February winter wonderland!

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We had a pretty great weekend and were able to enjoy some time outside in the fresh snow!

FRIDAY
After work I was lucky to get snuggles from both my little guys.

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Then Liam decided he wanted to lay on the floor with his babies. So cute!

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Fridays are always just relaxing evenings for us. We are winding down from the week and gearing up for the weekend.

SATURDAY
Sleeping in is a thing of the past for Joe and I. The boys like to get up early and honestly I don’t mind. We had morning play time and hockey too.

Then I went off to sweat circuit/zumba for a good workout…although my knee is still giving me a little trouble.

It snowed on Friday so while I was outside I took some pictures of our beautiful scenery. So white and so pretty.

After nap we got the boys ready to go to my parents so Liam could go sledding with Uncle Blake.

It was so nice to get outside! Owen struggled to keep his eyes open for the pictures haha!

Liam had so much fun sledding with Blake, but after about 3 times down he was ready to be all done. The breeze was a little chilly so his face was getting cold.

I made Liam so hot chocolate in a coffee mug which he loved!

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We hung out and had pizza for dinner before heading home. It was snowing so it was a slow drive home for sure.

The boys played a little more once we got home and then it was off to bed.

SUNDAY
I forgot to take many pictures…I actually only took one of me and Owen snuggling in the morning. We had a lazy morning and stayed home because of all the snow.

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Joe had to go plow for his mom and my grandparents so he picked us up some donuts on the way home.

We played all morning and then everyone took a nap at nap time.

After nap we went to visit Joe’s grandma. She was so happy to see the boys.

We made a quick run to the grocery store, then home, and then had dinner.

After dinner Joe’s parents stopped by to see the boys. Then it was bedtime routine for the boys.

We had a great weekend and the snow was so pretty! Hope you had a great weekend as well and enjoy the week ahead!

 

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A long weekend

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Well I am super late to post this but better late than never. Our weekend was pretty uneventful and filled with lots of Olympic watching.

FRIDAY
Owen has been exhausted after daycare lately so he has been falling asleep in the evenings. Liam was whispering, “Owen, buddy, gotta wake up buddy.” It was quite adorable!

SATURDAY
Owen wakes up so happy every day. I decided to snap a quick picture because he is just so darn cute and happy!

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When everyone was up it was straight to the couch for the Olympics.

I had sweat circuit but my knee was really bugging me so I ended up taking it easy.

When I got home Joe had both boys hanging out in Owen’s crib. Again, it was so stinkin’ adorable!

The rest of the day was spent playing and lounging. We had no plans and it was super nice.

I soaked up some sleepy Owen snuggles and it was amazing.

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Owen did some “reading” Saturday evening while Liam and Joe did some “wrestling.” LOL

That pretty much sums up our Saturday!

SUNDAY
I tried to get a cute picture of the boys before church. They were not interested.

After church we went home and Owen and I got ready for my cousin Matt’s fiance’s baby shower.

The baby shower was super cute! So excited to meet their little boy!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and hanging with the boys (and of course watching the Olympics).

MONDAY
I had Monday off. Joe had a day trip to Chicago for work so it was just me and the boys. They both had a terrible night of sleep so it was a super lazy day for us.

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend, had a great week, and are ready for the weekend ahead!

 

Finally healthy and making the most of it

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We finally have a healthy household so we decided to get out of the house for a little bit this weekend and get back to “normal.”

FRIDAY
I ended up leaving work a little early after a super busy week. I missed the boys and wanted to spend some extra time with them.

Then it was off to my first Bible study with my best friends! We decided to start a new journey together and I am so excited. Looking forward to this group moving forward. And I got to hold little miss Raelynn.

After Bible study I hustled home to get Owen to bed.

SATURDAY
Both boys were up bright and early and ready to play. It is so adorable how much they love each other.

Then it was off to workout for me. My knee had been bugging me for a couple days so it ended up being a shorter than normal work out but still felt good to do a little bit.

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After workout I quick fed Owen, rinsed off, and got ready to head to Sean and Libby’s to visit. Brynn is just the sweetest little thing! The boys always have fun together (even if they ALWAYS want the same toy).

Liam was so happy to hold Brynn for the first time. He loves her.

Brynn stayed awake for a little bit of our visit. She is such a doll!

We picked up some Subway on the way home and had that for lunch. Then it was nap time for every one.

After nap we had some snapchat fun and I even got some snuggles from Liam.

We spent the evening relaxing and watching the Olympics.

SUNDAY
I end up pulling Owen into bed with my and snuggling him back to sleep after he thought waking up super early was a good idea.

Then we all got ready to go to church. After church Liam and I ran to the store to get some valentines for him and Owen to give out at daycare on Wednesday.

Then it was lunch time and nap time by the time we got home.

We spent the majority of the day watching the Olympics. Joe did a lot of cleaning which was super nice. I did a little but he is the rockstar who did a lot of it (thanks Joe!).

We did a lot of afternoon lounging and relaxing.

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We invited my parents over for dinner which was super nice. We had lasagna, salad, and bread. Super delicious!

After they left it was time for the boys to go to bed.

Joe and I relaxed watching some snowboarding on the Olympics before calling it a night.

It was a great weekend having everyone healthy and being able to spend time with family! Have a great week!

 

 

Weekend of rest and football

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Slowly but surely our house is on the mend!

FRIDAY
After work I was exhausted. It had been a long week of interrupted sleep and work with both boys recovering for their illnesses.

I went to bed early in the hopes to catch up on some rest.

SATURDAY
I had sweat circuit and zumba in the morning. I did a lot of core work and it was tough!

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After I got home I really wasn’t feeling the greatest. I took a nap at nap time.

Liam took a few blurry pictures on my phone after nap. Other than that I really didn’t have the energy to do much.

Liam ended up in a time out and was crying and below you can see how Owen reacted. He almost always cries when Liam is sad. It’s so cute and sad.

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I went to bed early again to try to feel better.

SUNDAY
I ended up feeling a little better after getting some extra rest but still wanted to take it easy for the day. Liam wanted to hold Owen right away in the morning. So cute!

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I even got some morning snuggles from Liam which rarely happens.

 

We had some morning snapchat fun too.

Owen and I spent our morning in our Christmas jammies! 🙂

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Then we all go dressed in lounge clothes. Owen was ready to watch the Superbowl in his football gear.

We watched the Superbowl and were impressed with so many funny commercials and a really good game and halftime show!

Then it was off to bed.

We had mostly an uneventful weekend which was just fine with us. Hope you had a great weekend and happy monday!

 

 

Struggling with self-love

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It was Sunday and I was picking out my clothes for work Monday (because who has time for that in the morning with a 2 year old and 4 month old). As I stared at my clothes in my closet all I could see were the clothes that didn’t fit me quite right since having my second baby. I saw a very slim selection of clothes that fit me now and began to feel down.

My husband noticed and he reassured me of everything I already knew: you look great, you just had a baby, it will get better. But in that moment I just couldn’t feel that way and I began to cry. I felt upset that my body isn’t what it was. I felt upset for breastfeeding holding me back from losing weight. Then I felt upset/guilt over being upset about breastfeeding.

I used to focus on what I looked like rather than being healthy and since having Owen I have ended up at that spot again. It’s a terrible place to be with constant self-judgement, self-criticism, and disappointment. I have become my own worst critic. I would never expect someone else with a 4 month old to be back to their pre-baby weight/shape (or expect that of anyone ever) so why do I put such high expectations on myself? I have side by side pictures of the progress I have made and yet I still don’t believe it.

Well I am done with that, or at least I’m going to work really hard to be done with that. I know there will be some days that are just harder than others but I am going to strive every day to think more positively and accept my body for what it is and what it has done and what it is currently doing. My body is amazing. It gave birth to 2 beautiful baby boys and now it is creating food for my youngest. It allows me to be physically active and to play with my kids.

I want to be able to say “I love myself” and truly mean it without that voice in my head saying “except this, this, and this.” I no longer want to say to myself, “if only I had her ______and her ______.” It’s so easy to compare myself to others but the reality is I am perfect just the way I am and the way I am is exactly how I was meant to be.

So here is to working on self-love and reminding myself daily to love me just as I am!

Owen is 4 months old!

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Owen continues to amaze me every day. He is growing and learning so much. He is probably the happiest baby ever and so super mellow.

Owen had a flare up of eczema this month. He has crazy dry skin and it got really bad so we brought him to the doctor and got some cream that helped a lot. Any suggestions for how to keep his skin moisturized would be appreciated —we have tried many things! Now he is ending this month with a cough, fever, and ear infection. Poor little buddy is having a rough January.

GROWTH
Owen seems to be growing like crazy. He still seems super long. He recently weighed in at 14 lbs and 6 oz. We will find our more details of his growth at his 4 month appt.

EAT
Owen is still only drinking breast milk. He makes it all night without eating and then eats 4-5 times throughout the day. Typically it’s 5 but sometimes he takes an extra long afternoon nap and will only end up eating 4 times. He is a good eater and will drink about 6oz at a time (from a bottle when he gets one).

SLEEP
Owen has continued to sleep really well. He has been sick a few times this past month which has been disruptive to his sleep but other than that he sleeps about 9-10 hours at night. He has been breaking free from his swaddle sack so we are starting to consider our next options and when to transition him.

We still don’t really have exact nap times and bed time but general ranges. He will typically nap 3 times throughout the day.

DEVELOPMENT/ACTIVITY
Owen can still roll from belly to back but doesn’t do it all that frequently. He is holding his chest up better on his own now and not needing his arms to assist. He appears really close to rolling from back to belly but I know it can seem that way for weeks before they actually do it.

He likes to be upright and so he likes to be sitting up (assisted) as much as possible.

He is very interested in his toys and his figuring out how to grasp them and bring them to his mouth. He isn’t all that coordinated yet but he is getting there. He loves his exersaucer and being able to look around and discover his toys.

His hands are constantly in his mouth and he is drooling like crazy.

He smiles, coos, babbles, and giggles. When he cries it is typically quite weak and is only if he is hungry, tired, or needs his diaper changed. He is generally a super happy baby and we are very thankful.

Favorites:

  • Mom/Dad/Liam
  • Being rocked
  • Mama milk
  • Dad’s singing
  • His pink chair (Liam loved this too)
  • Being held upright
  • wubbanub
  • being naked -used to hate it now he loves it
  • bath time (in the big tub) -he used to dislike bath time but now that I learned he likes the freedom of a big tub he loves it (but does not make it an easy task)!

Dislikes:

  • Being cold
  • Waiting for milk (especially in the morning)
  • Having a dirty diaper (he demands to be changed almost instantly)

My sick little ones

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Our little boys were both sick all weekend long.

FRIDAY
I got off work early for a chiropractor appointment. When I got home Joe said Liam was coughing a lot and Owen had a fever so off to Urgent Care we went.

We were there for about an hour. Both boys had an ear infection in one ear. She thought their lungs sounded okay but Owen did have a fever. She prescribed both boys an antibiotic (which I hate but the both needed to get better). Normally for ear infections I would bring them to the chiropractor but since it was Friday it wasn’t an option.

We stopped at the pharmacy on the way home to pick up their medicine. Both boys had their medicine and went straight to bed.

Joe and I had a 7:30 spaghetti dinner. You see below both monitors and our dinner. Quite the Friday night!

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SATURDAY
Both boys had pretty rough nights so it was a sleepy morning. Owen was in a great mood despite not sleeping well and feeling crappy. Liam too!

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I was off to Sweat Circuit and Zumba for the morning. We had a great work out so that felt great. Then on my way to my vehicle after I realized I locked my keys in my car. My spare was at home and Joe couldn’t pack both sick kiddos up and bring them to me. Thankfully I have an app that can unlock my car but it currently wasn’t working so I made a call and got that figured out just in time for my dad to bring my my spare. Either way I finally got into my car!

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We literally did nothing all day long. We watched a bunch of movies, snuggled a lot and relaxed.

Liam was so tired all day and you could tell he had super sick eyes and wasn’t feeling well.

Owen didn’t look to great either but he was a trooper and still gave us lots of smiles throughout the day.

It was an early bedtime for everyone.

SUNDAY
The boys slept a little better but not great. Liam woke up seeming much better than the day before. Owen still seemed about the same.

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Liam insisted on holding hands with Owen while they watched a movie.

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Owen loves listening to his daddy sing. My heart!

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I was able to sneak away for a little bit and go see sweet Miss Brynn. I have been dying to hold her since last weekend but she has been in and out of the hospital because of her bilirubin numbers. So thankful to have her in my arms for a little bit.

Also! Owen turned 4 months so we did a little photo shoot.

Then it was more time relaxing the rest of the day. Liam took a turn for the worse after nap and seemed just really sick again.

He had a little energy to play and give me a big smile.

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I hope everyone had a great weekend and can stay away from whatever nasty bug it is the boys have!

Meeting Brynn and other weekend fun!

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We had a wonderful weekend!

FRIDAY
We found out my sister-in-law, Libby would be induced in the evening and we would get to meet our nephew/niece very soon! We were super excited!

After work we all just spent the evening relaxing and hoping to get an update on baby.

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I ended up in bed by 8:30pm. I guess I was tired.

Around 11pm we got the text that baby was born and everyone was healthy! YAY!

SATURDAY
We were all up early and ready to take on the day. Liam said it was too early for pictures haha!

I taught a super quick (and super tough) sweat circuit and then hustled home to take a shower and get ready to head to the hospital to meet baby!

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Once we got to the hospital we couldn’t wait to find out baby’s gender and hold baby. They announced “It’s a GIRL!” and her name is Brynn Carolyn. ADORABLE!

She was just a little peanut at 7lbs 1oz. And she made Owen look huge!

The big brother and big cousin had fun playing while we visited with Brynn. Judah made sure Liam knew it was his baby and not Liam’s baby. They are so funny!

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I’m so excited for their family and their new little addition. She is the cutest and I love her so much already!

We went out to lunch with everyone (except baby Brynn and Libby) after our visit. We went to Old Southern BBQ in Hudson and it was super good!

Then we went home and everyone took a little nap.

We spent the rest of the day at home just hanging out.

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Owen was super tired and fell asleep in my arms on the couch. I soaked up those snuggles.

It seemed like a long day so I was ready for bed again.

SUNDAY
The boys were up early (like always) so we had a nice relaxing morning together.

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We are trying to find a church that is right for us. We like our current church but it doesn’t really meet our family needs. I want a church that has Sunday school for Liam so that he can learn while there too. Joe and I admit we are both feeling a little lost right now as far as a church goes so we are trying some new options and hoping to find one that fits our needs. We decided this week to try First Lutheran Church in New Richmond.

We enjoyed the service. It was at 8am which was really nice because there was a lot of day left after. It was a traditional Lutheran service. At 9:15am they have a contemporary service. We are going to try that one next weekend and see what we think. Liam was so well-behaved, and Owen too. I’m looking forward to learning a little more and getting involved in a church again.

After church we made a quick trip to Aldi to get a few things. Then we went to Stillwater for breakfast at Tin Bins with Joe’s parents and his sister’s family. It was super good like always.

When we got home it was nap time. I ended up taking another nap. I have just been super tired lately.

After nap we had plans to visit little Brynn however those changed early in the morning since she is having to stay at the hospital a little longer due to some jaundice and other things. Please keep her in your prayers for quick healing so she can go home and be with her family.

My mom invited us over for pizza and the Eagles vs Vikings game so we decided to do that instead. My brother and nephew, Judah were there too so Liam had a lot of fun.

We watched the game until half time when we headed home to get the boys to bed. We finished watching the game and then settled down for the night and got ready for work the next day.

It was an amazing weekend meeting sweet little Brynn! We love her so much and are praying she gets to go home soon. Hope you all had a great weekend too!

 

 

 

The Ellis Wedding

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I had the honor of being in one of my bestie from college’s wedding over the weekend.

FRIDAY
The wedding was in Appleton, WI (4 hour drive) so Joe and I took the day off and headed to Appleton with Owen. Liam went to daycare where my mom picked him up. He spent the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa.

We got super lucky and Owen slept the entire drive. We got to the hotel around 2:30. We checked in and then went to the room where I fed Owen and we got ready for rehearsal and dinner at 4.

Owen was a happy camper and super good baby during the rehearsal. Around 7 Joe ended up taking him up for a bottle and bed time.

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I had a fun evening catching up with all my college friends but I headed to bed just before 10:30 so I could be well rested for the big day!

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SATURDAY
Joe, Owen and I were up pretty early so we just chilled in the room. Joe got us coffee and I spent some time trying to get my things together for the big day.

Then I headed down to hang out with Ashli and the ladies while we all got our hair done.

Ashli got us all these adorable flannels to wear while we got ready.

Ashli’s mom and sister helped her get into her dress.

My dress was super snug but I made it work. Also look at my boys! They clean up good! Just missing Liam.

I didn’t get any ceremony pictures since I was in the wedding but it was beautiful and so sweet.

After the wedding we were all ready to celebrate!

We took a bus to go take some outside pictures. It was freezing but Ashli got us these fun fur coats to wear.

We ended up going to a bar where they give you a ceiling tile if you go there on your wedding day. We made a super fun tile in honor of the bride and groom.

We had a lot of fun out and about and on the bus!

Then it was back to the hotel for the grand march, dinner, speeches, and dancing.

Ashli and Matt did a super fun 1st dance. It was so cute!

Then we had to quick go sign the marriage license so that it was official. We were all thrilled! 🙂

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It was a fun night filled with dancing and great company celebrating an amazing couple! Congratulations Matt and Ashli Ellis!

SUNDAY
We were up early again. We got packed up, had some coffee, and got ready to go.

We had breakfast at the hotel with Ashli, Matt, and many other wedding guests. Then we hit the road. It was another long drive but we got home by 3pm. Then we went to pick up Liam who told us all about the fun time he had at Paw Patrol Live.

We were happy to get home but it was such a fun weekend with some of my favorite people! Can’t wait to get together again! Also shout out to my husband who is a saint and took care of Owen in a hotel room all weekend so I could enjoy my time with my friends.

Finally some time outside!

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Our weekend as always was too short but filled with lots of fun and family time.

FRIDAY

After work we spent the evening relaxing. Joe’s mom stopped by to see the boys for a little bit. Joe made some amazing french onion soup in the instant pot. So good!

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SATURDAY

I had Saturday morning Sweat Circuit/Zumba like always. I was dying the whole class, which is good. Love getting my weekend workout in.

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Once I got home it was a quick rinse in the shower and then off to Costco as a family to get a few bigger items that we needed. Liam loved the samples (I did too haha!).

When we got home it was nap time for Liam and Owen was napping too. I grabbed a few toys from the basement and cleaned them up for Owen.

How is Owen big enough to use the exersaucer already?? He is growing way to fast. Liam was pretty amused with it as well.

We had another relaxing evening at home. I love our “wind-down time” on the couch.

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SUNDAY

The weather turned for the better and we actually had plans to get outside and enjoy it.

Owen was up bright and early (5am) to start the day. He was ready to play with all his new toys that I cleaned up the day prior.

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Once Liam woke up he needed to make sure Owen had enough toys to play with so he brought him pretty much all of his toys.

Then once it warmed up a little Joe fired up the snowmobile and took Liam out for a very slow ride. He loved it of course. They then played on the swing set for a bit and played outside for a little while. He loved it!

While the boys were outside Owen and I got dressed for the day. Aren’t we cute?

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Then we met Joe’s sister and family and his mom at Tin Bins in Stillwater for breakfast. They have super yummy caramel rolls. It was really good breakfast and coffee and it wasn’t greasy. We enjoyed it.

Once we got home it was time for nap again. Owen was already napping from the car ride so we just had to put Liam down. I ended up taking a nap as well.

After nap we got ready to head to Joe’s sister’s house for some sledding and ice skating. It was Liam’s first time on his new skates from Christmas.

I held Owen in the ergo while the others went sledding. They had a ton of fun.

Then it was time to go skate. Liam was super excited and so were Joe and I. The kids all got there skates on and hit the ice.

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Liam was not amused. He wanted to be able to stand and go all by himself and when he realized he couldn’t he got upset. He tried it for a little while with his skates.

We ended up putting his boots on instead and letting him walk on the ice to get used to it. He really liked that a lot.

All the kids had fun out on the ice! Hopefully next time he does a little better on his skates.

I had to get a Sedona and Owen picture of course.

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We hung out for a little while and then went home to make dinner.

The boys were both exhausted after the fresh air and exercise outside.

It was a wonderful weekend and I can’t wait to spend more time outside!