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

brady and olive date

Posted on March 1, 2016 by tandem in love

we had planned a date and i was totally looking forward to kim, brady, and brooklyn coming over to our house.

in typical fashion, i crammed too many things into the morning. kim and i agreed on 11am but i thought she was going to text me when she left but instead, she text me when she was twenty minutes away! eep! i was totally in the middle of taking pictures with olive and we had so many outfits lined up and i didn’t want to cut it short. so, we sped through all the outfits {she’s become really accommodating, cooperative, and cute with taking pics}, i put away all her supplies {snacks, lollipops, pretzels, etc.}, folded and hung away all her clothes, cleaned up the props, re-set her room {yes, i do all this work for photos}, cleaned up everything, redressed olive, got myself spruced up, started prepping food, and i still beat kim before she got to my house! to give her credit…she did get a little lost, which favored on my side with time!

once she arrived, the gabbing began and never stops until she leaves. olive was still in her room and was being shy and didn’t want to come out. brady ran into her room, screamed, and ran out. olive was probably like wtf? hahaha! we then joined olive in her room to hang out. she was so intrigued with brady but slightly scared. it was oh so funny and cute. of course, miss brooklyn was as chill as can be. she’s such a great baby and so quiet and calm.

after we hung out in her room, we transferred out into the kitchen and living room. i started to set the table while the clan hung out in the living room. we sat down to eat, we chit chatted, and brady and olive were still trying to adjust to one another. they did finally start to get along and ran around, screaming, together. olive was just a bit overwhelmed with brady’s boisterous personality that she kept screaming at him to ‘stop right now!’. hahaha! they were seriously too cute together.

after a few hours of hanging out upstairs, downstairs, and everywhere, it was time for kim and the kids to head out. we were sad to see them go but had such a great time together! we looooove seeing this group of fab people. we love them so much! we will definitely squeeze in a few dates before the second babe arrives!

[you can’t go wrong with macarons]

[she was so intrigued and a bit scared by brady]

[how adorable is she??]

[opening up her gift from kim, brady, and brooklyn]

[how adorable is this gift for the new babes??]

[we need a little spring in our lives]

[table spread: pretzel buns, deli options, veggies & dip, fruit, and pasta salad]

[the beautiful girls]

[sweetest hugs goodbye]

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

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

bump update

Posted on January 6, 2016 by tandem in love

here we goooooooo!

[photo by huy doan @huyfoto]

how far along? 12 weeks!

weight gain: 10lbs. i think everybody and their mama has heard me gripe about my weight gain. at my eight week appointment, i weighed in 4lbs heavier than i did with olive. uh oh…i am on track to gain 50lbs at this point. bleh! my official weigh in happens later this week and i think i might be crossing the 9lb mark {at least}. eep!

maternity clothes? i am about to cross that border. they weren’t kidding around when they said that being preggers the second time around, everything is bigger. uh huh. everything in my wardrobe is about to pop off my body. i am about to graduate into maternity clothes real soon. i guess wearing my regular work pants at 5+ months prego {the first time} is NOT going to happen this time around. haha!

sleep: sleep sucks. it does. the first pregnancy, i didn’t have a toddler to wake me up, keep me up, or zap alllllll my energy. ever since i have been pregnant, i have had sleep insomnia. it’s very sporadic. it doesn’t happen every night but a few times a week where i will wake up at 4am and can’t fall back asleep until about 6am. ugh. it’s the weirdest combo…i am extremely exhausted {like extremely} but i can’t go to bed early like i did with the first pregnancy. plus, the past several weeks, olive has regressed in her sleep patterns {just a few nights so far}. unfortunately it seems to be on the nights where i can actually fall asleep but then i wake up in the middle of the night to take care of her.

physical state: bloated, tired, exhausted are my new favorite words. i am hungry hungry hungry. not so much hangry but desperately hungry. i think about how big and tired i already feel, what the hell? what will i feel like in 6 months?! holy crap, i am scared.

miss anything? sushi. sushi. sushi. wine, seafood, deli meat…although technically i can nuke the crap out of it {until it’s sterile} and then eat it but who wants to do that?! the dr.’s also recommend that i don’t eat hot dogs and bacon…whaaaaaa?! i have to sneak in bites of the bacon. mmmmmm.

baby movement: none yet…i can’t wait!

food cravings: everything. seriously. i can’t even pack a lunch because i have no idea what i will want to eat in the moment. with olive i loooooooved fruit. everything fruity. i still crave, like, and eat it but with this pregnancy i am all about the savory {insert the weight gain}. i love eating flavorful, full meals.

bump status: uuuhhhhhh, is the bump suppose to look like i am 5 months pregnant? cause i look that way. holy belly. it’s sooooo big already.

gender reveal: soon! let me know what you think! boy, girl? my gut said girl and maybe it’s because i want to have another baby girl but then my feelings changed and now i am utterly confused.

xoxo

hi freshie

Posted on November 25, 2015 by tandem in love

so, i was able to visit baby asher in the hospital a few days after he was born and then again a few weeks later! that’s what’s so great about maternity leave, i can pretty much visit jodi any time for the three months that she is at home!

we were running so behind. i can’t even remember what it was that caused us to fall so far away from our scheduled departure time but anyhoozle, we finally hit the road! ugh, we were running 45 minutes late! eep.

when we arrived, jett greeted us at the door and we walked inside to jodi sitting on the couch with asher and jett jumping up and down, all excited! olive was scared! she clung onto me for dear life. oh she’s so funny, sweet, and shy. it took quite a few minutes for her to warm up.

we asked jett to bring out a few toys so it would spark olive’s interest and she would start to play with jett. he was so cute! he ran into his room and brought out the most random things, like a card. then a small figurine. and then something else that they couldn’t really share. jodi and i were laughing! we said to jett that he needed to bring out something that they could both play with! so, he finally did and it worked…olive slid off my lap and walked over to the toys jett had brought out!

after jodi fed asher, we all sat down for lunch. jett and olive were too cute together! he was boisterous and fun and olive was stoic and shy. jett ate for two seconds and ran away to play while olive so patiently sat in her chair and ate and ate. she’s an eater. she loves to eat and won’t give up any food that’s offered to her!

[aren’t they just the cutest?]

[she was so into this go fish game!]

[sleeping cutie]

after we ate and cleaned up, we sat on the couch for a bit and chatted. jodi told me that matt was still home, time extended from his paternity leave and i thought that was awesome! how amazing is that? your husband is home for almost all of your maternity leave…such great help! although, jodi jokingly disagreed and rolled her eyes and said matt needs to go back to work! hahaha! she’s so funny!

well, after an hour or so of us being there, matt arrived home {out from doing some errands}. we all then migrated downstairs to the basement to play. oh the kids had a blast. they built blocks, played with little cars, pulled wagons, ran around, drove big cars, and watched t.v. olive was super happy. there were so many fun things to play with and it kept them both busy…although teaching two little toddlers on how to share was a whole ‘nother story!

[oh! love this little cutie pie]

[love these peeps]

[so fuzzy and out of focus but it will do. their hugs goodbye]

after several hours of us hanging out, we finally, reluctantly, decided to leave. we didn’t want to. i was having a great time hanging out with matt and jodi and jett and olive were having fun together. plus, matt is so stinkin’ cute with the kids. he’s so good with them. it was so sweet to see.

we finally gathered our things together and said our goodbyes. we had such a great time hanging out with this beautiful family. oh we love them to bits! it’s so sweet to know this lovely family of four.

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!