Month: April 2017

And the winner is…

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Congratulations, Megan!! Message me your address so we can get your cuffs mailed out! 

Loved seeing all of your “Mommy & Me” photos. Being a mom is the best – and our mom’s are the best – aren’t they? 

Speaking of moms, mine came to town today! Gramma came for a day visit with K and she had so much fun. (“she” as in both of them…) 

I had a blast as well because I got to NAP! Kensie showed Gramma how she sits up and rolls over and she played herself to sleep this afternoon. 

This morning I got to practice for the twins I want to have. 😜

Just kidding. Kind of. 

A couple brought their sweet baby in and she started to fuss as soon as their workout was starting so I picked her up and she went to sleep. She was so sweet! Kensie loved having a friend to stare at. They’re only 2 weeks and 1lb apart! 

It’s safe to say Kensie had a blast today. She was bathed and in bed completely passed out before 7pm! Thanks Gramma!!!

It’s #freebiefriday again!! We have a wonderful gift for all the mommas out there! Before we get to the real freebie, let’s all watch Kensie try to free herself from her swing this morning. 🙄

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FYI: someone is standing right there. I wouldn’t let her fall. She’s normally strapped in for this exact reason!!

We went to the gym at 5am today…so she rocked her PJs. No worries, she put on a bow later. It’s one of my favorites from the new Bows of Kensington shop! (We’re still under construction…)

Anyways – on to the exciting GIVEAWAY!! Bows of Kensington has partnered with a crafty, fun and creative friend of mine and fellow Etsy shop, Salted by Jen! She is hosting our MOTHER’S DAY GIVEAWAY!!! 

One lucky lady will win this adorable “You are my Sunshine” Mommy & Me cuff set! 

This is just one of the adorable items in her Etsy shop! 

To enter – go “LIKE” the Salted by Jen Facebook page (it isn’t letting me link it, so go here: https://www.facebook.com/saltedbyjen/  🙄 technology). THEN – comment on this FaceBook post with a mommy and me picture! It can be you and your mom or you and your little one – or friend or wife or whoever you’re trying to win for! 

I’ll put the names in a bowl and Kensie will draw a winner tomorrow evening! 

The babes get all the attention, but the hardest and most overlooked job is the momma that is raising them! 

I’ll save my mom’s post for actual Mother’s Day, but a huge thanks to all my “mom” friends for your guidance and support as I figure out the path that is motherhood! It’s so nice to not have to go through this journey along. You’re all so special to me and I appreciate you more than you know!

Now…go post that photo!  

Phew!! This child successfully wore me OUT today. We were out of the house almost all day so K’s naps were all messed up. She completely skipped her late afternoon nap and just wanted to be held from 5-8p. My insomnia last night paired with her clinginess this evening = one exhausted momma. 

Kensie rolled from her back to her front today!!! Not going to lie, I was a little worried she’d skip that step. She doesn’t care to be on her stomach most of the time and loves being on her back so I didn’t think she’d try. After lunch she was a happy Rollie pollie and kept going back and forth like she’s known how to do it for weeks! Except for when I tried to video her, of course. 

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She also drank from her sippy cup this morning! Like actually swallowed the water! Then, once she discovered how to suck the water out, she started chugging and spitting it all over. 🙄

It blows my mind how quickly babies pick up a new skill. One day it’s not there, and then BAM, the next day it is. As exciting as it is, it’s also another sign that she’s growing up way too fast! 

Speaking of growing, not only did she have to move up to the 6-9mo PJs tonight, but her thighs have also outgrown her romper. LOL!!

I am so very ready for the weekend…and to kick it off we have another #FreebieFriday tomorrow!!!! Check the blog tomorrow for our next giveaway! 

Disclaimer: If breastfeeding is weird to you or grosses you out…might wanna skip today’s post. 😉

Kensie had a fun day hanging with B and Aunt Sarah while I went to a dentist appointment and ran some errands!

When I got home she took a nap and we had to head up to the gym. This evening I had a (much needed) hair appointment so Kens went home with dad tonight! I did get her down for another nap before I left…

Since I don’t have much to say about K baby today – I figured I’d share this instead! 
Lately a lot of friends (since everyone is preggo) have asked if I’m still breastfeeding and how it’s going. Having to schedule my appointments around feedings/making sure there was milk for Kens while I was gone made me think about it more than usual today, too. 

I remember leading up to having Kensington I had a very…indifferent…attitude toward breastfeeding. I knew I wanted to do it for her health (and mine) but also felt strange about it. It felt more like an obligation. I know that sounds terrible to say; but it’s the truth. 

Also, the stupid internet. Before I got pregnant I thought breastfeeding was natural and easy. In my mind it’s just “what you do”. I never really thought about it. When people asked if I was going to I was caught off guard at first. Like, yeah? Doesn’t everyone? But the internet made me realize otherwise. It made it seem near impossible and left me hoping it would work for us. 

Thank God it did. 

K latched right away. She ate like a champ those first few hours. 

Then we got home. Holy hell. A switch flipped and it was no longer natural OR easy. 2 days passed where when I tried to feed Kensie, she would just scream bloody murder. I cried. I cried a lot. I had the baby blues which made it worse (that’s some other shit no one tells you about when you’re pregnant). People kept coming over and I had to seclude myself in my room and try to feed my baby. She wasn’t having it. She’d scream and cry and then I’d cry. I’d walk out and someone would be here wanting to hold her. I felt like the only time I got to hold my own baby the first few days we were home was to feed her and she just screamed the whole time. 

I started to realize something was wrong and coorleated the position to her crying. Then when enough time passed, I realized she also wasn’t pooping. 

Long story short – the poor babe was constipated (y’all know that was short lived now that she’s the blowout queen) and laying her in the position to feed her made her stomach hurt. She’d start to eat because she was hungry and then the pain in her tummy would make her scream. 

We went to the doctor and they “cleared” her out. (TMI?) From there, it got a million times better!! 

Then the other worries started. 

“Is your baby eating 10-15 minutes on each side?” Uh, no..10 minutes tops and she’s done. 

“Are you waking her every 2-3 hours to feed her?” Well I try to but she literally won’t wake up – and if she does she won’t eat and just goes back to sleep. 

Ah! I’m doing this all wrong. She’s not eating enough. I’m not doing it right. She’s going to starve!! …then I learned to ignore all the crap and “textbook” rules and guess what? She was fine. She is fine. We are fine. I learned that ONE thing they say is true: trust your gut. Momma knows best. 

Then, we had it figured out. All was good; but, I kept waiting for that “bonding” moment everyone talked about. When was that magic spark supposed to happen? I’ve never minded doing it, but it certainly didn’t feel like some special moment. 

Until now. Now that she has a personality.  Now that she can stop mid eating and look up and smile at me. Now that she knows who I am and trusts me to provide food. 

So, if any other moms feel similar to what I’ve described, maybe the moment will come for you too. It makes all the planning around feedings and pumpings so worth it. 

When I started, my original goal was 6 months. If I could make it to that, at most, I’d be glad I did. Well, HERE WE ARE! WE DID IT! 

Our next goal is a year…this chunk loves to eat and it showing a lot of interest in her puréed food, so I’ll do what I can for as long as I can! 

Oh, and one more thing…Kensie now sits up  when I put her in her car seat and makes me shove her back (while she arches to fight it) to buckle her in – which makes me look like a real great mom in public. Thanks girlfriend. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I was pretty jealous of my daughter’s outfit today.  Not sure if you can tell in the photos, but there’s PINEAPPLES ON HER ROMPER! 

Also, I won at momming big time today. Multiple times. The trick to having a FOMO baby that fights sleep? Beat them to the punch. 

I somehow managed to time all of her naps perfectly today and got her down before the “overtired” fit kicked in, and not so soon that she had no interest in sleeping. I’d think it’s luck but it happened for naps and again for bed, so I am claiming it as straight skill. 😜

K had peas for lunch today and she LOVED them! A friend gave me a really good idea before I make food for Kens – to buy different ones first to make sure she likes them before I waste my time. So far, we’re 3 for 3! 

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In other news, Kensie got some solid tummy time in this morning! 

No crawling or scooting yet, but she can turn in circles on her belly. Hahahah! Once Kens was over it, I put her in her chair to play instead. 

Since I started this post bragging about my “wins” today, I guess I should probably admit my mom fail of the day as well. Kensie may or may not have eventually thrown all those toys off her chair. Thennnnn she may or may not have leaned forward to try and grab them from the floor. And she may or may not have face planted…🤦🏼‍♀️

Luckily she wasn’t phased by it. Sorry Kens. Thanks for not crying and making me feel too bad. Just trying to toughen her up, guys. Getting her ready for CrossFit. 😉

Like momma, like daughter! See, I told you guys she learned how to hold her cup from watching me. 😉

Getting to hang with Kensie makes Mondays not so bad. She had a great morning playing like a big girl while I worked! I’m soaking in these calm moments before she starts crawling and I won’t be able to let her out of my sight. 

Kensie had an extra special lunch today…and it wasn’t just because she got to eat sweet potatoes!! She got to have lunch with her Aunt Shell all the way in Afghanistan. 

Inevitably she ended up wearing potatoes…but she actually ate half the jar! Kens also likes to “feed” herself. 

In other good news…Chris’ phone is working and we got her “first food” Photos and the videos saved! PHEW! 

So, for your Monday night entertainment…

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Why does my child know the difference between an empty cup and a NOT empty cup?! I thought she was supposed to be at the age where I can trick her. And no, we didn’t give her beer. I promise. Lol

This weekend was full of a lot of “firsts” for Kensie! For starters, it’s the first time she’s slept past 7:30am in weeks. Thanks for that KB! 

We went up to the gym for a little Saturday morning and once Kens was over playing and ready for her nap, she practiced her “I’m tired but I’m still judging you” stare. 

After the gym we went to our favorite spot (Target, of course) and got Kensie a float so we could have a pool day! Safe to say it was a success. 

The water is still pretty chilly so we didn’t stay in too long, but Kens loved it! 

After nap she got another special treat…water in a sippy cup!!! KB hasn’t had many bottles in her life so I’m convinced she knew how to hold this and drink from it from watching me. 😉

And by “drink” I mean Kens just let all the water run down her chin, but she’ll get there. Haha! She can take her sweet time because this momma isn’t ready for her to graduate to a sippy cup yet. 

Saturday night Chris wanted to go see the UCF Spring Game so Kensington went to her first football game with daddy! 

Kensie had a blast! Chris has the best video on his phone since mine likes to tell me my “storage is full” every 2 seconds; however, his phone took a swim today and it’s still in the recovery process…

Today Kens went to the nursery during church and as I was going to pick her up I stepped in the hallway and immediately heard crying and knew it was her. Fail. 

They said she only cried for the last 5-10 minutes and was happy and played the rest of the time. Homegirl and her FOMO during nap time is just not a good combination. She was splotchy-eyed and snot nosed when I picked her up. Poor thing. The second I put her in the car she was out. 

Her last “first” was her avocado for dinner!!! Those photos are ALSO on Chris’ phone so I’m really hoping his phone isn’t gone for good so we get them back! 😥 

She ate the chunks I put in her mouth, but instead of grabbing the food, she was reaching for everything else around her that wasn’t hers. Typical. 

I got a few other foods for her to test out this week to see how it goes. I foresee lots of baths!

Kensie Brooke had her 6 month check up today! 

She’s 25.5″ and 16.1lb! She’s in the 24th percentile for height and 49th for weight. The doctor said she’s expecting a growth spurt soon. She also said her gums are a little swollen and we can expect a tooth i in 3-4 weeks. Who knew teething lasted so long? 

K got to show off her coordination skills and strength and her Doctor told her she’s going to be great at sports!

K didn’t sleep so well last night; but of course this morning when we had to get up and leave she was snoring. 

Luckily she was a good sport and when I woke her up I got lots of sweet smiles and not a cry baby! K had fun playing while I cleaned the floors at the gym and coached. Play pens are heaven sent. 

Kensie fell asleep on the way to her doctor appointment so I put the cover over her car seat in an attempt to keep her napping but it was an epic fail. She things this thing is for peekaboo so she just cheeses when you look in at her and thumps her leg up and down if you don’t. 

We have one healthy, happy baby girl! Kensie only had a few tears after her shot and as soon as I let her eat the paper she was magically okay. 

Not sure if it was the shots or lack of sleep last night but Kens got a few solid naps in at the gym this afternoon (way more than usual) and now she’s excited for a weekend with her first solid foods, drinking from a sippy cup and maybe a dip in the pool! 

Half. A. Year. No matter how much you cherish each moment there really is no slowing it down! Lawdy, I’m gonna be that mom crying on her first birthday for sure. 🙄🤷🏼‍♀️

This little booger is SO MUCH FUN. If I could freeze time, now would the time to do it. 

Things K baby loves:

• Peek-a-boo
• Being tossed in the air
• The phrase “oogaly boogaly”
• Attention
• Sitting up on her own and playing with her toys
• Standing
• Bathtime
• Attention 
• Diaper changes (seriously…)
• Talking/pterodactyl calls
• When you ask her “whatchyou doin?!”
• Grabbing literally anything in her reach
• More attention
• When people say “hi” to her
• Taking pictures
• Raspberries 
• Playing with her feet and eating her toes
• Attention
• Baby Einstein 
• Trying to drink out of anything mommy is drinking out of
• Car rides/napping in the car
• Eating!!!
• Cuddling
• Smiling for pictures
• Did I mention, attention?

But really, she’s (usually) so happy and she is easily entertained…for now. 
Things Kensie doesn’t love:

• Being ignored when she’s in the mood for company
• Getting snot sucked out of her nose
• Being told no 🙄

Little chunk is still going strong breastfeeding! She sleeps for 11-12 hours a night, wakes up twice to eat and goes right back to sleep. Must get that great habit from her momma. 😉 We will attempt some solids this weekend! I’m delaying it because it’s like admitting she’s growing up…

Kensington is such a happy girl and her sweet smile is so contagious! 

K had an awesome half birthday and even got a special treat from Aunt Ashley!

K got a sweet message from Aunt Casey, too and the picture melted my heart. 

Kens loves to hold a hand/finger when she goes down for a nap – I never realized that she’s always done it. 😭

Daddy took Kensie on date tonight and they walked around the block and he gave her a bath! I came home to one clean, happy 6 month old. 

While the last half a year has flown by, I also can’t remember what life was like before this little babe came along. There is nothing I love more than being this girl’s mommy! 

Happy half birthday, KB!!!

Kensie Brooke was back to her normal, chill, goofy self today! Woohoo! No teeth and no (real) tears. 

She picked out her outfit today and told me she wanted to go shopping…so we did! 😜 Okay, she really did pick out her outfit though. I held up 3 and she grabbed this one immediately. 

I took a comparison video for you guys this morning, too. Yesterday was Kensie with real, sad, genuine tears. This is Kensie with an attitude. 🙄

​K took a longggg morning nap (thanks nugget) and I got her half birthday onsie made! 

If anyone needs onesies, shirts or BOWS made, let us know! Etsy shop is in the works!!

Kensie developed a new trick today. It was a wholeeee new kind of blowout. She was sitting in her bumbo so I figured it went up her back. Oh no. She missed that completely. It somehow just came all the way over and out and on to the back of her shorts. 🤔

Thanks for that girlfriend. 

Kens had a fun afternoon at the gym!! 
We had a whole lotta running so I brought K with me for the first half of the workout! She was LOVING it. 

When we got home from the gym, I opened the car door to this goober. 

I couldn’t stop staring at this girl when I put her to bed tonight. I cannot believe she’ll be 6 months tomorrow. I don’t know how I’ll even deal with her turning 1. Oye. I guess I’ll have to throw a big party to distract myself…