here are a few of some of my favorite may moments…
i usually keep the pics separate {keep it fresh!} but i included some of my instagram ones from may…if you would like, please follow me on instagram here 🙂
of course my may loves revolve around food, desserts, hc, and olive. in no particular order 🙂
[olive flipping over in her crib for the first time]
[such a funny gal]
[olive being cute // trying out the thai place by our house on a beautiful sunny day]
[my lanky little girl and her sophie]
[eating some healthy stuff]
[my cutie, stylish nephews]
[yummy, fluffy, sweet cake]
[enjoying a cozy nap in my arms]
[mini burgers // playing peekaboo]
[baby girl really enjoying her daddy’s beer]
[just being too cute]
[olive’s fabulous godparents]
[morning cuteness]
[nice look, nice hair miss olive // cousin love]
it was a beautiful month. sunny, warm, and bright. we were fully settled in our home, i loved the warm weather we were experiencing, and i was so excited olive was baptized in our gorgeous church.
the next one on my mind is an animal themed baby shower. you can go so many ways with this one! my girlfriend, jodi, had an animal themed shower the prior year. it was so cute, the favors were beautifully packaged animal crackers and fun little animal sign holders. the invites, the table signs, and the games were all cutely tied together.
the shower below inspired me with my gender reveal party from this past summer! the colors scheme and the little animal topped jars started my imagination and ended up with this final result here! it was a great party…look how a colorful baby shower inspiration led into a marvelous gender reveal fête!
here are some fabulous ideas for an animal themed bebe shower:
i am a big fan of backdrops, any type of fun decor you want to whip up will always be a do! i love the streamer style background for this dessert table. the strung wooden animals add a perfect fun element to the decor. you can find some similar one here.
for the desserts, you can’t go wrong with cupcakes! this shower has fruit tartlets, vanilla cupcakes, and strawberry shortcakes on a stick. yum!
[beautiful floral arrangements…i love roses, especially garden roses!]
i like the wooden drink stirrers, a very festive touch. how fun! depending on the season, pink lemonade is a perfect, fresh drink for a baby shower. otherwise, choosing a seasonal drink is easy…there are so many fun recipes out there. like for an autumn shower, an apple cider, cranberry, and ginger punch would be delicious!
i love how romantic the ribbon streamers look, a pretty walkway entrance for your guests. if the party is outside, you can use a tree limb to complete the look or over a doorway, if indoors.
of course, flowers always complete a party. i love soft, warm colors. my favorite flowers? garden roses, ranunculus, peonies, and anemones!
i love the little animal wooden cutout straws. so easy to do! you can find similar straws here.
i love the soft, pretty pastel colors of this party and how whimsical and romantic the decor is! such great ideas to use at the next baby shower you throw or any fete to be had!
we had olive’s six month photos taken right before her birthday!
oh boy, she was a bit better than her newborn photos but still a fussy little one! she wanted to be in her mama’s arms and that can’t happen when one is being solely photographed!
well, the hubs and me did a lot of dancing, noise making, funny faces, playing hide and seek, jiggling her toys…just to distract her and make her laugh! after all our efforts, we made it work and her session turned out so cute! i also loved that tricia had the cutest accessories and she works so well with the little one.
here are a few favorites from her photo shoot:
yes, she is in her birthday suit. it makes for the most adorable pictures. you definitely can’t get away with naked cuteness like this when you get older 😉
i was super duper excited when tricia emailed me to let me know that she had one of her vendors custom make a beautiful, delicate little outfit and matching headband for olive. how awesome is that?! i was so delighted that she was going to be photographed in such an adorbs, exquisite romper. so cool.
[burberry dress…a wonderful, generous gift from a former employee, serena // red flower headband from nordstrom]
the pictures turned out so perfect…i love how tricia captured olive’s cute chunky profile, those cheeks are to die for. i can’t get enough of that mug! every morning, i look forward to seeing her precious face!
olive loves her hungry caterpillar toy. it’s easy to pick up and she loves to slobber all over it. that’s her thing lately, drool and slobber on everything! she likes the colors and it’s quite easy to pick up. it’s always the first thing she reaches for when her toys are lying around her.
i love these burp cloths. they are soft, made from organic cotton, and i absolutely love the prints. the fox print is my favorite. so chic. plus, they serve their purpose! they absorb her drool, spit, and tears quickly and it’s super soft on her delicate skin. they are from my favorite store, sprout, in wicker park.
ok, so sophie had to make another debut on her favorite things because olive absolutely loves her. loves, loves, loves her! sophie is her number one toy. she always reaches for her and she loves holding onto her. she will chew, spit, and gnaw on her for hours. seriously, this french giraffe is the best invention and import for babies! it totally grabs her attention and keeps her preoccupied for a long time!
olive loves anything crinkly. since she loves the feel and learn book so much, i got her the hungry caterpillar book as well. i love this sensory book because it’s beautiful. the colors and pages are so creative, artistic, interactive, and pretty. i love children’s products that are functional, modern, beautiful, and aesthetically appealing. surprisingly this book fulfills a lot of those requirements. plus, she loves the little strawberry that hangs on it…a great chew toy for her!
the fox plush toy represents the bear plush toy olive received from our dear friend bex. it was inside the best boxed gift ever from a little bundle, a cute little box b ordered for miss olive before she was born. inside was a cute, little toy bear. olive loves to play with it. it’s soft and chewable. it’s thin and light and she can pick it up, gnaw on it, and throw it around. i love the fox one too…she does need a fox toy 🙂
i love this little flutter romper. i love neutral colors and it’s actually shorts! so cute for summer. it’s a bit masculine and feminine at the same time. i love all these cute little clothes for her! ugh…she does grow through them so fast though! i feel like i buy and buy and she never has enough items?! hee.
i had a day off this past week and was excited to spend it all day with my little olive.
i had a doctor’s appointment downtown that morning, so i packed up olive’s things, got ourselves in the car and headed into awful traffic! i thought that making my appointment midmorning would be fine in avoiding traffic but since it was raining…it made for terrible traffic!
[ready for her outing // carters’s headband, little tots long sleeve onesie, gapkids pants, trumpette socks]
we finally got downtown and we scored a close parking spot! i put together the stroller and ran towards the office. i was already so late! i used to come to this place every month, multiple times a month, while pregnant with olive. so it was different coming back with a five month old…the babes that was in my belly for so long was now chillin’ by my side. so cool.
[hanging out downtown]
[on our way to wicker park]
after our appointment, olive and i went to wicker park to hang out. our old hood…*sigh*. it was a beautiful day out and perfect for a stroll around the neighborhood. we picked up some starbucks and we stopped into a few stores during our walk. on my agenda was to stop by sprout {a favorite store!} and pick up some organic cotton fox pajamas for little miss olive {they are so stinkin’ cute!}. our most favorite footie pj for olive had a fox on it {it was from carter’s} and hc loves to sing ‘what does the fox say?!’ to olive in her fox pj’s! alas, she outgrew them and needed a new one so we could continue our little song and dance with her that she loves!
[oooohhh, banh mi is open!]
[the pretty elementary school on division]
after our stroll around wicker park, we headed home but not without stopping a zillion places along the way!!! we had to go to target to exchange an item, we had to get stamps and drop off mail at the post office, we had to drop off donations, head to babies r us to do an exchange, and pick up some items at buybuybaby! oy! it was a long way before we got home but when we finally did, olive got to chill while i ran around putting things away we had purchased and cleaning things up!
i was finally able to relax a bit with the wee one and we had some quality time together. she’s so cute!
[i love, love this baby]
[capturing sweet moments]
[one photo at a time…she is so serious sometimes]
[since she was born…i love giving/getting baby kisses]
[muwah!]
i then prepped olive’s food {avocados!} and fed her. that is when hc came home! yay! all in all, it was a very busy, hectic day. olive was a trooper and was totally along for the ride the whole way. she was so chill the entire time i had her out {and that was a long time for my little babes}.
we had such a wonderful mommy/daughter day together!
what a wonderful, beautiful day it was! it was so exciting to have olive’s baptism finally here. i was filled with so much anticipation!
i was a bit nervous if olive would get fussy. she does get temperamental sometimes {duh…like her momma!} and can get cranky. we had a lot going on that morning too. getting olive up, feeding her, getting her dressed, getting grace ready, me and the hubs finalizing our outfits, packing up our stuff, getting out the door on time, and picking up some last minute items along the way!
[olive’s beautiful, handmade baptism dress by tashina // it’s made out of french chantilly lace, silk charmeuse, and silk chiffon]
well, hc sped his way to the city, he was nervous we were going to be late, {something he never really does} and we got there on time {phew!}. our party was already there waiting outside of the church, we quickly greeted them and scurried inside so we could get olive changed into her beautiful baptism gown.
[our beautiful moms]
[could they be any cuter??]
[peonies]
[grandpa and the boys]
we changed olive into her baptism gown in the brides room {how fitting!}, left our belongings there, and traipsed our way into the church. we met up with all our guests in the front two reserved pews. everyone oohh’d and ahh’d over how adorbs olive was!
[dressing her in the baptism gown in the bridal room]
[olive in her gorgeous dress]
[generations adoring each other]
[our pretty little girl]
[prim and proper]
mass began and we started out in the procession. up went the alter boys, the liturgical ministers, us, the godparents, and then father ken. we bowed before the alter and walked up to stand beside the font. father ken came up and asked us what name do we give her and what we were asking for of God’s church today. after that, we were dismissed and walked back to our pew to be seated.
[here we go! rite of passage]
then right after the homily, we were asked to come up again to go through the rites of baptism for olive. father ken anointed her with oil, referenced the white garment, lit the baptism candle, and recited the prayer over ears and mouth.
then came the dunking moment…i chose to have olive fully immersed into the holy water. to closely replicate and reference what john the batiste did, according to the bible. during the homily, we stripped olive down and draped her in a white towel. once fr. ken finished asking the questions to the parish and us {ya know…the do we reject satan, etc.}, he reached for olive and pulled her out from the towel and fully dunked her into the font three times…in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit.
[getting ready for the holy water]
[full immersion!]
olive was in good spirits! she came back safely into my arms and the cozy towel. fr. ken finished the rites, olive was announced as the newest member of the church, the parish applauded, and we were seated. it was awesome! it was such a wonderful, special moment…i was so happy to share it with our church, so excited fr. ken performed the rite, and so proud to have kim and terry as olive’s godparents.
after church, we walked our way to the restaurant. it was only two blocks away! it was such a beautiful day, i couldn’t have asked for better weather. the temperature was perfect and the sun was shining so brightly!
we rented out a private room at d.o.c wine bar. it was spectacular. it was such a large space, there were couches and chairs, and a fireplace. a perfect space for the kids to run around and hang out. they had set up long tables for everyone to sit and eat. the bartender was so accommodating and the food was absolutely delicious. the whole wait staff there was fantastic.
i had purchased a cake and had it redecorated to an all white buttercream frosting. i made fun toppers for olive’s cake and fashioned pretty, blooming peonies onto the top of the fluffy, yummy cake. i loved how it turned out…so whimsy and cute!
[baptism cake]
[love these kiddies]
[love these two!]
[noshing]
[family first // missy, aunt wendy, john, jane, and dick]
[my fair ladies]
[the ladies!]
after everyone downed their tasty libations, noshed on yummy eats, and filled their bellies with sweet treats…we slowly parted ways. it was such a great morning and afternoon. we had a truly wonderful time celebrating olive’s baptism with our friends and family.
we trekked our way home to get into comfy clothes and relax. after a bit, we headed on over to my parent’s for dinner and olive’s aunties showered her with more gifts! her first tiffany gifts…so spoiled! i am so thankful to everyone for all the generous gifts she received…olive is so blessed to be so loved!
[olive’s goodies]
[olive’s first tiffany gifts]
[cousin love // tiffany galore]
we seriously had the most delightful day. it was so perfect – olive’s custom made gown, the beautiful ceremony, the wonderful weather, the delicious brunch, and the best part? we were able to celebrate it with our loving friends and family. i am so thankful for both our families…we are truly, truly blessed.
it was quite a crazy, busy month for us. with it being holy week, easter, hc’s birthday, tax month, moving, baby showers, oh my! that is just a brief summary of the many, many events that happened in april!
olive had many milestones, my terrific husband was such a strong support system through all these major events, and we had such huge positive, life changes happening to us. it was such a great, overwhelming, amazing time.
life has been fascinating. i am intrigued by my own changes, whether it is through body, mind, or environment. i love watching olive grow. i love being married to my husband. i am in awe over how calm and laid back he can be at the hardest moments. i am so happy that the weather has been getting warmer and i can really enjoy taking olive out and about.
my love for my family has grown exponentially! everyday i appreciate and cherish them more and more. it’s been a lot dealing with a new house, a little baby, and all the updates we are making to our new abode. there are a lot of times i freak out but i come to realize, every time, that it’s all going to work out in the end. as usual patience is not my virtue…unfortunately. that’s why i am lucky to have my other half calm me down!
[baby olive’s crazy hairdo before her bath // hc winning the award for daddy of the year]
[pam’s baby shower]
[many faces of olive]
[ombre cake at jaime’s baby shower]
[cousin cool // sleepy time]
[olive’s easter basket]
[olive // dunkin’ donuts easter peeps]
[dunkin’ donuts cubbie donuts to support the cub’s charity]
[laughing in the early morning // learning how to sit]
[a sunny day shopping // vanilla buttercream cupcake]
there ya go…an april rewind in photos. some of my favorite moments and it always includes desserts! pretty, lovely, sweet desserts!
omg, time flies! i can’t believe she is six months old! she has become such a strong little lady! sitting up is her new thing. olive started to sit up at the end of her four month mark but was wobbly and needed to be watched at all times. as her fifth month progressed, the super strong little lady was good on her own. she loves sitting by herself and playing. she’ll sit there on her tummy time mat and play with her toys. i sure do take advantage of that. i run around the house doing as much as i can…until she realizes she is by herself, then she starts to cry! she is really great by my side. we can sit side by side {like when i’m blogging or pinning} and she’s quite content.
big milestone for little miss olive? eating solids for the first time! yes, it’s been a big step for her. i started her two weeks out from her six month birthdate and it’s been wonderful. she started with bananas…yum. she loved noshing on the sweet banana and milk concoction. the avocado took a few days to get use to, she didn’t take to it the first few days but the last two days she was quite keen on eating it. she loved eating sweet potatoes + papaya! hc fed her on the first day of introduction {sweet potatoes} and she gobbled it all down! no allergies for the wee one yet, just goodness, enjoyment, and messiness!
she loves to play with her daddy…he always makes her giggle. in olive’s first few months, only being in her momma’s arms comforted her but now she loves, loves her daddy time. she loves to snuggle with him, she loves to be in his arms, and she can so easily fall asleep on his shoulder. it’s seriously the cutest moments ever.
you are such a great sleeper! i dreaded the ‘growth’ stages i read about…ya know, the ones where they say the babes will wake up multiple times a night to eat because they are going through a growth spurt? well, not this babes so far…she is a solid sleeper through the night! she goes down around 9-10pm and wakes up around 6-7am! i only wish i could sleep through the night like her {darn that middle of the night pumping!}!
something that is really sweet? she loves to get her cheeks brushed. so cute. when i sweep my finger from the top of your cheek to your chin, it totally calms you down! you have the most serene, calm look on your adorable face.
another fun thing to watch? when she is grabbing her tootsies. you love to stretch your legs all the up and shove your toes into you mouth. when i change your diaper, you grab both your feet and toes and hold onto them for dear life! i love it.
you are an amazing little girl. we love watching you grow. little miss olive, we love you so.
it was quite a momentous occasion here in the heintz household. olive’s first time eating solids!
when we went in for olive’s four month appointment, her sweet pediatrician, dr. perlman okay’d us to start feeding olive solids. so, i inquired other moms about the subject. most people started out their babies with cereal. i was wary of the idea because baby cereal was not very nutritious and they were all fortified with vitamins, which made me skeptical.
i am also into reading olive’s cues on when something feels right. i love, love breastfeeding her. it’s time so fabulously spent together and such a wonderful bond you build with your baby. i felt that she was always full after each feeding; she was growing and gaining weight, so i did not want to start her with solids until she was closer to her six month mark.
i looked into what foods you can first give your baby and how to make it. i loved the idea and option of creating your own baby food with whole, fresh, organic products. why not serve your child simple, whole foods that give her all the nutrients she needs than a bland product such as white cereal that is not naturally nutritious?
i noticed right around her five month mark, she started to get very curious when i was eating or drinking anything. she would watch and stare as i picked up food and put it into my mouth. she stared intently as i chewed my food. she would follow my hand as i pulled my drink towards my mouth and watch in awe as i sipped my beverage. that’s when i knew it was about that time to introduce some solid foods into her diet.
[daddy affixing the chair cover to our tripp trapp with a smiley olive]
[first foods – a whole avocado]
***
so, at 5 1/2 months, i fed olive her first solid food!
i looked at several books on baby food. i debated on whether i should just google simple recipes on the web versus buying a book. i decided to buy this book called top 100 baby purees. i love it, it has awesome recipes that are so easy to make. i then went to the grocery store and purchased a bunch of organic ingredients to make olive’s baby food.
[here we go…ready to nosh on some solids!]
making baby food is absolutely easy! the recipes are very simple, some require just one or a few ingredients, some mashing, or just throwing it in the food processor. i love using oxo freezer trays and their square containers. they are bpa free and perfect for freezing and storing all the food you pre-make.
olive’s first food were bananas. i just sliced off two inches of a banana, warmed up a small amount of breast milk and mixed it all together. the consistency is on the soupy side but still like a thick paste. i also used a silicone covered spoon from oxo to protect her sensitive gums. i love the spoons, they are ergonomically made and they also come in travel cases for when you are on the go!
[organic bananas + breast milk]
[nom, slurp, nom, slurp, nom…she likes it!]
[yummy!]
[she loved it so much, she was ready to feed herself!]
the verdict? feeding olive her first solid food was a hit! she absolutely loved her bananas and milk! the first time she ate, she consumed maybe a few teaspoons but her second time eating her banana milkshake…she ate the whole thing! that was probably at least two tablespoons or more. what an eater!
what an exciting time! i can’t wait to explore new foods with her and broaden her palate. oh, i love my baby olive!
we were so excited to have olivia watch over olive one day this past week!
it was so kind of olivia to spend her day with little miss olive. it was an early morning for all of us, olivia came bright and early so she could see our new house. hc did a quick walk through with her while i got ready for work. we chitchatted for a bit and i walked olivia through olive’s routine – her eating schedule, her naps, her behaviors, likes, dislikes, etc. then off i went!
i was excited they were spending the day together! when we were in florida, olive was so overwhelmed by her environment that olivia didn’t get to spend a lot time holding her and playing together. so this was their catch up time!
[olive and olivia about to start their day!]
[a selfie sent to me while i was at work!]
midday, olivia sent me a snapshot of themselves and a recap of their day so far. awwww, they are so cute together! everything was going well and they were having a great time playing.
when i arrived home from work, hc had just gotten there prior to me; so olive, olivia, and hc went for a walk to the liquor store. right?! the liquor store…olive’s first trip to buy alcohol! when they arrived home, olive was wearing her hand knit cap {from my friend kristin, who’s friend actually did the knitting!} and it was so adorable on her! what a cutie.
[returning from a walk outside]
[returning from work to find these two cuties]
olivia stayed for dinner and hung out for a bit longer. i am so glad this gal is back in chicago! we now can have our girly lunches and time back!
thanks so much olivia for taking care of olive. we love you!
