Easter Weekend

We are all suffering from a post holiday hangover today. The babies have been off their schedule and went down for their 9:30 nap at 11:30. Brooke and Harrison are in super crazy mode, thank goodness for the bounce house. I should be doing laundry or cleaning up the disaster zone in the basement, but instead I'm eating peanut butter eggs and drinking coffee that's been reheated 4 times already. Yay Monday! But seriously, our weekend was great and the day after a holiday always seems a little off.

Friday was one of those days where Brooke and Harrison and I were at each other all day. They didn't listen, which made me yell, which made them listen less. There were tears from all three of us that day, so when Rob got home that night, it was a welcome reprieve. We ordered pizza and colored eggs, which went much better than the rest of our day. The kids and I had a good bedtime talk about how we were all going to do better tomorrow, and we did.

Harrison and Brooke do best when we have some type of activity planned, so we filled our Saturday with Easter fun. We woke up in the morning and headed to our church's Easter egg hunt. We even managed to get out the door in time for me to pick up coffee on the way! Going out of the house with all for kids still makes me nervous, just because the babies still take so long to eat. Getting out with all four kids for something other than a shopping trip felt HUGE! Thankfully the egg hunt lasted all of 10 minutes. We had time to hit up the park for a few and still make it home in time to feed the babies.

By early afternoon it was gorgeous outside, and the kids' Auntie had come to join us for an afternoon at the mall. We strapped on some babies and took the Easter Extravaganza by storm. Really we just went for the petting zoo. The lines to see the Easter bunny and for face painting were so long, there was no way we were waiting. We managed to do a little shopping, pet all the baby animals, work on our tans, and even get a couple balloon bunnies before heading back home. An early bedtime for the kids meant I still had plenty of time to assemble Easter baskets and prep brunch once they were asleep.

Sunday morning Robbie and I decided to go the divide and conquer route. The big kids and I got ready and went to church, after they checked out their baskets of course. He hung out with the babies, made sure food got in the oven on time, and hid eggs in the back yard. Robbie's parents joined us for brunch and to watch the big kids hunt eggs. When they took off, everyone napped. All for kids and Robbie slept at the same time, which gave me plenty of quiet time to clean up from the morning and get ready for TWD night. The babies took extra long afternoon naps, so I got some time to blow bubbles in the back yard with H and B. The weather was absolutely perfect, and we soaked up every second.

I made extra large bunch casseroles, so we had brunch twice on Sunday. Is there anything more perfect? Yes there is, but we really love brunch around here. I've eaten the same for for my last three meals, and I am not complaining one bit. We closed out our Sunday the same way we always do, with Rick and the gang. Now we're anxiously waiting to see who Negan is going to introduce Lucille to next week. If you aren't a TWD fan, sorry for the reference. ;)

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend, and that you're surviving the post holiday hangover. Hopefully with coffee. Or wine.

Scarlett and Clark - 2 Months

Two months already!! Scarlett and Clark have had a big month. We are starting to see a lot more of them when they're not sleeping. Thankfully that happens during the day and not at night. They are settling into three naps during the day with an occasional 4th catnap. At night they go anywhere from 5-8 hours between their bedtime feed and waking to eat. That means we only wake up once or twice a night. They have been going to bed close to 8pm, but I think we will be moving that up closer to 7 over the next month. They still sleep next to our bed at night and in their swings during the day. Scarlett usually spends an hour or two in our bed each night just before their middle of the night feed. She almost always wakes before Clark, and I can usually keep her happy for a while with a snuggle and her paci. 

This month also brought them their first colds, and an ear infection for Clark. They were both great through being sick. Scarlett earned the nickname of Lil Weezy because her congestion lasted almost two weeks! There was a lot of projectile milk vomit thanks to their coughs, but they were happy through it all. I was usually the unlucky recipient of their targeted milk attacks. The one time Clark aimed at Robbie, it was hilarious. I've never seen Rob jump out of bed so fast and mutter obscenities. Sorry babe! We are thankfully all past the nastiness now.

We are still keeping them on the same schedule. They nurse every 2.5-4 hours during the day, it just depends on how well they nap. I have to wake them up from a nap at least once a day when they hit the 4 hour mark. I love time during the day to get things done while they nap, but I love my sleep at night more. So yes, I wake sleeping babies. Scarlett was having issues with spitting up excessively, so we assigned each baby a side while nursing. They were switching sides each day, but now they are on the same side every nursing session in hopes they can regulate the quantity and flow of their side. It's worked out really well for Scarlett, but now Clark is having issues with forceful letdown on his side. It makes him very gassy during nursing, and he has to be burped every few minutes. It makes our nursing sessions often times frustrating. I'm hoping we'll all figure it out. Maybe a change in nursing position will help. 

Playtime is becoming more of a regular thing. Clark is not a fan of tummy time. He just lays there like a slug. Scarlett is great with her head control and is regularly rolling from belly to back. She's also had a couple short, very closely watched, sessions in the Bumbo. They both love watching their big brother and sister play, especially when they are on their play mat. They've finally decided they like the bouncy seats for more than a couple minutes, so they've been joining us on the kitchen island during breakfast and lunch. They're just starting to swat at the toys on their bouncy seats, but overall have interest in toys.

Clark

Weighs 14lbs, is 23" long, wears size 1 diapers, size 3 months or 3-6 months, is almost too long for 3 month sleep and plays. He has just started smiling regularly. He is only interested in his pacifier at night or in the car. He has zero interest in me reading to him. I am determined to change that.

Scarlett

Weighs 11lbs5oz, is 22" long, wears size 1 diapers and size 3 month clothes. She smiles often, especially for me, but she's starting to pass the love around. She still loves being pat on her bottom. She has decided the car seat isn't all bad, as long as it's moving somewhere. She has started discovering her hands and like sucking on her fingers or thumb, although she still much prefers her paci.

I am excited for what the next month will bring for us. With Spring right around the corner, I know these babies will be getting to experience some new things over the next month. I see lots of walks and trips to the park in our near future. I can't wait. For now, enjoy the rest of the baby spam.

Small Shop Favorites

It's no secret that I love to shop small. Instagram shops are my weakness and I love supporting momtrepreneurs. I try to keep spending to a minimum, especially with the kid count in our house recently doubling. We saved all of Harrison and Brooke's clothes, but opposite seasons means we definitely need to fill in some wardrobe holes. The warm weather we had over the weekend has me thinking spring and summer, and thankfully some of our favorite shops are thinking that way too. Forget the fact that it's snowing outside today. We do a lot of wardrobe staples from Target and Gap/Old Navy, but the most fun pieces are the ones from small shops. I thought I'd share a few pieces that we are absolutely loving right now.

Rompers on babies. Need I say more? So dang cute. The floral prints from Plain Girl are adorable. I wish they made them in Brooke's size too. 

Plain Girl Rompers

Graphic tees are my jam. Cute sayings and especially pop culture references speak to me. Harrison and Brooke have a lot of graphic tees, and I have just as many. These bunny ones are great for Easter.

Ain't No Bunny / Got Time For That

Gangster Party Tee

Summer Days Tank

Charlie and Chomper is a long time favorite of ours. They have so many shirt options, and their newest is a customizable "All you need is love &," shirt. You can make the and anything you want. I love this All you need is love & a dog option. I've seen All you need is love & coffee, All you need is love & bacon, All you need is love & Star Wars. I think All you need is love & twins would be a fun option.

All You Need is Love Tee

When Brooke was a baby her headband collection consisted of cheaply made ones I purchased in bulk in Amazon. Those have since hit the trash, leavings lack of headbands to fit Scarlett. I love Charlie Cocos nylon bands because they are soft, fit both girls now, and they'll still be able to wear them years from now. They keep their elasticity so well and aren't tight on either girls' head. They have adorable felt bow, great fabric prints, glitter, bows, and even leather. So many great options.

Headband

Bummies. Yep. Both babies will be wearing these come summer. The prints are super cute, and the price isn't too bad either. I LOVE these!! 

Bummies

This leotard isn't available yet, but I'll be impatiently watching Instagram waiting for it to become available. Mermaids are everything. I mean, who doesn't want to be Ariel?

Leotard

Scarlett will probably start crawling right around the time summer gets here, so I doubt she'll be in too many dresses, but Brooke lives in dresses all summer long. Top Knots and Twirls has some amazing dresses she will absolutely love. Anything twirly and with tulle is perfect for her. 

Savannah Dress

There are a lot of other shops that are getting ready to release their Spring/Summer lines really soon, so I'll be keeping my eyes open for even more great items. The June and January line is one I'm anxiously awaiting. They've been previewing some really fun pieces on their Instagram.

What are some of your favorite small shops? Any must have pieces for summer we should be checking out?