FIVE

It's been 5 years since I started this blog!  Crazy how much life has changed.  I had been thinking of starting a blog for months but kept talking myself out of it.  John had his friends over on a Friday night and I was bored and finally went for it.  I thought I'd have more sewing projects and more book reviews, but it's mostly just been outfits.  Nothing groundbreaking, although I am known to wear floral in the fall.  And the last couple years have been pretty weird since I stopped working and had all these babies.  Clothes have been a strange assortment of maternity and post-maternity and days I actually get dressed are rare, much less take pictures.  Sometimes I think about quitting all together,  but it's still a fun outlet for me when I find the time.  

I had been thinking I should do something fun for my blogiversary, but time just got away from me, as it does when small children run the household.  Anyway, happy 5th anniversary, blog!  It's been fun!  

Dress: Old Navy

Jacket: JCF
Shoes: Target

Day in the Life

Sometimes, when you are a stay-at-home-mom, people ask you what you do all day.  And most of the time, I have no idea.  So I decided I'd keep track of a day.  Obviously not all days are the same.  Sometimes the toddler goes rogue and refuses a nap.  Sometimes we actually leave the house (okay, most days we actually leave the house).  And the above picture is from a "go to church" day, which are completely crazy and have no schedule at all.  But this was a standard at home day.

6:30- both kids start stirring in their cribs.  I lay as still as possible and hope they will go back to sleep.  

7 - Toddler is officially up for the day.  Change diaper, play, say goodbye to John.  

8 - Baby wakes up.  Breakfast for everyone!  This involves gathering all of the food for myself and toddler, putting him in his high chair, and then settling in to feed baby while toddler and I eat.  

8:30 - put baby down for nap, clean up toddler and kitchen, read books with toddler

9:30 - baby wakes up.  He plays on the floor while toddler insists we read the Easter bunny book 10 times.  Just for the record, it's November.  Not Easter time.   

10 - fold laundry, talk to my sister on the phone, toddler watches neighbor tree get chopped down and helps sort socks.  He also helps unfold laundry that I have folded, but he really loves carrying it to his room to put away, and doesn't realize that he's messing it up.  

11 - make a few phone calls, trim everyone's nails

11:15 - baby takes second nap

11:18 - just kidding!  Wakes up and wants to eat.  

11:36 - nap two take two - success!

11:45 - lunch for toddler and me

12:30 - baby wakes up. 

12:35 - clean up toddler and kitchen

12:45 - FaceTime with niece

1:15 - toddler naptime

1:30 - start some laundry in the washer.  

1:45 - grumpy baby!  Snuggle him until he falls asleep.  I'm slightly worried he would wake up if I put him in the crib, and also just want baby snuggles, so I just hold him for this nap.  

3:15 - everyone is awake and crying and needs mommy right now!  Put baby down, go get toddler, situate everyone on the couch so I can feed baby and snuggle toddler.  

3:45 - read books and play

4 - put baby car seat back together after taking it all apart to wash.  (Note - realize I put the straps in wrong the next day when we are running late to go somewhere and I have to take the whole thing apart again)

4:30 - read a few more books, clean up a little bit

4:45 - baby needs to nap but doesn't want to! Naps get harder as the day goes on.  

5 - make dinner.  Baby in bouncy seat and toddler in high chair watch me.  Toddler desperately wants to help, but can't be trusted with a hot stove!  

6 - John gets home and everyone is happy.  He and toddler eat dinner.  I feed hungry sleepy grumpy baby.  

6:30 - I eat dinner while John plays with the kids. 

7:45 - baby falls asleep.  We are at that stage where we are not quite sure if this is a nap or bedtime.  

8 - toddler goes to sleep.  I go to take a shower.  

9 -  Baby wakes up!  Wants to eat and play for a little bit.

10 - Baby back to bed.  

Usually once both kids are in bed, we clean up the kitchen and the living room.  Sometimes we watch a show, but sometimes I'm just tired and it needs to be my bedtime, too!  It's pretty exhausting taking care of these guys, but I mostly love it!  I mean...

Family Birthday

This is what I wore for our family celebration of John's birthday.  I love this dress, even though it's maternity.  I'll probably just keep wearing it anyway, okay?  Cool.

I think we had a pretty good time for the birthday.  We went to dinner, and then came back to our house for presents and dessert.

We have this problem when getting dressed to go places.  I dressed myself and the baby.  John dressed himself and the toddler.  And we accidentally matched each other.  I don't want to be one of those obnoxiously matchy families, but it just happens sometimes.

Cardigan: Limited
Dress: Loft
Shoes: Target

Sunday Best

This is my new dress.  I wore it to church on Sunday, and unbelievably got to sit through the whole service and all of Sunday School!  Baby2 was awake but happy and smiling at me for most of the sermon, so I'm not entirely sure I heard much of it, but hey, it's better than sitting back in the nursery!
Dress & Cardigan: Old Navy
Belt: Madden
Shoes: Target

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