Fears (And Excitement!) About Having A Second Baby

Yesterday I took Camille to an indoor trampoline park. The last thing she always likes to do before we leave to head home is to go "play" with the arcade games. She doesn't know yet that the screen constantly reads INSERT COINS TO PLAY INSERT COINS TO PLAY INSERT COINS TO PLAY as she spins the steering wheel, honks the horn, and makes the most heart-meltingly cute car noises on the racing game.

A girl a little older than Camille ran up to us, so I helped Camille to make room in the chair so that they could both spin the wheel together. The mom of the little girl ran over with her diaper bag and a baby on her hip. "When are you due?" she asked me.

(This question always brings me back to the reality that I have a huge preggo belly. Sometimes I forget it, and then someone will ask -- and I'm like, ohhh riiight, everyone knows! It's evident!)

We started chatting about the distance between siblings and hers are 18 months apart. Ours will be about 23 months apart. I looked right at her and said -- lay it on me. How crazy is it?

She responded, "You just have to give yourself grace."

(I sort of groaned internally. Yes, cute saying, trendy saying. But what does it meannnnnn?)

But she went on -- thank goodness. She said, you have to embrace the craziness. You have to let your house be messier. You have to forgive yourself for a showerless day.

Okay, this is where my second biggest fear about adding on to our family kicks in. Exactly all of that. But it's not really because of me. I think that I am the kind of person that could have four children and a fairly unkempt house. Not filthy, but just a little untidy. I'm a little more free-flow, "god made dirt, dirt don't hurt", life is crazy but wonderful, ain't nobody got time for perfection. But my husband? Different story! He is a "place for everything and everything in its place" man. I knew this entering a relationship with him. And I respect the fact that having a neat/tidy house makes him feel more relaxed and calm on the inside as he handles a fairly high-stress job, especially as the sole breadwinner in our family.

So, with that said, he is realistic and understanding enough that I know he is not going to come home expecting me to spin around from the oven with a baking sheet of warm cookies ... and he knows that me at home with a newborn and a two-year-old is going to be a totally new adventure. The truth? He is probably going to give me more "grace" than I will give myself. I think what scares me here is putting so much pressure on myself to still make it all work -- keep the house pretty. Meal plan. Shower, and wash my hair at least a few times a week (ha). Pay the bills on time. Come up with fun, stimulating, educational activities for Camille. And maintain some of the things I still like to do ... like blog regularly.

Speaking of Camille -- let's talk about my number one biggest fear about having a second baby.

I love her so much, y'all. Ian and I look at each other all of the time and just marvel at how NEAT she is. She is unique. She is hilarious. It's probably because she's ours, but we truly believe she is different from all other 20-month olds we know! She is so smart. She is just crazy fun to be around!

I am scared about comparing another baby to her. I am scared about comparing love. Countless mothers, including my own, have said "You think you can't love another baby any more. Then you look into the new baby's eyes, and you know that you can love this second baby with a whole new part of your heart." But this is a truth I won't realize until I experience it.

Another mom told me that it's not necessarily that you'll take away time from the toddler to devote to the newborn, but it's moreso that you will spend the same amount of time with your toddler and just not have all of those hours upon hours of relaxing with your newborn on your chest, gazing lovingly at their immaculate perfection. Okay, I get that. But I loved that time with Camille, and it is so crucial! I want that with the new baby! I already feel guilt that I may not have that precious time with the new baby due to balancing time and attention with Camille.

Thank you for being a sounding board to my crazy. These are the thoughts that keep me up at 3am!

And obviously, we are thrilled to meet this sweet baby. I cannot WAIT to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. Our family will feel complete, I just know it. And I'm ready to embrace the wild, love-filled times. I just want to know what baby's eyes look like! Will he or she have Camille's scrumptious nose? Will we have another brown-haired child, or will it be a nordic-looking babe like Ian was as a newborn?

Mothers of two or more, talk to me. Tell me about that grace I need to give myself. :)

Why Kids Birthday Parties Are The BEST

Let's chalk this post up to something I never thought I'd write about ...

... the awesomeness of childrens' birthday parties.

I love them! I really do!

We had two this weekend. Both on Saturday. I was so excited when I saw the times would not overlap AND that there was the perfect naptime sesh built right in-between the two of them! #lamebuttrue

The first one was for Ella, a Lilly Pulitzer-themed 2nd birthday celebration. Since my tummy isn't really letting me wear any of my normal clothes now, my friend Classic Annie brought me a few of her scarves to choose from. :)

Camille was all set with one of her little outfits that I bought for her during one of the big online sales. That is such a great time to get Lilly outfits -- prices are typically slashed in half, if not more. 

The first reason kids' birthday parties are the best is that, if it's at the birthday girl/boy's home, your child has ALL new toys to play with for an hour or so. Camille was in heaven playing with some of Ella's toys, and this is always a fun way for me to see what she may enjoy for an upcoming birthday or Christmas gift.

The second reason kids' birthday parties are the best is that Camille is really, really into the Happy Birthday song these days (Ian and I sing it to her, literally, several times per day). So that was a highlight, seeing her excitement when it was time to sing to Ella. She doesn't even equate it with cake yet ... the happiness is just in the singing.

After Ella's shindig, we came home, headed straight to the crib for a little nap, and then woke up in time for a change into comfier clothes to get ready for a 3rd birthday party at My Gym.

So the third reason why kid's birthday parties are the best is that it wears your child slap out. Camille didn't even wait up for Ian and me when we arrived at My Gym -- she ran directly over to the ball pit and jumped right in. She played with other kids. She tried climbing the rock wall. She jumped on the trampoline. She climbed. She bounced. She swung. 

We all had an early dinner after this party with another little family, and when we got home she just CRASHED. Absolutely wiped out!

I love seeing the themes that the parents come up with, and I love a party with great activities for the little ones. Good gosh, is it time that I start thinking about Camille's second birthday already?! The new baby will be born probably right around the time that invitations will be going out ... so I better hop on it!

And We Try Again

Well, well, well, last night was not a win for our dear Panthers, but ... we made it to the Super Bowl! And that is HUGE!

The last time we were in the Super Bowl, it was 2004. It was my senior year at Furman. I had never walked across a college graduation stage. I had a boyfriend (not Ian). I drove a purple Pontiac Sunfire with an ADPi sticker on the back. Sex And The City was massive, but the Real Housewives weren't even a "thing" yet. I had held a few jobs -- working at a scrapbook store and nannying. I didn't know where I was going to be living six months later.

So, a lot has changed since then! Career. Marriage. The miracle of childbirth. Japanese-made cars. And the delightful city of Charlotte is my home. I am so happy that our city's team made it as far as they did, and it was a hell of a lot of fun rooting them on this season. This spring and summer will inevitably fly by, as they do, and the next thing I know, Ian will be outside grilling wings again, blasting the 2015/2016 highlight reel through the TV and speakers, and we will be gearing up for another season of electric blue and black. Dab on 'em!

We had a small group of friends and family over here to my house to watch the game. My parents even came up from Columbia which was great. 

The game ended late, I was in bed around 11:15 and Ian and my dad stayed out in the kitchen talking (probably politics the whole time ... I turned on my sound machine app after hearing the word "socialism" -- yikes). They came back sometime after 1am. 

Even Camille got to stay up late! She went down around 8:15, right before the halftime show started. I hated for her to miss out on Beyonce, but she was looking like this and it was time:

We barely made it through Honey Bunny, which is a five-page book. 

I loved scrolling through my social media feeds and seeing some of the little girls I made hairbows for this football season. No lie, I think I've made close to 100 Panthers bows that I have sold on a local Facebook moms selling site. I'm sort of glad to move back to springtime patterns and move away from blue and black :)

So, great job to our guys! Thanks for giving us a wild ride this football season ... it truly was a blast. We had a phenomenal reason to gather with loved ones last night and enjoy sausage balls, quesadillas, grilled chicken wings, smoked pulled pork, dips, cupcakes, a keg (some people) and water (me).

And -- we will, as our team slogan reminds us, KEEP POUNDING!

Saturday Sip and Shop ::: My Pink Valentine

Sip:

Cotton Candy Champagne Cocktail
Recipe found HERE
So cute for Valentines Day!

Shop:

petits secrets tray (on sale here)
gold tray (on sale here)
sparkle tray (on sale here)

Five On Friday!

It's time for another edition of Five on Friday and I do hope you'll join along!

Remember, all you have to do is post about five things on your mind, add our logo (found at the bottom of this post), and join the party using the linky tools below. Easy, and a great way to find new blogs and be found. :)

O N E
Last Friday at lunchtime, I joined a girlfriend and her two sons for a little adventure in uptown Charlotte. As the Panthers prepared for their California send-off, there was a lunchtime pep rally held in one of the large parks in center city. All five of us met at the lightrail station and took the "choo choo train" in to town (big adventure for Miss Camille) and had a great time seeing everyone decked out in their gameday gear getting stoked for the Super Bowl.

They were playing great music and just getting everyone pumped up about the team. Later, the coach and some of the players made an appearance (but we had to leave before that happened). It was such a fun adventure that I wouldn't have attempted solo, so I loved that my girlfriend invited us along!

T W O
We have fully transitioned our dining room over to our shared office space, and I love it. I don't miss our dining room at all. How did we live for four years thinking it was an absolute necessity? We ate in it maybe three times a year, and other than that, it was a holding ground for STUFF.

Stack of catalogs I want to look through but not now? Dining room table. Stacks of daycare artwork from Camille? Dining room table. Paid bills ready to meet their demise in the shredder? Dining room table.

My next task is switching out these standard knobs for some funkier pulls I found 50% off at Hobby Lobby. I'd love to share some photos of the new office space next week!

T H R E E
For well over a year now, these girls and I have been getting together for a quick weekday lunch every 2 or so weeks. Sometimes the little ones join us (like this past week at Cowfish) and sometimes it's just us four gals. I cherish their friendship so much. I also cherish Cowfish's bento boxes. True story.

F O U R
Greek yogurts are a great choice for those with gestational diabetes, and I've tried several at this point. They are higher in protein than the traditional yogurt, which is the key factor to them being a good option. And oh my word, these whipped Yoplait yogurts are awesome. So far I've tried vanilla cupcake (!!!), strawberry, and salted caramel, and they are all quite tasty!

F I V E
I love that you can score some Lilly Pulitzer items on Amazon that are even Prime-eligible. I keep an "April's Wishlist" running list on my account and stick things here that I can ask for for a birthday or Christmas (or just treat myself to from time to time). These totes are sold in a 2-pack: one for you, one for your bestie's upcoming birthday. :)

I mean really, stick a few cute things in there and you are all set: a fun beach towel for a beach bag, a cheese board and bottle of prosecco for a park picnic bag. You get the idea!

Market Totes (on Amazon)

That's all I've got this Friday, but just one more thing .... GO PANTHERS!

TGIF y'all, and hope you will join in on Five on Friday this week! Cheers to the weekend!

Two Sausage Appetizers For Sunday!

I love to eat (you know this) and I love menu planning for events. Sunday's big football game is getting me so excited to cheer on my beloved team and also eat my little heart out!

These days, as I'm watching my diet a little more closely, I've been making sure to combine any carbohydrates with ample protein. I had an opportunity to partner with Johnsonville to share a few recipes with you today that I will be making for Sunday, and all of these recipes will fit in with my adjusted diet and still be really delicious for everyone else!

The first one is a recipe that my aunt made for us a few years ago. It's been a staple for get-togethers in our family since! It's part salty, part sweet, and part citrusy-garlicy. YUM. 

Roasted Sweet Potato and Sausage Bites 

with Lemon Garlic Aioli

Ingredients:

Johnsonville Brats

Sweet potatoes

Mayonnaise

Garlic, minced

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and peel sweet potato and dice into cubes. Toss in a bowl with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Place on a foil-covered baking sheet and roast for approximately 15-20 minutes, flipping once or twice to ensure that all sides brown nicely. 

In a skillet, cook the whole brat a few minutes on each side until it's nicely browned. Remove from skillet and slice with a sharp serrated knife. Return to pan and cook thoroughly. Once cooked, drain on paper towels.

For the lemon garlic aioli, you will mix a few tablespoons of mayonnaise with lemon juice, a tablespoon of minced garlic, salt and pepper. There's no "wrong" way to make this, just sample it from time to time until it tastes great. 

Skewer together a roasted sweet potato cube with a slice of the Johnsonville brat and serve with the lemon garlic aioli as a dipping sauce. Easy and unique!

Wait ... something seems to be missing from the photo above. 

THERE. That's much, much better. ;)

But truly, these are such an easy appetizer and great for a pick-up and go snack. 

Next up on our menu is the classic gameday appetizer -- sausage balls!

Sausage Balls

Ingredients:

1 package Johnsonville Ground Sausage

4 cups grated sharp cheddar (two bags)

3 cups Bisquick

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well with fingers until all ingredients are combined. Form into tight 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet coated in nonstick spray. Bake 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. They are also great for breakfast straight out of the fridge ;-)

Thank you so very much to Johnsonville for allowing me to share two of our gameday recipes with you today. You can follow them on Instagram as well for some delicious recipe inspiration (jvillesausage)!

GO PANTHERS!

Maternity Leggings: A Review (AKA I Have Too Much Time On My Hands)

There are a lot of joys of pregnancy, and one for me is MATERNITY LEGGINGS. I'm dead serious. Leggings in general are pretty stellar, and then when you add in a comfy-cozy full panel waistband, the deal is sealed. 

But I recently ordered three pairs to try out at home, and I found that all maternity leggings are not created equal. Here's my own personal breakdown of the three affordable pairs I tried (from Old Navy and Target) and what made each a hit or miss. 

First up:

Old Navy Full-Panel Jersey Leggings (online here)

Currently $14.94, site is 20% off today using code GROWNUP (adult clothing only)

Coming in at the least expensive of the bunch, I was truly hoping these would work. I love Old Navy's maternity line ... in fact, that dark green notched v-neck I've got on was a Christmastime purchase from there (currently $6.99 here). These leggings had pretty good online review ratings (4.2/5) so I figured I would love them.

The actual legging part itself was great, but on me, the panel hit at an awkward spot -- about two inches up from my (very protruding, eek!) belly button. It still smoothed everything mostly out, but I was able to see that tell-tale legging line under my shirt, and it just felt uncomfortable to me. I was very aware of that top seam and it bothered me to no end. Next!

Target Over The Belly Ponte Pants (online here)

Currently $29.99

The style of these had me intrigued and I figured they would be a favorite. Typically, ponte knit is thicker -- a good quality to be found in leggings, am I right?! I was thinking these would be pretty similar to the Lilly Pulitzer Travel Pants that have such a cult following. 

Eh, not really. The full panel was comfortable, but the leggings themselves didn't have that nice and luxurious feeling that I was expecting for my $30 (I'm frugal and I own it!). They were still a good find, and I probably would have justified keeping them had I not tried on the very last pair I'll review here today. 

Winner, winner!

Target Over The Belly Black Legging (online here)

Currently $16.99

By a landslide, these were the big winner of the group. The heft of the legging was fairly similar to the "thicker" ponte pants, and the waistband was even more comfortable! It is made out of this really soft, almost bathing-suit type material. And less than $20 -- a score in my penny-pinching book. 

I should definitely point out that my blog friend Justine, currently expecting her fifth sweet baby, originally told me how awesome these were. I should have just taken her word (and saved myself the return trips to Old Navy and Target for the pants above) because a woman expecting baby #5 definitely knows her stuff. 

I wear these every single week. Sometimes two days in a row (no shame). They have held up in several washings -- I've been wearing them since November -- and have accomodated my ever-growing baby bump. The black has stayed a nice, true black. Come visit me after the baby is born and I guaran-darn-tee you I will still be wearing these!

Do I have too much time on my hands for this review? Umm, maybe. But maternity leggings, y'all! There is nothing better!

(WELL. Maybe a funfetti cupcake, but that's off of my radar for the time being.) ;)

Baby Shower Planning ... Your Ideas?

I get so, so excited when I think about welcoming my new little nephew into our family. My sister Laura is six years younger than I am, so the fact that we are both pregnant at the same time is not something I necessarily thought would happen but definitely something I hoped for. Like, really really really hoped for! :)

Ian and I think the world of Laura and her husband T, and we are also really excited that we will have babies that will be about two months apart in age.

I'll be hosting at my home a shower for Laura with the other sisters -- my middle sister and one of T's sisters who lives in Columbia. We are getting our ideas all together and it's going to be a pretty and sweet shower!

Here's where I love hearing from you ... what are some of your baby shower must-haves?

(photos used are not what I will necessarily end up using - Laura reads here!) :)

INVITATIONS
I was torn whether to go with a boutique for the printing or whether to buy a digital file from Etsy and have it printed. I've done the latter before and then taken the digital file to the printer, have had the invitations printed on 8.5x11 cardstock, and then done all of the cutting myself. Coordinating envelopes were typically purchased at Paper Source. But a girlfriend told me yesterday that Staples has done her invitation printing before with marvelous results, and they come pre-cut and with envelopes! TA-DAAAA! I've received a few of her invitations so can definitely vouch for the quality of the paper and the printing quality. Would love to hear your tricks of the trade for invitations!

invitation found here on Etsy

FOOD
I think we will keep the food fairly simple ... maybe some nice Southern classics like cucumber sandwiches, deviled eggs, and fruit salad cups. What are your favorite baby shower foods? I'll just use paper plates and paper napkins, and of course -- my favorite Dollar Tree find, the shiny metallic silver plasticware. Being that it will be a daytime affair, we will have some light adult beverages (maybe a tasty sangria? or mimosa bar?) and some sparkling waters or a lemonade.

via

FAVORS
I am always all ears for great favor ideas -- have you received anything recently as a shower favor that you really enjoyed?

favors found HERE on Etsy

FLOWERS
I think to keep things simple, I'll probably just have a few arrangements delivered the day prior from The Bouqs. They have been my go-to source ever since I saw the concept on Shark Tank. I love their flat-fee pricing and gorgeous, high-quality flowers. They will come in boxes so they will be very easy to arrange in the key areas of the house that we'll be entertaining.

One thing we'll definitely be doing is encouraging attendees to bring a small board book in lieu of a card. If you're going to spend $4 on one or the other, we may as well fill sweet Thompson's bookshelves with some fabulous reads!

Now is when I'd love to hear some of your ideas. What have you seen or heard about recently for baby shower trends that you can share with me?