Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope your day is filled with good food, family and lots of thanks!

{These are a Few of My Favorite Things: Stocking Stuffers}

{These are a Few of My Favorite Things: Stocking Stuffers}

 

 



Today is all about stocking stuffers!  I love getting little trinkets in my stocking each year.  Last year was the first year Eric and I did stockings and I had so much fun getting things to put in his stocking.  This year we also get to fill Madison's stocking!

Starbucks Holiday Mug / OPI Nail Polish / Pens  

Hair Bands / Note Cards / Vanilla Bean Noel Body Wash 

Hand Cream / EOS Lip Balm / ID Badge Lanyard

 

Stocking Stuffer Link-Up

 

 

Baby Paparazzi

Friday morning, Eric went to go pick out Madison's clothes and came back with a red onesie and black pants.  Since it was the day of the Katy High School (our high school) playoff football game, he said she had to wear her Katy Tiger Red.  Definitely not my favorite outfit she wears, but I figured might as well try to take some pictures of her in front of the Christmas tree.  Here are some of the cute pictures I was able to get:

 

 

The whole time I was taking pictures, I kept wondering why Madison wasn't smiling like she normally does.  Then, I realized...she is pooping the whole time I am trying to take pictures!  Something about that Bumbo chair just really gets her moving!  Here are some of the out takes I got...these crack me up!

{Five on Friday}

Happy Friday friends! Madison has been full of smiles and giggles this week! On Thursday we went to lunch with my dad and she smiled the entire time. Maybe it's because he talks like Donald Duck to her, but she sure was happy to see him.

 

1. Lately I have been loving my morning coffee every day. Maybe it's the lack of sleep but I look forward to it every single morning. I usually feed Madison between 6:00-6:30 and then she will go back to sleep until 9.  I love this time of the morning to drink coffee, watch the Today Show and get ready for the day.  As you can tell I think we're a little obsessed with flavored creamers right now. Usually we only have one flavored creamer and one regular creamer in our fridge,  but it seems like every time I go to the store I find another flavored creamer that we need to get. Every morning it's a huge decision about what flavor of coffee I will have that morning.
 

 

2. Our house is almost all the way decorated for Christmas! Usually I'm the type of person that does not want to start thinking about Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but for some reason this year I couldn't wait. Madison has tons of Christmas outfits that are ready to be worn and there are pictures to be taken! Last weekend we put up our tree and decorated the mantle. I have started to put out other things around the house, so there just a few things left to do. I also can't wait for Christmas music to start playing on the radio. Last Sunday I went to the grocery store by myself around 8:00 at night and they had Christmas music playing. I had to stop myself from singing in the aisles.

 

3. We moved Madison out of our room this week.  Mommy wasn't quite ready, but everyone kept telling me she was ready and I would sleep better with her in her own room...they were right!  Eric walked out of our bedroom Sunday morning carrying her monitor and bed stuff and I immediately got tears in my eyes.  We started by having her sleep in the dining room for 2 days so that I could still see her from my bed. Wednesday night, I moved her pack and play into her room and she slept in her room all night!  She is still waking up once a night to eat, but she sleeps from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am each night!  I am so proud of her!

 

 

 

4. We went this week and got Madison officially registered for daycare. I only have about a week and a half left of maternity leave. Everybody at the school absolutely loved her.  I am going to miss getting to spend everyday with her, but I know she's going to be in a good place when I go back to work. We are going to have to soak up every minute of the next week and a half and love on her.

 

5. We are starting to make some headway on Christmas shopping. As much as I have been ready for Christmas and Christmas decorations, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around shopping for Christmas. We have a couple things left to buy for our niece and nephews. We got most of Madison's stuff last night, but still need to get a couple little things for her stocking. It was so fun to shop for her!

Here's a cute little  video of Miss Madison to leave you with...

 

{These are a Few of My Favorite Things}

                                   

 I remember when I was younger watching the Oprah Favorite Things episode each year.  She always gave away the most unique things each year.  Now, Ellen does the 12 Day of Christmas, which is also full of wonderful surprises.  I have been trying to get a jump of Christmas shopping this year since I am on maternity leave until the beginning of December.  I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around Christmas shopping, but slowly making some progress.  Eric and I have been trying to brainstorm a few things to get Madison. She loves anything with music or lights!

       Eric and I have never been big on giving gifts to each other, but it is always fun to have a few little surprises to open Christmas morning.  Sometimes we will get a big item we have been wanting, like a camera, or we will go on vacation for our Christmas present.  This year, we decided we would get each other a couple little things for Christmas so we have a surprise that morning, but our gift to each other is going to be going out to a nice dinner somewhere and having a date night after Christmas.  Now we just need a babysitter...hint hint...mom and dad. ;)

Cheers Ya'll, one of the blogs that I read, is doing a link-up for readers to share some of their favorite things, so I thought this would be a great way to get some Christmas ideas!  Here are a few of my favorite things right now.




1. Old Navy ballet flats- Surprisingly very comfortable!  I have bought 3 pair this year.



2.  Old Navy Crew Neck Cardigan- I guess it's my teacher side coming out, but I am a sucker for an Old Navy cardigan!  I love this mint green color.







                                

3.  Alfani Tear Drop Earings- I have been liking tear drop earrings that I have been seeing lately and always need a pair of earrings to go with gold jewelry. 

 

4. Vera Bradley Large Duffel Bag- I don't have a good bag to take for an over night trip, so this Vera Bradley bag would be great! I have 2 Vera Bradley diaper bags and love both of them.

5. James Avery Birth Charm- James Avery is a Texas jeweler who makes the most beautiful charms.  Eric had went there to get me a charm after Madison was born, but wanted to make sure it was what I wanted.  Here we are 10 weeks later and I still haven't told him what I want!  I think I finally decided, so I think this is what I will tell him I want for Christmas.

What are some of your favorite things you are looking at for Christmas?



Bath Time Fun

One of our favorite times around our house is Madison's bath time.  She loves her bath!  At first, she was not a fan of the bath and cried the whole time.  But, once her umbilical cord fell off and she was able to have water poured on her, she fell in love with bath time!  She smiles the whole time when we wash her and pour water over her.  She also loves getting her lotion put on after her bath.  Nothing better than the smell of a baby right out of the bath.

1st bath at home- 2 days old

 

1st time to lay in baby bath tub- 5 days old

 

 

Not sure what to think about her bath....

Definitely not a fan of the bath yet...poor baby!

Now she is all smiles during bath time!

Five On Friday

Happy Friday friends!  It was such a beautiful week with the cooler weather!

 

1.  We went this week for Madison's 2 month well baby exam. She had to get 3 shots and was such a good girl. She cried, but was better in a few minutes. She weighs 11 lbs. 10 oz. (7 lbs. 9 oz. at birth), and is 22 3/4 inches long (20 in. at birth). The doctor said she is a month ahead of schedule for tracking with her eyes, as she can track vertically. We spent the next 2 days cuddling since she was a little under the weather from her shots, which I didn't mind one bit.

2.  We had our first "arctic front" this week! For Texas, that means it was a low of 35 degrees and 55 during the day. ;) Madison and I spent Wednesday having a pajama day and snuggling inside. This mommy doesn't do we'll with pajama days and had to get dressed at 2:00 because I was going crazy not feeling put together. Ever since the day Madison has been born I have gotten up and had to put on real clothes every day...it makes me be able to function better....I guess I'm weird.

3.  Eric's parents came to visit on Sunday and we went to eat dinner at Bonefish. W hadn't been there, but it was delicious! Eric, his mom and I all got a stuffed tilapia that was amazing. The weather was beautiful, so we sat outside. Anyone who knows Eric knows this doesn't happen often. He is always worried birds and bugs will get his food. ;) Madison loved sitting outside and looking around, so maybe she will get him to start sitting outside more often. 

4. We have spent the week trying to figure out the swaddling situation with Madison. She thinks she doesn't need to be swaddled and constantly tries to wiggle out of her swaddle blankets, no matter how tight we do them. However, she needs to be swaddled because she sleeps so much better when she is wrapped up. We tried the ready made swaddled blankets, but the ones we had were too small. I went and bought 2 new types. The first one we tried, she got her arms out and spent the night flailing her arms around. She seems pretty proud of herself that she got her arms out, so that was hilarious to watch on the monitor. The next night, we tried the 2nd swaddler. She slept from 9pm- 3am!! I fed her at 3 and she went right back to sleep. Both times I put her down awake and she fell asleep...progress!! She is right on the cusp of sleeping through the night, so hopefully the swaddling will help her. 

 

Here is the reason why the blanket isn't working anymore for swaddling...

Snug as a bug in a rug!

 

5. On Thursday, we went to eat lunch with Tegan. We had so much fun seeing her and the boys. When we picked Cainan up from school, he was telling me about having a Thanksgiving feast at his house. Here she conversation that followed:

Me: Cainan, what do you think Eric and I should bring for Thanksgiving?

Cainan: Is crab a Thanksgiving food?

Me: Not really, but when you have a feast, you bring something you like to share with the other people at the feast. 

Cainan: What about lobster, is lobster a Thanksgiving food?

Me: no, usually people have turkey for Thanksgiving and sometimes ham. 

Cainan: Ok, you bring the turkey and I'll bring the ham. 

He is definitely his mommy and daddy's kid! To put this into perspective...he wanted to go eat sushi for his 5th birthday in September. Love that boy!