Life Lately

Life lately has been all things baby, all things Jenny, and all things enjoying this beautiful weather. Thank you Jesus that Summer is upon us! #Amen. Here's a little look at life lately in our neck of the woods...

May was the month of visitors! We hosted 5 people throughout the month and loved every minute. We love having so many family members come down to love on baby P! My Nana and cousin were our first visitors, and we took them to historic Williamsburg to see the sites!

I love seeing our family love this baby. He's never short on people wanting to snuggle him, that's for sure!

My child currently sheds more than my dog. He was born with a head full of hair and is now almost totally bald. Cradle cap for the win over here!

Pups make the best nap partners. These children of ours love to snuggle!

I got to celebrate my first Mother's Day with a baby! Parker and Preston made it a very special day for me! Parker even had this cookie cake waiting for me when I woke up. That man knows the way to my heart, and it's through my stomach. ;)

They had this cute little Mother's Day set-up at church. These two boys have made all my dreams come true!

This Spring must have been bird mating season because we have goslings and ducklings in the neighborhood! We took some bread with us on one of our walks and loved feeding them!

We are working on teaching baby P that it's okay to nap somewhere other than my arms. He napped solo but still managed to take me with him. We are calling it progress. Side note: my child has a surprisingly strong grip, and I may join him in the bald department before all is said and done.

My mother in law was in town to love on baby P, and he gladly accepted the extra snuggles! We were very thankful for a week with Lolli!

And we all know when the grandmas are in town, that means... date night! Parker and I ventured downtown for dinner, a quick walk along the water, and then somehow ended up at Target. Target baby-free... I wasn't mad about it!

I ordered the nachos at dinner, which was quite literally a giant baking sheet filled with chips and who knows what else. They were delicious, but holy portion control!

 And I'll leave you with this... deliciously chubby baby feet. Is there anything better? Nope. Are we a little biased? Probably. ;)

Preston and Jenny

One of the most common questions we get from family and friends is "How is Jenny doing now that baby Preston is in the picture?". We were pretty sure Jenny would be just fine with Preston, but it's still something that was in the back of our minds leading up to his birth. Thankfully, Jenny has responded exactly as we thought she would... she couldn't care less.

A family tagline is "Jenny is not impressed". Because honestly, she's just not. She has a fun little personality, loves being loved, and loves anything to do with playing outside. Other than that, she's unimpressed with pretty much everything. Preston has been no exception. We kind of see this as best case scenario. She leaves the baby alone and doesn't really have any interest in going near him. It doesn't get much easier than that!

When I was pregnant, I had so many people tell me "Just wait until the baby is born. The dog will become second fiddle". I'm obsessed with Jenny, so naturally I was a little offended by these comments but kept my mouth shut. Now that I have a baby, I can see that there was some truth to this. Preston is my child and obviously number one, and he became number one as soon as he took his first breath. Jenny is second now, and rightfully so. 

That said, she's still my best girl and my little buddy. We still take our daily walks, snuggle in the evenings, and do nature hikes as often as we can. You can still hear the phrase "we have the best dog" uttered throughout our house at least 10 times a day. She's still our favorite girl and our furborn!

I am really excited to see Jenny with Preston when he is a toddler. I can picture them running around together and being the best of friends. Then again, there is an equally likely chance that Jenny will still be completely apathetic to the toddler version of Preston. Regardless, we love our unimpressed pup and think she is a fabulous fur sister to her human brother!

House Tour: Nursery Closet

I did something really weird. I decorated Preston's closet. Maybe that's not actually that weird, but it does seem silly to decorate a closet when you think about it! We had several sweet decorative items or special keepsakes that were given to us that didn't have a good spot in the nursery, so I decided to make a sweet little whimsical closet space. I actually quite love his little closet!

I shared some of the details of the nursery last week, so today, here is a look inside little man's closet. 

The adorable banner was made by my mother in law for my baby shower. It perfectly matches the nursery color scheme we decided on! The mobile was made by my super talented friend for my other baby shower. I love the little airplanes!

Here's a closer look at the mobile. It hangs at the top of the closet and is so fun to see when I open his closet every morning. 

I didn't need much shelving space (I am sure that will change as he grows and accumulates more things!), so I used his shelves to hold some fun keepsakes. The piggy bank has his name engraved on the side, and the scrabble tiles are a gift from my mother-in-law. The silver cups are antiques that my Nana gifted us. One was actually given to me for Taylor Grace, and the other is for Preston. Preston's also has a silver spoon in it that was given to us from Parker's squadron. That will be what Preston eats his first bite of food from in a few months!

I was originally planning on doing an airplane-themed nursery, but when Parker and I decided we just wanted 1-2 airplanes in the nursery to keep things simple, these became closet decorations. I love the vintage feel!

This is called a ring of blessings. My mother in law made it for my baby shower, and our friends and family wrote little prayers or wishes on the cards for baby Preston. It is so special, and I can't wait to read it to him one day.

This was a gift as well, and I love that it is personalized for baby Preston.

I made these little clothing dividers on the computer and cut them out (cheap, party of one). They have been great for separating his clothing by size. They were so easy to make on the spot too!

Previous House Tours:

Guest Bathroom Blessings Wall

Fall Tablescape

Home Office Gallery Wall

Home Office Reading Nook

Staircase Landing
Nursery Details

House Tour: Nursery Details

I put a lot of thought into our son's nursery. I had dreamed about this room for so long, and I wanted it to be perfect! Apparently I am very indecisive (very true), because the final product was nothing like I originally envisioned. I completely changed my tune halfway through my pregnancy and am so glad I did. I really love his nursery and could happily spend all day in that sweet room. 

I wanted it to be a very calming, soothing space, and I think we achieved that. The only real theme I went for was "sweet". Talk about vague, but I wanted light colors and sweet, personal details throughout. We had the room painted a very very pale baby blue. It doesn't show up baby blue in photos and barely shows up that way in person. It's very muted, but that's exactly what we were going for. We chose white furniture with white, silver, and gray accents. Very simple!

The changing table is one of our favorite features in the nursery. Parker built it when he got back from deployment just in time for Preston to be born. He did such a good job!

The three frames hanging above the changing table were my cheap take on Etsy prints. I designed them in Picmonkey.com, printed them at Walgreens, and spray painted three frames I already had on hand. They read Jeremiah 1:5. John 3:16, and Psalm 139:14.

Parker also built this bookshelf, which I love! It's exactly what I was hoping for and was finished just days before Preston entered this world.

Archie is my stuffed gorilla from my childhood. I begged my parents not to get rid of him because I thought he would make such a fun addition to a nursery one day.

I just love the simple little mobile above his crib. It fits the gray/white color scheme, and the elephants are too cute!

His sweet name is hanging above the crib. I ordered the letters off Etsy and painted them.

I love this little airplane lamp. It is actually the only airplane we have in the nursery, but it's an ode to Parker's passion while still keeping with the simple theme I was going for.

This is another favorite corner of the room. We prayed and prayed for that sweet baby, and the Lord certainly delivered!

This chaise lounge was in my home office before the room turned into a nursery. I didn't really think it fit the nursery and still think it's a little too feminine for a boy's nursery, but it's a great place for Parker to sit and talk to me while I feed Preston, so I love it for that reason. It fits the color scheme of the nursery pretty well, and I've come to like having it in there!

Mobile: Pottery Barn

Name Letters: Etsy

Lamp: Target (discontinued)

Wooden wall hanging: Hobby Lobby

Chaise Lounge: Wayfair

Rug: Costco

Pillow: Stein Mart

Previous House Tours:

Guest Bathroom Blessings Wall

Fall Tablescape

Home Office Gallery Wall

Home Office Reading Nook

Staircase Landing

Thoughts on Mother's Day 2017

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and I spent the entire day celebrating and relishing in the sweet baby boy that gave me a reason to celebrate. Being a mom is the joy of my life, and I am so grateful to be on the journey. Mother's Day is always a reminder of the little girl who made me a mom. I always wish I could hug her a little more on Mother's Day. Taylor Grace will always be the one who made me a mom in my eyes, but baby Preston is the one who made all my dreams come true. Getting to be his mama here on earth is the sweetest gift!

I think Mother's Day is hard for as many people as it is joyous. Whether you've lost your mom, lost a baby, or struggled with infertility, it's a hard day for many. For anyone that fits into that category, you were on my heart and mind yesterday, and you were in my prayers. Mother's Day was a hard day for me last year and the year before. It was a happy day to celebrate my amazing mother, but it was also a day to remind me that I didn't yet have any babies here on earth. 

This year, I am thankful for God's provision. A year ago today, we had no idea that baby Preston would arrive 10 months later. We had no idea just how greatly God would be blessing us in 2017. 

What Goes Through Your Head When You're A New Mom...

I'm a mom (still so fun to write!), and if I've learned anything, it's that moms have to stick together. I can draw up a conversation with a total stranger and talk for hours about breastfeeding, baby clothes, and poop schedules. I've become a very hip, happening person as you can tell.

Seriously though, I've learned that there are some things every mom goes through. Particularly, there are several reactions every mom has to standard mom life happenings. Here are a few...

When people ask if your newborn is sleeping through the night...

When you see another mom in the grocery store with a screaming baby...

When you get all your chores done, have time to shower, and actually put on real clothes...

When the UPS man rings the doorbell while the baby is sleeping...

When people without kids complain about being tired...

When that precious baby wakes up at 4 AM, and you are both delighted to see them yet utterly exhausted...

When your husband comes home from work after you've been holding a baby for 10 straight hours...

When someone wants to talk about something other than your child...

When your baby finally poops after 3 days of being constipated...

Life Lately

Happy Wednesday! Here's a little look into life lately in our neck of the woods...

For me, it's all about those baby snuggles. We are nearing the end of the newborn phase, so I am cherishing those tummy naps he takes on my chest. They are getting fewer and farther between, and as fun as it is to watch him grow and learn new things, leaving the newborn phase is sad!

Friday night + gorgeous weather = walks along the waterside. We've learned the easiest thing to do with a baby is walk. Whether it be with the stroller or the baby carrier, Preston loves it and we do too. On this Friday night, we loaded up the stroller and took a walk along the water.

Jenny is a big fan of our long Saturday walks... here she is thinking she is pretty hot stuff next to this fountain. ;)

In other Jenny news, she would like for her brother to get bigger faster so she can play with him. 99% of the time, she couldn't care less about her new roommate, but on the rare occasion, she will go sit next to him and offer her toy.

Just another day in the neighborhood! We love spotting peacocks along our afternoon walks. Such a unique thing for a neighborhood to have.

Parker and I decided to try Hello Fresh, a meal delivery service that delivers fresh ingredients and detailed recipes. We thought it would be a fun little date night in, and it really was! We made them together (or Parker made them while I stood around the kitchen corralling the baby). The recipes are healthy and use ingredients I normally don't think to use, so it was a really cool learning experience!

Cinco de Mayo with some of our favorites. What you can't really see in this picture is Preston's mustache pacifier. So. darn. cute.

Thankful for friends who embrace our little family and love on our son! This boy never runs out of people who want to hold him!

That's life lately!

The Boy Behind The Blog: Daddy Edition

It's been a good chunk of time since we did a boy behind the blog, so Parker is here today to answer a few questions about his new role as a dad! To say parenthood is an adjustment is a gross understatement, but we've loved tackling this new phase of life together. Here are Parker's thoughts on our new life as mom and dad!

Questions and Answers (my responses to his answers are in gold):

1. What has been the best moment of fatherhood so far?

Probably seeing him giggle when Chelsea wakes him up in the morning and asks him how handsome he is. 

There is nothing like bending over his bed and seeing that big grin when he spots us for the first time. It's just the sweetest. 

2. What has been the most surprising thing about parenting so far?

I'm surprised at how easy our baby is. He's so low maintenance. He takes after his father!

So true. Preston is a dream baby and really easy as far as newborns go. 

3. What has been the hardest thing about being a parent?

Watching him cry and not being able to figure out what's wrong, although it's usually either he needs to eat, he needs to poop, or he's cold. 

Parker is very much looking forward to Preston being able to tell him what is wrong. I keep reminding him that we have a while to go until that happens. 

4. What's the best advice you can give a first time father?

I'm kind of new at this, but I guess just to make sure you help in any way that you can. Realize you're part of a team, and don't forget to continue making her feel special.

Very sweet, hubs. I echo the part about being a team. That's the only way you'll get through it!

5. What has been the biggest adjustment with having a baby?

Adjusting to a baby's schedule. Not being able to do whatever we want when we want. I can't wait to go to the movies again!

Parker is dying to go to the movie theater! This has always been our favorite date night. One day we will go again... one day. ;)

That's all folks!

Preston Lee | His Name Story

For some reason, Parker and I kept quiet about our son's name on the blog and social media. I'm not really sure why. We didn't even have a good reason, but I realized around week 24 of pregnancy that I hadn't shared it and just decided to keep that going. 

Since I was considered high risk during pregnancy because we had a chromosomal abnormality with our first pregnancy, I was eligible for the free blood test they can do at 10 weeks. This test looks at the chromosomes and can tell you if there are any abnormalities. It can also tell the gender. I had this test done at 10 weeks 5 days, and just before week 12, I got the call that our baby was not only healthy, but that he was a boy! Favorite phone call ever!

I had been convinced up to that point that it was a girl, so I was shocked in the best way! I was also convinced Taylor Grace was a boy, so the takeaway here is that my mother's intuition is zero. As soon as we found out it was a boy, we knew his name. I remember Facetiming Parker since he was deployed to find out the gender together, and as soon as we did, we both said "We know his name, right?!". And we did! Our first son was always going to be Preston Lee. 

I remember having a conversation with Parker when we were still dating, and he told me that he loved the name Preston and wanted a son named Preston one day. We weren't even engaged, so this was at least 7 years ago. I loved the name too! I loved it so much, and we discussed it so long ago, that I actually had convinced myself that I came up with it. Parker tried to tell me he had come up with it, but my twin sister had to confirm this before I believed them. I could have sworn I came up with it!

Lee is Parker's middle name and a family name on his side, and we both loved the idea of our son being named after his dad. And that was that. Our first son would be Preston Lee, and it was decided before Parker even asked me to marry him. 

We just love our son's name. I'm sure every parent loves their kid's name, so that was probably a silly thing to write. But it's true. We just love it. Fun fact: Parker also always wanted to have a daughter named Taylor, which is obviously the name of our first baby. So Parker has named both of our children. I joke with him that I get to name #3. It's only fair! Thankfully, Parker and I have such similar taste in baby names that he could probably name every single one and I would absolutely love it. 

So that's his name story! Nothing fancy, nothing outrageous... just a couple of 19 year olds who one day decided they would love to have a son named Preston. And when they were 27, they did. ;)