The Awkward Phase

Fall is sort of here, at least some days, so I tentatively pulled out my jeans from last fall.  You know, the ones that I searched and searched for, and then barely got to wear before I was pregnant again.  Miracle of miracles, they fit!  I was shocked because I still have about 15 extra pounds to get rid of.  

I think I have generally had a pretty healthy body image, but being pregnant for 18 of the last 24 months has sure taken a toll!  I don't even know how to dress myself anymore.  I managed to go shopping this week with both boys, which is an adventure.  My main goal was to find some tops that would be cute and easy to throw on with jeans or shorts.  Most of my shirts are a little snug right now, and would likely start rumors of a baby 3.  Or at least I feel self-conscious in them.  I need higher necklines, because I'm always carrying a kid that inevitably makes my perfectly modest shirt a little scandalous.  Shouldn't be too hard to find some cute, higher-necked tops, right?  Wrong!  I tried on a lot of shirts, and ended up buying one.  And a random dress, because I just can't help myself sometimes.  

So anyway, I kind of want to throw out my entire closet and start from scratch, but as my shopping outing suggests, that wouldn't solve the problem.  I need to remember that it took 9 months and a lot of ice cream to grow each baby, so I'm not going to go back to my old body in 2 (or ever, let's be honest here).  

In the meantime, I should probably start exercising again, and maybe cut back on the ice cream.

Tee & Jeans: Gap
Cardigan: JCF
Shoes: Target

Giraffe Sweater

I'm pretty jealous of Kate's giraffe sweater.  I've never seen a similar option, but this one from  LeTote was close enough for me to request.  On their website, it looked more black than gray, so I was surprised when I got it out of the box.  As with everything from them, it was a little short, so my tank tops get to make a little appearance.  Cute enough, but I'd still love a striped version like Kate's.

This has been the first normal-ish week in awhile.  December was just crazy, and then I had a terrible cold and John was out of town the first week of January.  So it's nice to be somewhat back to normal.

We even had some above-freezing weather this week, so the boy and I went to the zoo!
Ironically, given the title of this post, we did not make it to the giraffes.  I'll be honest, I love the giraffes, but they are down a pretty steep hill and I didn't feel like pushing the stroller back up it.

This sweatshirt cardigan thing is also from  LeTote, but I didn't take official outfit photos, because I was at the zoo, and babies are terrible photographers.

Sweater:  LeTote (closest option I could find)
Jeans: Gap (exact)
Boots: Madden (exact)

#momlife

Being a mom is sometimes ridiculous.  A lot of days (especially these snowy frigid days), Mr. Baby and I just stay at home and those days are usually pretty chill.  But I tend to get stir crazy if we haven't left the house in a few days, and you know, sometimes we need to buy groceries.  On Tuesday this week, I was feeling like going out, but didn't have any specific errands to run, so I was like "hey, I'll go to Which Wich, my favorite lunch place!"  Seemed like a good plan.  It was after the lunch rush, but I didn't think about how tricky it would be with the boy.

If you've never been there (you should go!), you fill out a bag with your sandwich order on it, and then you go up to order and pay, and then they call your name when your food is ready.  Simple enough.  Unless you are carrying around a tiny menace to society!  As I was filling out my sandwich bag, Mr. Baby managed to grab a sign off the wall, ripping it in half.  Oops.  I took the pieces up to the cashier and apologized.  I was so relieved it was the manager who basically knows me because I went there like once a week when I was pregnant.  So as I'm trying to pay, Mr. Baby decides to be as wiggly as possible, and do his best to dive out of my arms.  Not cool, baby!  Anyway, I got my order in and paid, and then went to find a table.  But then I needed to grab a high chair, which are way back in the corner.  I'm not going to leave my bag unattended, so I lug everything back and somehow manage to wrangle a high chair off the stack, and carry it back to the table.  (Note - chivalry is absolutely dead, according to the 5 or so businessmen who just stared awkwardly at me.)

I get Mr. Baby all situated with the high chair and the cover, and then realized I needed to get my drink.  Well, I'm definitely not going to leave him unattended, so I pull him out, go get the drink.  Get back to the table, put him back in the chair.  Then they call my name.  Okay, get baby back out, go grab sandwich.  It's ridiculous.  So I finally have everything I need, and he is happy in the high chair, so I got to eat in relative peace.

**An aside: the table next to me was 2 girls who are in college. They were cracking me up, talking about getting ready to graduate, and the guys they are dating.  I should have been live tweeting their whole conversation.  Did you know there's a formula to determine whether a guy is too old to date, and therefore creepy?  The one girl is dating a 28 year old, but I guess you take his age, divide by 2, and add 7.  Since she's 21, it's just barely not creepy.  Who comes up with this stuff???  Also, apparently really smart guys can sometimes be socially awkward.  Who knew?  (everyone).

Anyway, I finished eating and decided we should head to Babies R Us, because I needed to buy my friend a baby shower present.  I just needed to feed the boy before we left.  I got him out, went to refill my drink, and came back to the table to feed him.  He was in my lap, and I was digging in the diaper bag for his bottle, when he slapped my drink right off the table.  All 20 ounces went into the high chair seat cover, and then spilled onto the floor.  And I can't even do anything about it, because I am holding him!  The college girls sprang to their feet to help.  One of the workers looked like he was coming over, but he was actually going to dig through the trash to look for a lost cell phone (oh it was a crazy day for the Which Wich employees).  I knew we were going to need more than paper towels, so I went and talked to the manager again.  And again, she was very gracious.  She mopped everything up, and I went ahead and fed the boy.  Then I got a refill again and we went out to the car.  I got him into the carseat, got the soaking wet high chair cover into the back where it wouldn't ruin anything fabric, and started the car.  Right before I backed out, the manager comes running out "your drink is on the top of your car!"  Oh man... I'm a mess.  We didn't go to Babies R Us.  We just went home where I could avoid any more embarrassment!

Just in case you thought I was one of those moms who has it all together.

Cardigan: H&M
Tee: Loft
Jeans: Gap
Flats: Target

Box Clothes

Sometimes, I'm like "hmm, what should I wear to such and such event?" and lately my husband is like "just wear some of your box clothes!" I guess he's catching on to the idea of LeTote.

I actually got this top in a recent tote, but it was too tight across my chest, so I didn't end up wearing it.  Then I requested it in the next size up in my next tote, because I thought it was pretty cute and wanted a chance to wear it.  It was still a smidge tighter than I would have liked (seriously, they expect you to be very flat!), but I wore it anyway.  Spellcheck is mad about smidge.  Is that not a word now?  Am I just making things up?

Cardigan: Gap factory (similar)
Top: LeTote
Jeans: Gap (exact)
Shoes: Target (similar)

Twofer Tuesday Turkey Tracks Top

Extra points for SUPER ALLITERATION!  This top came in my first ever LeTote box (more about that later), and it was my favorite of the 5 items, so I wore it 2 ways.  Granted, it was the same day.  But I wore one outfit to lunch, and one to dinner.  You can tell I look significantly more frazzled in the second outfit pictures, because Texas Roadhouse isn't a great restaurant to have a 4 month old with you.  I mean, the rolls are delicious, but the wait staff is line dancing when I could really use a drink refill, and I just get annoyed by that whole thing.

Anyway, according to LeTote, this shirt is covered in wrens, but according to my father-in-law, they are turkey tracks.  And I can't really disagree, if Google images is telling the truth.  Either way, I love a black and white printed top, so I don't really care.

Shirt: LeTote (similar in navy, similar)
Necklace: H&M (similar, similar)
Skirt: Old Navy (similar, similar)
Sandals: Carlos Santana via DSW (similar)
Cardigan: JCF (exact in various colors)
Jeans: Gap (exact)

Third Thursday Plaid

September is flying by, which means it's already time for Third Thursday Threads with Bri!  This month's theme is plaid, because people like to wear plaid in the fall.  I don't wear much plaid, which I've previously explained is probably due to my high school uniform involving a hideous plaid skirt.

Anyway, this is one of my only plaid items, and it doesn't exactly scream FALL!  But that's okay, because it's still pretty warm here.  And I don't really love fall colors, so I'll continue to wear my brights as the weather cools down.

Shirt: JCF (this year's color)  
Jeans: Gap (exact)
Shoes: Old Navy (similar, similar)