mind those chunky thighs one bit, though! I could eat her for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Eat: Still exclusively breastfed, still haven't given her a bottle. Mostly because we just don't have a need to. Though I'd kill for a date night, we don't know a babysitter so it's kind of a moo point (Friends reference, anyone?!) She is so very interested in our food and has been given the ok to start solids by her doctor, but I'm just not quite ready yet. With Uriah, I made all of his food and loved doing it!, but doing that again adds a lot more to my plate the second time around (with a toddler who almost never plays independently). We'll get around to it within the month, I'm sure. She's too interested to avoid it for long!

Sleep: Ezra's still not sleeping through the night like she had been, but she's so cute and so sweet, it's hard to be mad at her for it ;) She goes down around 7:30, waking around midnight and 2am, and is up for the day around 7, unless her brother is extra loud - in that case, she's up for the day around 5:30 like the rest of us. She takes a two hour nap in the morning an hour or two after she wakes up, a one to two hour nap in the afternoon when Uriah goes down at 1 (occasionally taking an on-the-go nap in the carrier, carseat or stroller somewhere between the two around 10 when we're usually out and about) and an hour evening nap around 5.
We've been in and out of sleep training the last month. I'm not against the cry it out method (and eventually that's what worked for Uriah, having tried everything else we eventually gave up at 15 months and I so wish we would have done it sooner!) but it's tricky in our new apartment because the only room we can put her in (if we're going to let her cry it out in the middle of the night and semi sleep through it, or at least have Uriah sleep through it) is the living room. But we had company sleeping in our living room for a week and we have early mornings around here... It's just hard. But we've been letting her cry it out for naps and after the first day she started to figure it out. Now, if she cries more than ten minutes I know something's not right - she's either pooped, hungry or I read her signs wrong and she's just not tired at all. Most of the time I can lay her down awake and she'll babble herself to sleep. She'll wake up that way, too - babbling and rolling around for quite awhile before she decides she needs to get my attention and get out of bed. Always, though, when I get her up, she greets me with the biggest, sweetest, happiest smile!

Movement: Ezra is rolling this way and that way alllll the time! She's never in the same place I left her when I leave a room and come back to it. She gets her knees up under her quite a bit, too, but never at the same time that she's on her hands - though she's showing so much interesting in getting places I don't know that it'll be too much longer before she's crawling...! She loves to stand up and can balance while holding onto the couch or chair and if I had to guess I'd say she'll be sitting any day now! She can (and loves to) sit, but only for about twenty seconds at a time (counting mississippi-ily - another Friends reference!) She has such good traction with her eyes and can intentionally grab anything in reach. And oh my does she GRAB! And, of course, it all goes straight to her mouth.

Likes: This girl is all about her social life! She loves people looking at her and talking to her! She will smile at anyone who so much as glances at her and she smiles with her whole body - her eyes disappear and her body jolts and she looks away and it's so dang CUTE! (you wouldn't be able to tell she's a smiley, happy baby by these pictures - too close to nap time!) She loves things that aren't toys - specifically the wipe container and anything found on the kitchen counter. Though she loves her toys, too - her rainbow rings, Sophie the giraffe and the animals on her play mat. She loves her brother and could contently and happily sit and watch him play, talk and sing all day (if he sat still long enough or actually gave her the time of day!) She beams at her daddy's voice and it's the sweetest thing to see her crane her neck in his direction! She loves being outside - on a blanket or in the carrier. She's still a binky baby and loves going to sleep with a blanket to snuggle.

Dislikes: Having a toy fall out of her reach and being ignored. She still doesn't mind getting her diaper changed or getting dressed, nor does she dislike any mode of transport - thank goodness! She is truly such a happy, smiley, content baby!

We are thinking we'll be seeing teeth in that gummy smile any day now! Though teething is such an easy thing to blame any little fuss on, we're thinking that might be the cause of the sleeping issues and the fussy evenings we've been experiencing. She's nursing more than normal (and spitting up more because of it) and always drooling and chewing on her fingers (but she's been doing that for months). I thought I felt something on the bottom and Stephen thought he felt something on the top - who knows!

Her hair is still blonde as blonde can be and is getting longer in the front - her dark long pieces in the back are slowly disappearing and though I always said they made her look a little homely, I'm sad to see them go!

She will give away smiles to anyone in a ten foot radius but she really makes you work for those laughs! Which I guess is ok - they're treasured and shared with the ones she knows and likes best :)


Miss Ezra Lee (as you are most often called) you are such a light in our lives. We are so grateful for your happy, peaceful demeanor. You are a true gem and we are so blessed to have you! Happy five months, baby girl!

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

a collaboration with ShopPinkBlush and PinkBlush Maternity

Ok, so I'm no fashion blogger (clearly. these pictures were taken and edited on my iPhone.) I tried to be once because I was like, "Hey! I like clothes, I studied this in college, I won't look silly taking selfies with my point and shoot camera in my apartment..." but that was a big fat fail for very obvious reasons and it's truthfully too embarrassing to look back on. And now I'm a mom and it's even harder to think about fashion blogging, or fashion in general, because black leggings, a pajama shirt and yesterday's french braid don't exactly scream "Bloglovin' top hit!" But when PinkBlush reached out to me in hopes that I would share their brand with my readers (hey, that's you!) I gladly accepted the opportunity.

In the spring, I put out a cry for help on Instagram when I was shopping for a dress for Stephen's graduation. I wanted something cute and trendy (dare I say, a little sexy) that was nursing friendly but wouldn't break the bank and apparently that combo is hard to come by because I was having a hell of a time finding something! Thankfully, a couple people recommended PinkBlush - a trendy online women's boutique with both maternity and non-maternity (and affordable!) clothes. I have been keeping their site in my online shopping wish list ever since and I have been so thrilled with the pieces I ordered through this collaboration to share with you!

^^ These printed palazzo pants really have me feelin' like I'm still in my pajamas - major bonus to being in style and cute! You can find them on the ShopPinkBlush website, here ^^

^^ This tank saw it's way to a firehouse with a busy awe struck two year old AND is loose enough to lift up easy for nursing a hungry little 18 pound 4 month old (without showing off my entire backside) - WIN! Shop this tank top, here ^^

^^ I saved the best for last... THIS DRESS...! Not only is it nursing friendly, maternity friendly and budget friendly, it is just SO PRETTY! The colors on this dress are unreal and the fabric is so lightweight (and comfortable!) it's easy to wear all day. I wore it to church on Sunday (my first time to church without Stephen, ever!) and plan on wearing it on our next date night (because Stephen loves it just as much as I do!) Shop this dress (in lots of colors!), here ^^

No offense to my photographers, but my pictures are terrible, I realize that. BUT! The clothes are not. ShopPinkBlush and PinkBlush Maternity officially have my stamp of approval. Not that you were waiting for it it go shopping, but, now you have it. It's there. Go shop!

Monday, August 3, 2015

TWO babies!


Every once in a while it hits me that I have two babies... TWO babies! I'll catch myself saying it out, as if to convince myself that its really true, in honest disbelieve and excitement. One day, while Ezra was sitting in my lap, Uriah crawled onto my other knee and said, "Momma! TWO babies!" And my heart melted right there on the floor.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

four months


Size: At 4 months old Ezra is in size 3-6 month clothes (but just so!) and size 3 diapers. She weighs 18 pounds, in the 95th percentile for weight, and is 27 inches tall, in the 99th percentile for height! 

Eat: Exclusively breastfed (still haven't tried giving her a bottle) but starting to show interest in food! She's always following my fork to my mouth and reaching for things on my plate! She eats about every 3 hours. 


Sleep: So... Ezra was sleeping through the night right up until a week or so before she turned 4 months. I assumed the move had just taken a toll on her and gave her some time to re-adjust, but she's still waking up once or twice a night, more often than not staying awake for an hour around 3-4 am. This momma is tired! I upped her bedtime to 7:30, because pushing it until 8 or 9 became too hard, and she's usually up for the day shortly after Uriah and I, sometime between 6-7. She's taking 4 naps a day, usually one on the go either in the car seat or carrier, but her naps are starting to become fairly consistent. When she's not on the move, she does like to be (need to be!) rocked and snuggled to sleep, and as much as I enjoy that time, I would much prefer if she could go down for a nap on her own (and occasionally she does! usually when she's left under her play mat or in her rocker because I have to "deal with" her brother) This month: sleep training!


Movement: The girl is on the move! Well, sorta. After she learned how to roll over she stopped doing it, until recently. You'll quite often find her on her belly, now, though she doesn't roll back to her back very often, even though she can...?! Between rolling over, rolling on to her side and grabbing things to bring her closer to them, she's almost never in the same spot as she was when I put her down! She's able to intentionally reach for things now, too. Her reach can still be a little shaky, but girl knows what she wants and tries so hard to get it! 


Accomplishments: Ok, so maybe these aren't "accomplishments", but I don't know what else to call them - "things she does"...?! Ezra LAUGHS!! The first few times a few giggles came out, it's like it scared her and she'd end up big eyed letting out a little pterodactyl scream! More and more she's letting those giggles come out though and it is music to my ears! She drools! (like crazy!) Plays with and chews her toes (which I love!) Chews on and sucks her fingers (most often her middle and pointer finger. Occasionally she'll get her thumb in there, too) Squeals (!!!) Blows out her diapers at least once a day (awesome!) Can hold onto her toys (and has favorites! - the rattle lion on her play mat, her Eric Carle caterpillar and her rainbow rings)


Likes: More than anything, she still loves attention! She loves eye contact and being talked to and swooned over (what girl doesn't?!) She can make anyone feel like a million bucks because she will smile at anyone who so much as glances at her, smiles at her or says her name. And the girl smiles with her whole body! Her eyes squint up and disappear, her mouth opens so wide and her whole body crunches into a ball. She loves her brother's voice and watches everything he does. She loves to sit up (she is always in a crunch!) and stand up (she can hold almost all of her body weight on those chubby thighs!) She loves to be snuggled - rocked, bounced and sang to. She likes her binki and snuggling with a blanket. She likes when you play with her feet and tickle her neck. She likes the carrier and her car seat (thank goodness!) and is getting used to the stroller. She loves being outside - the breeze, sunshine and fresh air. Honestly, there isn't much she doesn't like and has been such an easy going, sweet tempered baby!  


Dislikes: She gets startled easily - doesn't like loud sudden noises. She'll cry when her brother cries, when she's reached the point of "over tired" and "starving" and, that's it! Really, you almost never hear her cry. She'll babble and grunt and moan and squeal, but her cries are limited. We just spent almost two weeks away from home, traveling on a new schedule with lots of new people and activities and they'd all say the same thing - she's such an easy baby! 

Things I want to remember: Her neck rolls (that seem to be endless!) that collect all her drool and need to be cleaned out frequently! The way she sucks in a bunch of air when she's excited (most often in response to something her brother said or did!) Her death grip on my shirt or necklace when she's nursing or being rocked to sleep. How she smiles with her whole body! Her little tiny features... The way she raises her eyebrows but doesn't get any forehead wrinkles. The way she'll crane her neck all the way around at the sound of daddy's voice. The way she sucks and chews on the Ergo and prefers it over her binki. 

Four months is good, you guys! Good! Everything is new and she's starting to discover it all! I'm so happy I get to be the one who discovers it with her! Jesus knew what He was doing when he gave us this sweet babe. She is such a perfect addition to our little family. We've been so blessed by her these last 4 months and all that she's taught us! So excited for all the giggles and accomplishments to come!