momfessions

Posted on April 6, 2016 by tandem in love

well, well, well. i am pregnant with our second babe and it’s been an interesting journey thus far. there are a lot of questions and thoughts floating around this house and inside my head.

what will this new babe be like? will she rambunctious? calm? wild? will she be like olive…most likely not! what will she look like? according to the ultrasound, her profile already looks so different than olive’s. will olive take to her? how will it be balancing two babes? will i be able to keep up with all the crazy things i already do? will olive get jealous? will i lose my mind?! hahaha!

i get how curious i am…i was totally that way with olive. so many questions and the complete unknown. i totally thought i would stop everything having a new babe but i didn’t. i do go out less because i enjoy spending my time with olive and hc but i do definitely add too much to my plate and don’t know when to say no to myself. i know i will probably have to slow down while this second babe is brand spankin’ new but i am excited.

it’s really hit me hard that my time with olive is coming to an end. i think all first time moms go through this journey and it’s been extra hard for me because i am so darn emotional being pregnant. i mean, like reallllllllly emotional. i cry at the idea that it’s not going to be just olive. i love her. i, of course, only know of her and no other child and, of course, everyone says that you adjust, your love just grows exponentially, and you never look back but i am not there yet. so i am going to wallow in my own sadness that i won’t have just olive time. i won’t get to just snuggle just her and not worry about anything else. i mean…i love her so much and i kind of want that time to slow down and stretch out before this other babe comes along. can that please happen?! pretty please?!

so many moms say you will be in awe over their bond and relationship and i cannot wait to see their love together. i definitely look forward to that! yes, they will fight, yes they will probably drive me crazy, and yes they will test my patience to it’s limits but i look forward to the good, the bad, and the cray!

i really cannot wait to meet our second daughter! life is going to change dramatically and i look to forward to the immense love i will feel all over again. children are absolutely amazing and my world is so full of happiness because of them. it’s definitely a love so full, so overwhelming, and a love you never realized existed. having children is the most amazing gift in this world and we are so blessed!

xoxo

bump update

Posted on March 28, 2016 by tandem in love

bump update!

how far along? 24 weeks!

weight gain: i haven’t had an official weigh in yet. my doctor’s appointment is this week, so i don’t look forward to what it will be. haha! i will update this post once i find out but i am thinking at least 6 pounds. i don’t know why, but i definitely feel ginormous. bleh!

maternity clothes? yup! i finally did it! i dug through my closet and found the random pieces that i have. gosh, it wasn’t easy! i didn’t buy much with olive and i could hardly remember where i put it away. it definitely had no rhyme or reason…that is why it took me so long to muster up the energy to look for them! it was like finding a needle in a haystack but voila! i found my pants and purchased some new tights and other items to accommodate this growing belly. wow! what a difference it makes wearing maternity clothes. i am so.much.more.comfortable.

sleep: well, i am just plain irresponsible. i just don’t get enough sleep. i totally have the opportunity to do so but i don’t. olive goes to bed every night at her usual hour and i have the chance to hop into bed myself but i don’t, nope. i am up trolling instagram, or editing pictures, or writing blog posts, or crafting something. i find myself going to bed waaaayyyyyyy too late every night and waking up at the same time every day. ugh.

physical state: tired. tired. tired. my legs are sooooo tired. i can’t believe how tired i am this second time around. everyone told me i would be and i believed them but i didn’t realize that at the halfway point, i would be this tired. i am on my feet all day, olive always wants to play with her mommy, i don’t get a lot of time to rest, sit down, or relax. i feel like the bottom half of body is going to explode. it’s so swollen! yuck! and it’s not even summer time yet, where i feel like i will really blow up!

i am also bombarded with a major case of baby brain. it’s baaaaaaaaddd. i am klutzy, aloof, forgetful, and way too carefree over random things. i can’t remember such odd things to save my life. just ask my husband. it’s definitely not my normal state right now. eep!

miss anything? i miss having a beer or a glass of wine. i miss moving at a fast pace. i miss being able to put on my tights or paint my toes without gasping for breath or feeling like someone punched me in my stomach because i bent over too far. i miss being able to wear a good portion of my clothes. i miss my pre-pregancy skin. my face looks like it warped back into my teenager years with wrinkles. haha!

baby movement: she’s getting stronger by the week! i love it! i am cherishing every moment, constantly thinking it’s my last. i love every kick, every bump, every twirl this little baby girl is doing inside my belly. it’s the best thing ever and oh so amazing.

food cravings: the cravings have tapered off quite a bit. i have become a bit more routine. i usually eat a raisin bagel or have a cherry yogurt in the morning. i snack before lunch and usually eat a sandwich and have some soup for lunch, snack again, and then eat dinner with hc every night {whatever he whips up}. then like clockwork, i usually eat a small bowl of cereal before bed. yup. just like that.

bump status: big ol’ belly. big. big. big. and feeling heavy already. man, the second time around is really much bigger!

gender reveal: as y’all know, it’s a girl!

xoxo

20 week ultrasound

Posted on March 8, 2016 by tandem in love

we had our 20 week ultrasound and it was pretty amazing. it was a tough day for us but nevertheless, the ultrasound was quite awesome. how could it not be? it was thrilling to see all her parts and to get the thumbs up that she is growing so well and all her bits are in tact and looking fantastic.

i always feel that once you get the ok from the ultrasound, it’s all good from here until delivery. yes, the baby has to develop fully but it feels so good to know that she’s growing in the right way and on her way!

i always have qualms about the delivery, because you’re never ever safe until that babe comes out and gets the stamp of approval. so, until then, we cannot wait to meet this babe!

i think the best, best party of the ultrasound was when the tech zoomed onto her face. up on the screen flashed her face, partially shown, and lo and behold – baby girl had a big lip pout going on!!! i gasped! are you serious?! just like her sister! i can’t believe the babes was pouting in the womb!

that was so crazy. olive has been pouting since she came out of the womb, so it was amazing to see her baby sister doing the same in the ultrasound! gah! it makes me all the more curious on what she will look like!

judging from her profile pics, i really think this babe is going to look very different from olive. this babe has a higher, pointier nose and a more prominent profile overall. her face seems more defined than flat and compact like olive’s was in the ultrasound.

eep! we can’t wait to meet her!

[her eyes are blacked out but you can see her nose, lips, and chin. her right arm is over her face. for some reason, some people can’t make out the pic! but seriously, that pout!!! just like her sister]

[her bitty little foot]

[her legs are up over her head. her profile is definitely different than olive’s. i think this babe is going to look soooo different!]

xoxo

bump update

Posted on February 27, 2016 by tandem in love

how far along? 20 weeks!

weight gain: 2lbs! i am shocked! the first trimester was rooooough but thank goodness this second trimester i have felt more like my normal self. i am somewhat stabilizing in my weight gain! phew!

maternity clothes? not yet. when i was pregnant with olive, i pushed it until 5-6 months but i really, really feel that i need to graduate to maternity clothes soon. it’s more about the fact that i am too lazy to find, pull out, and look for my maternity clothes. haha! it’s in my closet somewhere…

sleep: i am just irresponsible. yup. completely irresponsible with my sleep. i just stay up way too late. i know i can go to bed around 10 or 11 but i just have so much to do! my sleep is solid but i definitely don’t get enough. in the past, i used to sleep for 9-11 hours a day. haha! so crazy, non?!

physical state: i finally started to feel somewhat normal a few weeks ago. the nausea disappeared and my energy was back, but thaaaaaat bump. oy! it’s so big! sometimes it feels so heavy!? already? whaaaaa? my legs hurt a lot too. they feel swollen and tired, like they can’t take the extra weight already. gah!

miss anything? i still am pretty strict with what i consume, in terms of what could or would harm the babes but i am eating more seafood now than what i did with olive. with olive, i didn’t consume any seafood…just because i was nervous about it but this time around, i am a bit more relaxed about it. i still do miss deli sandwiches, salami, prosciuitto, sushi, wine, the usual. mmmmm. i am hungry.

baby movement: total kicks and movement! i am in love! it was at 18 weeks on 2.8 at 5:50 pm. yes. i am a nerd like that. i am so excited for the kicks, punches, turns, and the movement i will feel. i love feeling her move around and it makes me so happy!

food cravings: it’s so in the moment. i don’t crave odd things together but i definitely crave things and when i do, i have to have it!

bump status: it’s like a torpedo sticking out of my belly. the bump is very concentrated. there’s hardly a slope…it’s like it’s my stomach area, then boom, a big belly, then the underside of my stomach again. projectile!

gender reveal: it’s a girl! i knew it! i had a feeling it was a girl and then it was confirmed! on christmas eve and day, when we announced to our family, i boldly called out to everyone that it was a girl. i just had a feeling. i am super excited…i really wanted to have another girl! olive is going to be a big sister and have a little sister! yay!

xoxo

gender reveal boxes

Posted on February 18, 2016 by tandem in love

ok…when i was pregnant with olive, we had a fun, wonderful gender reveal party. their birthdays are complete opposites, so it was easy to have a party for olive in the summer because her birthday was in the winter. for this new babe, the birthday will be in the summer, so having a party was not in the cards with it being so cold and honestly, i wanted something fun but simple!

so, i brainstormed multiple ideas…what was going to be a fun, unique way to reveal the baby’s gender? i didn’t want to do something typical and it was difficult to come across an idea that wasn’t already done. i thought about creating my own scratch off cards and sending boxes to all our friends and family but i totally wanted to make it my own.

first i started with the box. oh my goodness. you would think it would be easy to choose a box but holy cow, it wasn’t! i searched and searched for the right sized box and the right material and the right quantity without spending a ton of money on it. for goodness sake, they’re only boxes! i didn’t need to spend a pretty penny for cardboard. i originally didn’t want kraft cardboard {which is why it took a little longer in my search} but alas, it was the best choice and sturdy enough to send. oh yes, i am a bit cray.

anyhoo, i wanted the contents to be whimsical and cute. i dreamt up ideas of confetti, crinkle paper, candies, soft pinks, blues, and a whole lotta cuteness! i ended up finding a shop on etsy that made gender reveal scratch off cards. score! it was one less item for me to make, although i had the supplies and i was ready create my own scratch off cards! i was super happy with the final result. i also had a custom stamp made {with the words gender reveal} as a final touch to the package.

[scratch off cards, revealing the gender!]

[what will it bee…??]

[pretty glassine bags and a pretty penny to reveal the gender]

[this little nugget helping mama]

i was super happy with how the gender reveal boxes turned out! oh, i couldn’t wait to send them out to everyone and see how they responded! it was pretty awesome. it was such a fun, special way to include everyone in our little surprise!

xoxo

it’s a girl!

Posted on February 14, 2016 by tandem in love

eep! happy valentine’s day!

yay! and it’s going to be another baby girl for us! yup! we are pregnant with a little baby girl! how exciting! i knew it! i knew it! when we announced our pregnancy on christmas eve and day to our families, i told everyone that it was a girl before i really even knew. haha!

it was definitely hard to keep it a secret. oh my. everyone and their grandma asks. i would definitely say being pregnant is a cause to not telling the truth. you deny that you’re pregnant the first twelve weeks…you tell people you don’t know the gender because you know peeps are going to harass you. it goes on and on but i am sooooo glad the cat’s out of the bag and we can talk about it, get excited, and plan for this baby girl!

i am all about olive having a sister! she does have grace but grace is so much older and unfortunately, not around as often as we would like. so, a sister close to olive’s age is going to be so much fun, so much fighting, so much craziness! i am looking forward to it. i feel like sisters are built in best friends. i think women really hold families together. i love our mother/daughter bond and i can’t wait for olive and her baby sister to do things together, hand in hand. i am ready for some crazy girl time!

as hc always says, it’s almost impossible for him to have a boy. he has a group of best friends that all have little girls. between the four of them, i think they all have 9-10 girls? and no boys! they call themselves the X men. haha!

[my favorite! look at her pose]

[i love these pics so much!!! obvs, this is not a maternity dress…haha, but even when i was skinny, these darn pockets still stuck out!]

well, happy valentine’s day indeed my friends! we are so excited to welcome our baby girl! we can’t wait to meet you sweet lady, we are so in love already!

xoxo

bump update

Posted on February 2, 2016 by tandem in love

how far along? 16 weeks!

weight gain: 4lbs. phew. honestly, i was betting on at least 6-8 pounds. no joke. well, at least, that is how i am feeling! so, overall, i am now three pounds heavier than i was with olive {it decreased just a wee bit…thank goodness!} but nevertheless, it’s still an overwhelming feeling. regardless, with the fact that i lost all the baby weight i gained with olive {almost 40lbs}, no woman ever wants to gain weight {even, even for a miracle of a baby…and it is worth it and a miracle}. i definitely don’t deny myself any cravings…just ask hc, hahaha!

maternity clothes? gah! it’s been a tough battle. i am so big in my lower section. my stomach {obvs}, my hips, my thighs. everything has expanded. man, it’s quite taxing on the mind. i am just rocking out skirts and tights since it’s the most comfortable thing right now. i, sometimes, put on my pants and cringe…so leggings it is!

sleep: so my crazy insomnia had ceased but i am still not taking care of myself by getting enough sleep. i go to bed waaayyyyy too late. i am a bit overwhelmed. i know, i definitely take on and do too much. i think i need therapy for being a type a kind of person. hahaha! just keeding {not really}. once olive is asleep, i tackle all sorts of things on my list and that list is never-ending. it’s like the list to infinity and beyond! so, sleep? i dunno what that is. eep, and this new babe is going to take away what is left of it too. ahhhhhhh!

physical state: bloated, tired, exhausted are my new favorite words and remain my favorite words. my legs are feeling it already. my body totally feels the weight gain {gosh, is it me or the second time around, everything feels 10folds worse?!}. add in not sleeping, being on my feet all day, coming home to an energetic toddler, and taking care of the house; it’s like a cray state of deliriousness.

miss anything? yup, sushi {where’s my dragon roll?}. wine {a nice delicious glass of red}. deli sandwich {i am drooling}. seafood {lobster, tuna, salmon – and i am talking tartare state of being}. hmmmm, i am hungry. on that note…i am hungry alllll the time. every two hours i must eat something! i am trying to choose healthier snacks but it doesn’t always go in that direction! hc has been on a health kick lately, so our dinners are super healthy and low cal, so that is at least helping this mama out!

baby movement: just a few tiny flutters but not really much…i can’t wait!

food cravings: not much has changed from the last month. although, fruit seems to be making a come back. when i get hungry, i love snacking on fruit {bonus!}. with this pregnancy, my cravings are very much in the moment. if i want to eat something specific, i have to have it right then and there. the cravings are very spur of the moment, which kind of drives hc nuts. eep!

bump status: bump is as big as everrrrrrr. like sooooo big. i think all the weight i gained is sitting in my belly {it does jiggle a bit}. ugh.

gender reveal: soon! soon! yay!

xoxo

olive’s purrrrday party!

Posted on November 28, 2015 by tandem in love

we celebrated olive’s birthday a week before the actual date {her birthday fell on black friday this year!}. so months of planning ensued prior to the actual party date. well, more so, months of idea scheming ensued. i hemmed and hawed back and forth on what colors, what theme, what to do, what to do…

i couldn’t decide. i love summery themes {not like i can’t do it} but somehow, i always veer away from them. i debated flamingos, fun bright colors, but alas i decided to do a kitty theme. it all spurred from an instagramer i adore {@meethaha} and a kitty template she used by lucille michieli.

i handmade all the invites {phew!}, with the help of hc of course! i purchased coordinating envelopes, lined them all, and addressed them. thank goodness it was just immediate family members because i couldn’t imagine doing dozen upon dozens of these! not like our wedding…who has time for that anymore?!

i decided on black, white, and pink as the main colors. i wrapped yarn balls as decorative accents, i ordered balloons, table runners, painted the centerpieces, created the photo booth, the dessert backdrop, and handmade all the favor boxes. eep! that was just the tip top of it. all the other details was just as time consuming and you know me! i can’t leave a stone unturned!

i needed to figure out place settings, dessert, food, favor items, props for the photos, and on and on and on. i know, i am so nutty but i do have a love/hate relationship with my creative craziness. i.can’t.help.it. it’s fun and abusing at the same time. hahaha!

anyhoo, i really did have a great time putting her party together. it was turning out so darn cute! i was super excited when her party day arrived! clueless me, i had no idea it was going to s n o w on her birthday party! like snooooooooow. who knew the area and surrounding areas were going to to 6-15″ of snow?! oops. well that put a damper on her guests coming in. unfortunately, her gramma, papa, auntie, great aunt and cousin could not make it to the party {they were the ones with 15″ of snow!}. such a bummer. we were sad but safety first!

[are you kitten me? invites]

[the invite suite]

[tablescape kitty decor]

[kitty favors]

[kid’s table]

[kitty dessert table]

[mmmmm, favorites]

well, mid-afternoon, the guests started to arrive! yay! we were super excited to celebrate with everyone! olive was being all sheepish at first but she finally did start to warm up and get involved. we served drinks and mingled with our lovely guests as the food was warming up. within the hour, lunch was served and we were noshing on some delicious bites and enjoying each other’s company.

after food and some photo booth fun, we served coffee and dessert! but not without singing happy birthday to this little cutie! it was oh so sweet! i lit the candle and brought the cake over…she had no clue what was going on! we started to sing happy birthday and she became so shy and embarrassed, she tried hiding from everyone. sooooo silly! she actually blew out her candle! yay!

[my silly girl]

[the calm before the storm…baby olive chillin’ and drawing before the guests arrive]

[meow]

[are you kitten me photo booth]

[it’s all about olive]

[love this guy]

[terry and barbara]

[super silly!]

[silly peeps]

[family first // and please don’t mind the kitchen under remodel!!!!]

[make a wish!]

[she wasn’t sure what was going on!]

[she blew out the candle on her own!]

[cupcake zombie]

[my brother, dan]

[and so they tied all balloons to her!]

[so, this was the tail end of the party…olive was all tied up]

over the next few hours, everyone was just hanging out and relaxing. olive opened some presents, some of us started the clean up, and my siblings decided it would be so cute to tie almost all the balloons to olive. yes, they wrapped her up in balloons to see if she could fly. hahaha! well, no lift off happened but only silliness and a cute, funny look on this little babe!

it was such a great, fun, delightful party! i loved the kitty theme, i loved how everything turned out, and i loved celebrating our girl’s special day with all of our loved ones! happy birthday my little girl! we love you oh so much!!!

xoxo

happy two years my sweet olive

Posted on November 27, 2015 by tandem in love

oh my oh my! olive is two years old! happy birthday my dear sweet olive!

where do i start?! it’s been an amazing year since her first birthday. she has grown so much and it fills my heart with joy!

[how darling is this picture? so in love]

she’s so quirky. like seriously a funny, goofy gal. she makes the funniest faces. she says the craziest stuff and does the most daring things. i love watching her. she amuses me with the faces she makes, her expressions kill me. i could watch her all day and be so entertained by this little gal.

she’s so dang bossy. that might be an understatement. she loves to tell me or anyone what.to.do. when she does’t want you around, she will say, “go! walk!”. the only way she can articulate for you to go away. when she wants something, she demands it! her one word commands. “draw!”, “eat!”, “book!”. everything is a demand. oh, it cracks me up.

she loves to dance. boogie down. she will say, “dah, dah, dah, dah!” and tap her feet back and forth and wave her arms. when she hears a beat, she will bounce her head back and forth back and forth. oh, it’s so cute to watch. she loves music and gets a big smile on her face when she hears a fun song.

oh my, she’s an eater. i am surprised this babe is not fatter! where are her baby rolls?! she will eat anything. you cannot bring any food around her without her wanting to eat every bite with you. as parents, it makes you very aware that if you are eating something unhealthy, eep, she will jump on it in two seconds. so, we almost have to sneak certain things behind her back because we don’t want her eating it. hahaha! so bad, i know. she loves fruit, yogurt, peanut butter crackers, chips, cheerios, and begs for cookies.

she’s obsessed with the t.v. oh boy. she loves it soooooo much. it’s so difficult to control. we do our best to not have it on during the day and only at night, right before bedtime but it seems like it’s becoming increasingly more difficult as she is getting older. her current favorite programs are kipper the dog, lego friends, legos, and cat in the hat. she will watch these shows over and over and over and over and over again. no joke. we want to strangle ourselves but baby girl loves it so!

this babe still loves her sleep. she’s such a great sleeper. we are pretty consistent with giving her that one nap a day around 3-4pm, it’s only if we have an event or something outside the norm that is happening that will cause her to skip her afternoon nap but it’s very rare. she is quite the night owl, though. it’s so hard to get this baby girl to go to bed before nine. she will fight it every chance she gets but once she goes down, she will be out for at least 9-10 hours straight. we have progressed into reading right before bedtime. she used to love reading in the morning, but now we read a book or two right before bedtime. i really love it and so does she. it’s a lovely, sweet routine i am glad we have formed.

the one thing i have noticed with her turning two is that this past week, she has really turned into a little girl. she looks taller, leaner, and more like a kid than a toddler. her face has matured. her eyebrows have darkened. her attitude has changed. she’s truly becoming a little person with a big personality. it’s so amazing to watch. i am so attentive with little details like that and i love to savor every second, every moment with her. i am literally watching her grow right before my eyes and it’s so flippin bittersweet. i want to cry and squeeze her with so much love and joy at the same time!

well, that is our baby girl in a nutshell. i could go on and on about her and this post would be ridiculously long but i will just give you the highlights!

happy birthday my lovely little olive. we love you so much. words cannot describe the love we have for you. we hope that each day, each year we are able to show that to you. we want only the best for you and we hope that you always feel loved, cared for, and grow up to be a strong, confident women that will rule the world.

xoxo

brand reppin’

Posted on November 11, 2015 by tandem in love

i am not sure if y’all know that olive is a brand rep for many shops.

what does that mean? well, she is sent free clothes and i pretty much take pics of her in these gifted garments and post it on our instagram account. easy peasy! we are also brand enthusiasts for a bunch of shops too! it’s where we receive a steep discount on their merchandise and do that same, post pics of olive sporting their gear!

it all started way back in january. one of my favorite shops was hosting a brand rep search. i had noooooooo clue what it entailed and nor did i have any skills in photo taking. my instagram account was mainly of our lives and every day activities. i loved posting pics of her #ootd but i never knew that the BR world even existed.

i was on vacation in l.a. for my sister’s birthday when i looked at my ig account and i was tagged by the shop owner {@stichesandsoles} on a pic of olive, notifying me that she was chosen as a BR for her shop! i was over the moon! how awesome was that?? olive was chosen out of hundreds of applicants and we felt so honored! besides the fact that the photos i had submitted were so poorly taken or not even taken by me!

then it became an addiction. oh my. i began entering all sorts of searches in hopes that they saw something in olive and would choose her! i went overboard {who me?!} and entered soooooo many searches, i was in over my head. at one point, we were repping for over 30 shops! oh my goodness. it became a job versus something fun {which it was fun in the beginning} and it should only be fun!

after tapering off on some shops, we were finally in a groove that felt right. we were having fun again and it became more like dress up time together versus a demand. we also surpassed a few weeks where olive completely boycotted head wraps. that was a tough few weeks where this mama sweated a bit but olive eventually got over it and became a champion head wrap wearer!

a few things i love about this whole brand repping gig: one, i love documenting olive growing up. i love seeing her pics from earlier this year to now and how different she looks! it’s amazing to see her changes {from super chubby cheeks to not so much anymore…waaahhhhh}, to see her grow, and to capture such sweet moments of her!

two, i love the relationships i have built with these amazing shop owners. these women behind these gorgeous babes or the women behind these amazing shops are just the best. they are my instafriends and such wonderful, supportive people. we believe in positivity, spreading love, and lifting each other up.

three, we believe in supporting handmade! so many of these women put their blood, sweat, and tears into the beautiful pieces they make. it’s pretty cool that so many women or stay at home moms can create a business for themselves and i definitely love supporting their craft, art, and cause!

scroll down below to see the list of shop owners we rep{ped} for! check them out and remember to shop small this holiday season!